computer wont read sd card

[WA hunter14]

i have a browning sd card and a targus external card reader, i have used the combo before several times and never had any issues. when card is in camera it says 18 videos, in my girlfriends camera it says three pictures no videos. when i put the card in the reader then plug it into the computer it chimes but nothing appears on the screen?  getting really frustrated would really appreciate any info or ideas.

[Seahawk12]

What OS?
Have you loaded or updated any software recently?

[WA hunter14]

what is OS? and no i havent. i did take the card out when the trail camera was on is that a bad thing to do?

[Seahawk12]

OS= Operating System.
Pulling a card may or may not effect it.
Normally when you put in the card your computer automatically opens the files and allows you to view them? But now your PC chimes, but nothing opens?

[WA hunter14]

OS is windows xp, and yes exactly that used to open it automatically now it wont

[Seahawk12]

Does anything autoplay on your system right now.
The reason I ask is to determine if it is an issue with the device or the OS.

[Seahawk12]

Reset the Standard Autoplay Settings

For XP: This is done on each drive letter itself and the Autoplay prompt may have been simply turned off for that drive.

1. Make sure the non Autoplaying device is plugged in, go to My Computer and right click on the drive letter that it uses -> Properties -> AutoPlay tab.

2. Select “Prompt me each time to choose an action” and click OK, or alternatively click the Restore Defaults button if available.

[hrd2fnd]

Sometimes it can be as simple as rebooting the computer and trying again. If after that it doesn't work perform these steps to determine if XP recognizes the card.

Click start
Click my computer
Find drive letter associated with the card reader and click on it to see if the card reader can be accessed. If so does the reader recognize the sd card? 

Let us know, if you can provide screen shots or error messages received it helps if not we can continue forward from there

[WA hunter14]

ok i restarted computer, clicked start, then my computer, then right clicked removable disk E, then when i click on auto play nothing happens same thing if i click open or anything else.

[hrd2fnd]

When you right click go to properties and does it show how much drive space is free and how is in use?

[Seahawk12]

Will anything autoplay on your PC? Or is it only this particular SD card?

[WA hunter14]

i dont know what else i could auto play i used a different sd card and it did not work either, when i go to properties it says 0 bytes free space and 0 bytes used space

[hrd2fnd]

I understand zero bytes used. Unplug the card reader from the computer, restart computer, once up and running plug card reader back into computer with no sd card in it. Does the computer recognize the reader as new hardware being installed? If so try inserting the card into reader and see what it does

[WA hunter14]

yes it does

[hrd2fnd]

yes it does

does what? Did you follow my last steps? If so do you have access to another reader to test?

[jasnt]

Are you sure the card is not on lock? I've done that a few times. Some how that little tab gets slid to lock while I'm headed back to the house with SD in pocket. It sounds dumb but its happened to me. Computer won't open it at all till I slide it back unlocked. I've pulled the card too early as well. It normally says data is corrupt when that happens

[WA hunter14]

yes it does

does what? Did you follow my last steps? If so do you have access to another reader to test?

yes i did your last steps and the computer regognizes the reader, but still doesnt work.

No the card isnt locked but thank you for the idea

[Knocker of rocks]

Can you load the files by using your camera as the reader and feeding the computer by a mini USB to USB cable and ditch the reader?

[WA hunter14]

not now, i dont have the cable to do that