Many a time you want to create a bootable device for your new notebook, Netbook, or laptop. Nowadays, most of the electronic devices come with compactness. This gives rise to a number of notebooks that are manufactured without a CD/DVD drive. In such devices, you have to make use of either a flash drive or a memory card with high storage capacity.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II USB-C Reader is pricey ($49 on Amazon, and unlike the other adapters we tested, it has just a single SD card slot—no microSD, CF, or USB-A ports to extend its. No additional power supply is needed for this reader because it is powered by the USB bus. This USB Card Reader USB 3.0 Adapter is ideal for students, teachers or anyone who needs to save data and access it frequently. USB card reader USB 3.0 Adapter, SD/Micro SD Card Reader for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Certain Android: 100% brand new and high.
Further here, you can learn to make bootable SD/SDHC card or USB drive for your Windows or Mac computer. Some of the SD cards or SDHC cards come with high storage sizes and are compatible with almost all the relevant devices. But many devices are only compatible with the SD card for booting.
Find out the safest way to create a bootable SD card for Mac and Windows. And also learn how to recover data lost while booting.
How to make Bootable SD/SDHC for Mac?
There are a number of simple steps to be followed to create bootable SDHC cards for your Mac OS but it requires an external application. You can also create a bootable SD card on Mac with the help of the terminal. The terminal method doesn’t need any external sources. It just requires an SD card to boot your Mac.
- Connect the SD/SDHC memory card to the computer.
- Go to Utility – you can call utility with the help of the finder option of the Launchpad on your computer.
- Select on the SD card and click Erase.
- In Format, select MSDOS FAT from the dropdown. Enter a name in the ‘Name’ field. This is optional for the user.
- Click Erase.
- Open the Terminal and go to the location of your system image – enter the appropriate location in command.
- In order to find all the disk drives in the Mac, type – SUDO DISKUTIL LIST – this will display all the connected disks with the Mac system.
- Make sure about the partitions and the identifiers like disk2, disk3, etc. Try to keep the number of partitions to be just one.
- To unmount the drive type; SUDO UMOUNT DISK2
- To unmount the subpartitions type; SUDO DISKUTIL UMOUNT DISK2p1.
- To make the SD card bootable type in; SUDO DD Bs=4m if= image_name.xyz of dev/disk2
Once you perform the above steps, the command starts executing and then, makes the SD card bootable for Mac operating system.
If you have lost your important data while making the SDHC card bootable. Do not overwrite any information and try to regain all your data from the SD card. Data restoration from SDHC or USB drive is easy with the help of Remo Recover tool.
Utilize Remo Recover software (Windows/ Mac) to easily recover data lost or deleted while booting from SD card or USB drive effortlessly. This tool works with a user-friendly interface and can safely restore more than 300 file formats like photos, videos, raw-images, documents, audio files, Office files, and etc. not only from formatted or corrupted internal hard drive but also from various external devices like USB, external hard drive, SD card, SDHC card and many more. Remo Recover is compatible with all the latest versions of Windows (Windows 10) and Mac (macOS Catalina) operating system.
How to make SD/ SDHC card or USB drive Bootable for Windows?
The steps to make a bootable SD/SDHC card on Windows 10 or its previous versions comprise of some similar steps. This involves the complete formatting of the SD card and then uploading the OS files to make bootable SD card or SDHC card. Follow the below steps to make a bootable SD card or flash drive for windows;
- Connect the SD card or USB drive to your computer – make sure the SD card is empty and you do not have any valuable data on it.
- Go to Command prompt – In order to do that, go to Start menu and type cmd and hit Enter.
- Go to diskpart – To do that, go to start menu and type diskpart and press Enter.
- In the new window, type; list disk – the window should be system32/diskpart.
- From the list of the disks that your computer has, look for your SD/SDHC card. You can refer to the memory space of the disks to identify your SD card.
- Type; select diskX – the name of the disk you want to use i.e. the SD card.
