Cannot read microSD card [LG Optimus G Android 4.1.2]

[liquidcross]

My phone won't mount or read my 1GB Sandisk microSD card; even if I try to format it, it gives me a "SD card blank or has unsupported file system" error. The card works fine on my computer, and I can format it there without a problem, but the phone still won't read it. It's running Android 4.1.2, if that helps. Please advise?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Insert the card into your computer, open Windows Explorer, right-click the card, and select Properties. What filesystem is the card formatted in? FAT32 or something else? Most phones require the phone to be formatted in FAT32, so if it's something like NTFS, that's why the computer can read it but the phone can't.

 

[liquidcross]

It's formatted as FAT32. I even tried reformatting as FAT32; no dice!

 

[B. Diddy]

Do other cards work in the phone? If not, there's probably a problem with the card reader. Make sure there isn't any debris in the slot.

 

[liquidcross]

I ordered another card so I could do just that. I examined the slot, and it looks clean. Used some compressed air on it, too, just to be sure.

 

[liquidcross]

I tried using a Sandisk microSD HC Class 10 8GB card. This time, the card isn't seen by the system at all; no error messages, but the mount and format commands are grayed out. My computer sees it just fine, and can format it as FAT32 without a problem either. Phone still won't see it.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm guessing it's a problem with the phone's SD slot/reader. Is the phone out of warranty?

 

[liquidcross]

Sadly yes. The only other thing I could think of is that it can't read newer, high-speed cards; it could see the 1GB old card, just not mount or format it, but it can't see the 8GB class 10 card at all. Does that make sense?

 

[B. Diddy]

It should still be able to mount the older card, and I don't think the fact that the newer card is Class 10 should matter. Sorry!

 

[liquidcross]

Most odd. The previous owner apparently never used the SD card slot at all.

 

[B. Diddy]

Someone who isn't interested in keeping a large amount of photos, music, or videos locally on the phone probably wouldn't feel the need to have an SD card. Did you ask the previous owner if he or she had this problem, and that's how you found out?

 

[liquidcross]

Exactly.

 

[liquidcross]

Here's a new one: if I put the card in, the titlebar says "Media scanning" and "Media scanning completed," but still won't mount the card. So the phone does see the card. With the 1GB, it just gives errors, and with the 8GB SDHC, it cannot mount.

 

[B. Diddy]

I still think it's a problem with the reader. It could also be a firmware issue, but I'm not sure how easy it is to reinstall the firmware. You could try LG Bridge, but otherwise, you'd have to root the phone and find the stock firmware to install.

 

[liquidcross]

Can you reinstall firmware with LG PC Suite? My phone's too old to support Bridge, it seems.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not sure. Can you find PC Suite to install? I've had difficulty finding an official download site for it in the past.

 

[liquidcross]

There's a link on the LG Bridge page, that's how I found it.

I'll try it on my phone later if I can. My phone is also very finicky about connecting to the computer; it only seems to work on USB 3.0 ports, which means my main computer is out (it's older with only 2.0 ports), and my laptop is only a backup.