SD Memory Card not working after Windows 8.1 install

After a full day and a half looking at this issue and trying anything I could find, I decided to "force the issue".

Open the Device Manager.

Open the Universal Serial Bus controllers.

Delete the Alcor Micro USB 2.0 Card Reader driver.

I scanned for Hardware Changes, and to my surprise the Alcor node did not reappear in the USB controllers list.

So, maybe out of force of habit, I restarted the system.

After the reboot, I opened the Device Manager again, opened the USB Controllers node again, and found that the Alcor was still not there.  However, in Disk drives, I found a new node called "Multiple Card Reader USB Device".  I plugged in my SD Card and it came right up!  Further tests indicate that the fix is stable and continues to work.

Adding to the mystery, I looked at the event log and while that node had actually existed since the machine's birth (in 2013, as a Win8.0 box), it was mysteriously deleted on November 5, 2014.  I upgraded from Win8.0 to Win8.1 on September 9, 2014, so the deletion did not happen in the Win8.1 upgrade.

FWIW, the machine in question is an HP Pavilion p6-2350, with Quad-core AMD, (only) 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD.

 

This looks like my salvation .... I have a HP Pavillion (beats audio) Intel core i.3  8 GB.   I bought it from a local store as a returned item or scratched item (scratch on lid). It is assured  to be a few months old. But i notice 2014 mentioned on certains things.  Also  the machine (or internet connection ) is oddly mentioned as metered. whatever that is.  My big hobby is photographic work and at the moment I cannot do anything as my card readers are not being read, Theres a sound on plug in but no drive appearing. I am quite distraught as I'm disabled and photowork is a lifeline for me

How safe or how possible is it for a amateur to try this solution? I dont want to delete something costly  in error.

Just wanted to comment and say that after MONTHS of having my upgraded Windows 10 PC not recognize SD cards unless I inserted them then restarted my PC, this is the only method that fixed this issue. Card reader works perfectly fine now. Thanks!

Thank you for this. Sorry to hear the trouble you've had. It looks as if my ancient pro duo card is at fault. Fortunately the photos I was uploading from the camera were uploaded in the past . They've been found on the external hard drive - after a long and arduous search . My intention now is to go through  everything Ive saved and label and date it for quick recognition. And to have 2 memory sticks on the go. So that  they last longer.  Not bad tho - 6 years and 1000s of photos. Luv my Sony Alpha 100.  but that's on its way out too.

there is no clikcing on troubler shooter after  win+C  just search results on the internet.

My SD card reader does not work although there is a windows driver installed  which is said working. 

Windows 10 on this notebook was a disaster, Windows 8.1 works but still with flaws like this one that I don't expect Microsoft will solve.

This worked great for me. I have had to repeat it as well, and it clears the problem every time. If only I knew why the troubleshooter is needed...but I am just happy that it finds my memory card with the troubleshooter and that I can now import my pictures.