- Type; Clean
- Type; Create Partition Primary
- Type; Active
- Type; Format Fs= NTFS Quick
- Type; Assign
- Type; Exit
- Now, mount your ISO file of Windows – Right-click on the image and select mount.
- Run the following commands:
- G: CD BOOT – G is the iso file drive letter.
- BOOTSECT.EXE/NT 60 F – F is the SD card or the drive letter for SD/SDHC card.
- Copy all the files from the ISO image to the memory card.
- Your SD/SDHC card is now in bootable mode, you can restart your computer and test the bootable SDHC card.
NOTE: While performing any of these steps double-check what you are selecting and what command you are executing. This is because any small mistake can corrupt your SD / SDHC card file system. Sometimes, you can fix your corrupt SD card in easy ways, but not always. There are chances that your card would become useless permanently. Hence, handle your card carefully.
Conclusion
Hope this information on how to boot SD card or USB drive on Windows and Mac operating system is going to help you make bootable SD card. In case of any data loss, you can use the Remo Recover tool to restore data from internal or external devices with ease.
Travel photographers take a lot of photographs using SD memory cards everyday. With a good memory card reader, you won’t have difficulty or problem with photo transfer. Which is the fastest SD Card reader for Mac users and photographers? In this list, you’ll find my selected top rated USB SD card readers designed for digital camera and iPhone and Android smartphone. The fast SD card reader will help you transfer your large photo or video files to your computer laptop in minutes, not hours. In this review, I ranked the best SD card readers (including the USB-C card readers and ones for iPhone users and photographers).
Also recommended: Best XQD Card Readers | Best CFexpress Card Readers
A List of Top Best SD Card Readers for Photographers in 2020
Sony MRWE90/BC1 XQD USB 3.0 Reader
This Sony high speed card reader is for all XQD series and UHS-II SD memory cards. Although a bit expensive, but this is a good quality product to have. When inserting and removing cards, the card reader works smoothly. The Sony MRW-E90/BC2 XQD USB 3.0 Reader is ideal for transferring large RAW files.
- Super speed USB (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
- Speed: 440MB/s transfer and 400MB/s write
- Great build quality
Anker 8-in-1 USB 3.0 Portable Card Reader
Anker is a new, high quality brand for everyday electronic products. USB 3.0 memory card reader enables data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps for faster sync times.
- Fast and portable reader
- Durable, high-grade plastics and premium chips
Transcend USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader
This Transcend USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader makes it quicker to transfer large files from your camera. The good thing about this RDF8 Card Reader is a multi-slot card reader (SD, microSD, CompactFlash, Memory Stick) that supports a wide range of interfaces. With high speed memory cards like SanDisk, Transcend USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader is a must-have.
- Read: 130MB/s and Write: 95MB/s
- Supports for all new card formats
- Advanced USB 3.0 technology
SanDisk ImageMate USB 3.0 Card Reader/Writer
SanDisk is well known for its product line of memory cards for professional photographers. When it comes to the best memory card reader, this ImageMate from SanDisk is highly recommended.
- Supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, miniSD, microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC
- USB 3.0 interface
- Data transfer rates up to 500 Mbps
UGREEN SD Card Reader
This small, compact memory card reader is a good companion of most travel photographers. Overall, the Ugreen card reader is a hassle-free and well-made product.
- Compatible with Card Reader TF, SD, Micro SD, SDXC, SDHC, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, Micro SDHC, UHS-I
- The reading and writing speed is up to 5Gbps.
AMALINK XQD 2.0 USB 3.0 Card Reader
The aluminum alloy shell makes this memory card more durable and fashionable. It looks professional and portable.
- 3.0 USB card reader supports the Sony G series
- High-speed transfer speed for RAW images and 4K video files
Plugable USB C SD Card Reader
For those who use the latest Apple MacBook Pro laptops, the chance is that you need this USB C SD card reader. With this USB C, you’ll enjoy the fast transfer even for large RAW files. Also, it’s a big bang for your buck.
