14" and 16" M1 Pro SD Card Slot Problems

[Nismo73]

To add to SD card experiences: On new 16" mid-tier stock config
Both Sandisk Extreme Pro

32GB 95 mb/s card with about 20 pictures (all Z6 II Raw files, same on 128gb card) is slow to load in Preview and to load into Lightroom, like really slow.

128GB 170 mb/s with about 4200 pictures on it loads pretty fast in Preview and thumbnails all load pretty fast in Lightroom when you go to choose what to Import.

 

[arogge]

Those built-in SD card readers always seem to break, meaning that the cards aren't recognized anymore. I've lost two so far, and the silly thing is that a regular card reader costs less than $50 and may last twenty years. Replacing the card reader in the MacBook could cost more than $500.

 

[smithdr]

"Built in SD card reader always seem to break......Replacing the card reader in the MacBook could cost more than $500".

And this is why specialty ports are a bad idea.

 

[Fomalhaut]

I wish I had known this before. The slow card I mentioned in my previous post was a UHS-II microSD which I was initially using in a UHS-I adapter. However after a while, I began using a variety of connection methods trying to observe any differences until one day the card stopped working. I tried extensive recovery efforts but nothing worked. At this point the only thing left to do is reformat. I'm just having a hard time going through with it because it means accepting that I've lost over a weeks worth of work.

What are you storing on your SD card? It sounds like this was your primary storage for your work which is not a great idea - SD cards seem to be more prone to corruption than other media, at least based on anecdotal accounts. They are also relatively slow compared to other disks, even HDDs.

If the SD was your backup (sort of OK for a first line backup when mobile, but I wouldn't depend on it long-term), what happened to your primary storage?

I view SD-cards as temporary storage at best. As soon as I finish using them in my camera, I offload images/video ASAP to at least two other disks, and then reformat in-camera.

 

[MacFan782040]

May have been coincidence that it failed soon after putting it in 14" MBP. MicroSD are notorious for high failure rate, other than the "high endurance" ones which are somewhat better. High capacity microSD cards typically use a more failure prone NAND storage method (TLC) than lower capacity and/or full size SD cards (SLC, MLC).
Please keep us updated if you try a replacement MicroSD card

I wouldn't say coincidence yet. I'm pretty sure somebody a few posts back said his cards got corrupted too. Sounds like two coincidences is too many. I'm not putting any SD card into my new MacBook til Apple sorts this out.

 

[DFP1989]

Another hand up for SD card reader issues. Don't use SD cards much outside of GoPros (everything else in my kit is either CFexpress or CFast), but almost every time I try to read a card in the internal reader, the transfer starts off crazy slow, and often fails. No such issues with the Sandisk USB-C reader I bought several years ago.

Using internal reader (SanDisk 64GB Extreme Pro SD card):

Same transfer with the Sandisk USB-C reader:

 

[Michael Scrip]

So the SD card slot finally comes back... but it's riddled with problems.

Welp... back to card readers.

#donglelife

Seriously though... I hate that people are having problems with their brand new $2,000 laptops. Hopefully Apple can make it right somehow.

I recently purchased an M1 Macbook Air (my first Mac!) and I'm getting accustomed to dongle life. It's fine. I have an SD card reader that has both USB-A and USB-C plugs so I can use it with my Windows PCs as well. All my SD cards are UHS-I speeds anyway... so being slow is all I've ever known!

 

[Fomalhaut]

Another hand up for SD card reader issues. Don't use SD cards much outside of GoPros (everything else in my kit is either CFexpress or CFast), but almost every time I try to read a card in the internal reader, the transfer starts off crazy slow, and often fails. No such issues with the Sandisk USB-C reader I bought several years ago.

Using internal reader (SanDisk 64GB Extreme Pro SD card):

View attachment 1922784

View attachment 1922786

Same transfer with the Sandisk USB-C reader:

View attachment 1922788

That is pretty damning evidence. Please pass it to Apple Support / feedback so that they a high enough volume of issue reports in order to do something about it.

 

[cinematicmoney]

I am also having this issue on two different 16" models, one M1 Pro base model and one 16" M1 Max with 64GB of RAM and the 32-core GPU.

It's only on a 128 Lexar v90 card. And it's only on pulling video files off.

I can see the files, play the files, edit videos in both Davinci Resolve 17 AND Final Cut Pro.

I can pull files off so long as it's not a video file, I can even put ANY file type ONTO the card. But trying to save the file to my desktop results in "error -36".

Spoke with Apple over 3 or 4 days, submitted to the engineering team, called me back today (Sunday, 12/5/21) stating that it must be a manufacturer issue.

