What Causes EmuDeck Not Detecting SD Card?
Steam Deck has become a popular gaming handheld device that allows gamers to enjoy their favorite games. With EmuDeck, you can play some retro games such as Atari, Sega Megadrive/Genesis, Dreamcast, etc.
However, some users reported encountering problems with EmuDeck not recognizing SD card on Steam Deck. So, what causes Emudeck not to detect SD card?
- Permissions and Security: If EmuDeck does not have the necessary permissions or is blocked by security software, it may not detect the SD card.
- Software Errors: Some random errors on Steam Deck may cause the SD card not to show up on Steam Deck.
- Bad Contact: The SD card has poor contact or no contact, which will cause the problem of Emudeck not recognizing the SD card.
- Damaged SD Card: Your SD card may be faulty or damaged, so Steam Deck cannot recognize it.
- EmuDeck Configuration: Incorrect configuration settings within EmuDeck may cause it to ignore the SD card.
- Incompatible SD Cards: Steam Deck SD cards are formatted as Ext4. Other file systems are not recognized by Steam Deck.
How to Fix EmuDeck Not Detecting SD Card?
Based on the reasons above, here we summarize several useful solutions for you to solve this problem.
Fix 1. Reinsert SD Card and Restart Steam Deck
Reinsert the SD card into the Steam Deck’s SD card slot and restart Steam Deck. This is the easiest and quickest way to eliminate these random errors.
Fix 2. Check the SD Card
A damaged SD card may cause recognition problems. Use another device, such as a camera, to check if the SD card is working properly. If it does not work, the problem may be with the card itself.
To check and repair logical damage on the SD card, such as file system errors and bad sectors, you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard to check the SD card for errors.
MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
- Connect the SD card to the PC. Then install MiniTool Partition Wizard on the PC.
- Launch this disk checker and right-click the SD card. Then select Check File System.
- In the window that pops up, select Check & fix detected errors and click Start.
To check for bad sectors, select the SD card in the main interface of MiniTool Partition Wizard and select Surface Test from the left operation panel. In the next window, click Start Now to start the scanning process. Then wait patiently until the process is over. If any blocks are marked in red, it means the SD card has bad sectors.
Fix 3. Check EmuDeck Settings
Open EmuDeck’s settings and make sure the paths to your game library and emulators are set correctly. Sometimes, incorrect configuration can cause SD card recognition issues.
Fix 4. Reinstall EmuDeck
Reinstalling may fix the problem of EmuDeck not recognizing SD card on Steam Deck. Keep in mind that this will clear your EmuDeck configuration and saved states, so back them up if possible.
Fix 5. Format SD Card to Ext4
In some cases, reformatting the SD card may help you solve the “EmuDeck not recognizing SD card on Steam Deck” problem. Formatting will delete all data on the emudeck steam platform. Therefore, to avoid losing important files, you should back up your SD card in advance.
You can perform the formatting directly on Steam Deck, here are the detailed steps.
- Connect the SD card to the Emudeck Steam platform. Then press the STEAM button on the Steam platform and select Settings.
- Switch to System and click on the Format SD Card option on the right.
- Click Confirm to verify the formatting process.
If your Steam Deck is unable to format the SD card, you can format it on a Windows PC. It provides several built-in SD card formatters, including Disk Management, Windows Explorer, and Diskpart.
Unfortunately, none of them support formatting to Ext4. Therefore, in order to successfully perform the formatting operation, we recommend that you use MiniTool Partition Wizard. Read this post: Full Guide – Format SD Card to Ext4/3/2 on Windows 10/11
MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Bottom Line
When faced with the issue of EmuDeck not detecting SD card on Steam Deck, refer to this post. It offers 5 useful solutions for you.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vega joined MiniTool as an editor after graduation. She enjoys helping people with computer problems, including disk management, data recovery, and more. She is constantly expanding her knowledge in related fields. And she will continue to bring more easy-to-understand professional articles to help people solve various problems on the PC. In her daily life, Vega enjoys hanging out with friends, shopping online and listening to music. She is someone who knows how to enjoy life.