- 104 MB/sec
- Compatible with most memory cards (except the CompactFlash card)
SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II USB-C Reader
With this interface, this SanDisk card reader can transfer large RAW photo files at high speed.
- Read Speed up to 312MB/s
- plug-and-play functionality
- USB Type‐C (USB‐C) connector
CFast Card Reader – USB C – Memory Card Reader
If you’re a photographer or videographer who has a laptop with USB C port, the CFast Card Reader is for you. It’s one of the fastest USB-C card readers available.
- USB-C cable for portable use
- Compact and lightweight design
RayCue XQD Card Reader
This 3.0 XQD card reader is a great, cheaper option for your Sony or Lexar XQD memory card for its hot swapping and auto detection feature.
- Plug and play
- Small, compact, and portable
- Durable design
Lexar Professional Workflow HR1 Four-Bay USB 3.0 Reader Hub
This Lexar card reader hub is ideal for transferring RAW images, high-res photos, and HD, 3D, and 4K video.
- Four slots for memory cards
- USB 3.0 transfer speeds
EC Technology SD Card Reader Aluminum Superspeed USB 3.0 Multi-In-1 Card Reader
A top-rated card reader on Amazon, I have to say that its aluminum case makes it durable and resistant soiling.
- Lightweight
Lexar Multi-Card 25-In-1 USB 3.0 Reader
Everything you need in one card reader. The Lexar Multi-Card reader is one of the most favorites among professional photographers.
- 25 popular memory card formats
- speed up to 500MB/s
YiKaiEn iReader
The YiKaiEn iReader belongs to our list of the best SD card readers for iPhone. It’s easy to connect not only to iPhones but also to Android devices and both PCs and Mac computers.
- Compact design
- Portable to bring
- Easy to use
EVita
The EVita Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader Adapter works with virtually anywhere. It works very well with my GoPro microSD card.
- Read speed: 14 MB/S to 16 MB/S
RAVPower
The RAVPower 64GB iPhone Flash Drive 2 in 1 SD Card Reader easily makes our list for the best SD card readers for iPhone.
- USB 3.0 for 300% faster transfer speeds to a PC
Sdhc Readers For Mac Os
Leap Outdoors
Sdhc Driver Download
Leap Outdoors is a tough little device that is still capable of providing some great functionality.
- Durable
- Lightweight
Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader
The Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader should definitely belong in this list of the top rate SD cards readers for iPhone. Why? It’s made by Apple. As a result, it’s the top best SD card reader for photographers and filmmakers with an iPad.
UGREEN USB C SD Card Reader USB 3.1 Type C OTG Memory Card Reader
Universally compatible with laptops and smartphones with USB Type C. Top rated USB C SD card reader for for Google Pixel phones. Buy this. Why? The Ugreen card reader is small and easy to carry, so you can transfer photos on the go from my DSLR to my phone and laptop.
- Transfers data with highest speed up to 100MB/s
- Compact for travelers
- For Micro SD, SDXC, SDHC, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, Micro SDHC, UHS-I, Olympus camera card
LovinFive Trail Scouting Game Camera Viewer 3 in 1 Hunter Reader
A 3 in 1 card reader USB hub with host OTG adapter, the LovinFive card allows you to copy, view, and transfer photos to micro SD card/ TF card, SD card, USB flash drive straight from Android phones.
- Small lightweight and pocket friendly
Good to Know
It’s a good idea to have more than one memory card reader. Why? Having one card reader in your camera backpack and the other in the home or studio makes it very convenient. You can backup your valuable photos from the cameras to your computer at any time, and anywhere.
What should you have the right card readers in your camera backpack? Well, it’s plain simple. For example, you cannot use an XQD card reader with a CFexpress card.
These card readers are for microSD, SD, XQD memory cards, and CompactFlash cards. This is a list of the best SD card readers for most photographers.