 

[paalb]

I am also having this issue on two different 16" models, one M1 Pro base model and one 16" M1 Max with 64GB of RAM and the 32-core GPU.

It's only on a 128 Lexar v90 card. And it's only on pulling video files off.

I can see the files, play the files, edit videos in both Davinci Resolve 17 AND Final Cut Pro.

I can pull files off so long as it's not a video file, I can even put ANY file type ONTO the card. But trying to save the file to my desktop results in "error -36".

Spoke with Apple over 3 or 4 days, submitted to the engineering team, called me back today (Sunday, 12/5/21) stating that it must be a manufacturer issue.

The manufacturer of the internal SD card reader?

 

[cinematicmoney]

The manufacturer of the internal SD card reader?

The woman in the phone tried to tell me the engineering team said it was my card which is complete Bull.

 

[wilberforce]

The woman in the phone tried to tell me the engineering team said it was my card which is complete Bull.

In other words: "you are holding it wrong"

 

[Fomalhaut]

In other words: "you are holding it wrong"

Joking aside, this is probably the stance that Apple will take; blame any issues on the SD card manufacturers so that Apple can easily sow FUD about the cards, and not their own reader.

 

[wilberforce]

Joking aside, this is probably the stance that Apple will take; blame any issues on the SD card manufacturers so that Apple can easily sow FUD about the cards, and not their own reader.

Well, I understand it might be fixed in the beta for 12.1, so to be fair it seems like Apple knows about it and is trying to fix it with a software update. But like many things, there may be multiple reasons and conditions of failures.

But if it turns out a fix is not readily forthcoming, I expect the least path of resistance for Apple will be to start finger-pointing towards various others and claiming they cannot replicate it, with no actual official statement on the matter.

 

[sionell]

I've got a 14" M1 Pro and it has card reader issues I'm going through my SD cards right now to see which ones work and which ones don't. The first card I tried had the dreaded "error -36" when I tried to copy files off it. The cards are working fine with a card reader plugged into one of the thunderbolt ports.

Super disappointed that this is an issue. I hope it's fixable with software!

 

[cinematicmoney]

I've got a 14" M1 Pro and it has card reader issues I'm going through my SD cards right now to see which ones work and which ones don't. The first card I tried had the dreaded "error -36" when I tried to copy files off it. The cards are working fine with a card reader plugged into one of the thunderbolt ports.

Super disappointed that this is an issue. I hope it's fixable with software!

It felt like I was talking to a rock. I told her it doesn’t make sense that it works in my camera, in other older Macs, through a card reader, even with photos in my case just not videos being able to be saved to the desktop. She’s like,”Yeah, but…ummm…our engineering team said it’s your card. Contact the manufacturer.”

 

[sionell]

It felt like I was talking to a rock. I told her it doesn’t make sense that it works in my camera, in other older Macs, through a card reader, even with photos in my case just not videos being able to be saved to the desktop. She’s like,”Yeah, but…ummm…our engineering team said it’s your card. Contact the manufacturer.”

SO frustrating when CS is like that. They clearly have to follow a script. I hope that their engineers are working on a fix even if they don't admit the issue publicly. ?

 

[wilberforce]

It felt like I was talking to a rock. I told her it doesn’t make sense that it works in my camera, in other older Macs, through a card reader, even with photos in my case just not videos being able to be saved to the desktop. She’s like,”Yeah, but…ummm…our engineering team said it’s your card. Contact the manufacturer.”

"engineering team" is likely an exaggeration, of course.

 

[fa8362]

Tried a 64GB Sandisk Extreme PRO in my 16". Works without any issue and it's faster than my Sandisk USB-C card reader purchased in 2019.

 

[cool11]

Do you believe that apple could fix it using software/firmware update,
anytime soon?
Is this possible?

Not something fancy about speed, but at least to just work.

 

[wilberforce]

Do you believe that apple could fix it using software/firmware update,
anytime soon?
Is this possible?

Not something fancy about speed, but at least to just work.

See post #170.
"Fingers crossed..."

 

[-griffy-]

Hey, they did a story about it finally!

 

[Roadster Lewis]

Having found this thread from the story, I can add that my Lexar UHS-II is rarely recognised on initial insertion. Usually I needed to remove and reinsert it a few times before downloading images.

 

[smirking]

Having found this thread from the story, I can add that my Lexar UHS-II is rarely recognised on initial insertion. Usually I needed to remove and reinsert it a few times before downloading images.

I've been having this problem forever with every MBP I've had since 2016. I almost always have to either insert the card twice or I have to unplug the card reader and plug it back in.

 

[cinematicmoney]

Hey, they did a story about it finally!

Good. I had emailed their tip submission to try and get more eyes on it.