If your videos show up on camera but not computer, there may be problems with the SD card or computer settings. In this post on MiniTool, I will guide you through the step-by-step process to ensure your videos are visible on both your camera and computer.

Phenomenon: I Can View Videos on My SD Card on the Camera but Not on the Computer

It can be frustrating when your videos show up on camera but not computer when you connect the SD card to your Windows device. This issue can be caused by hidden files, incorrect USB settings, outdated USB drivers, or SD card corruption.

If you are struggling with this problem, use the methods below to ensure that your videos appear correctly on both your camera and computer.

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Videos Show up on Camera but Not Computer

Fix 1. Show Hidden Files

In some cases, your videos may be stored on the SD card but hidden due to system settings. This can happen if the videos are accidentally marked as hidden due to human error or if the SD card has been affected by viruses or malware. To rule out this cause, follow these steps to show hidden files:

Step 1. Make sure the SD card is properly connected to your computer.

Step 2. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

Step 3. Go to the View tab and tick the box of Hidden items.

show hidden files in File Explorer

Step 4 (optional). If you want to remove the hidden attribute for the video files, right-click on them and choose Properties. In the new window, untick the Hidden option, and then click Apply > OK.

Fix 2. Change the USB Mode to Mass Storage

If your camera videos on SD card not showing on computer, there may be issues with the USB connection mode. Most cameras offer two USB connection modes, MTP and Mass Storage. The former may cause some video formats to not display properly, while the latter allows you to access all folders and files directly from your computer.

So, you can try switching the USB mode from MTP to Mass Storage and check if the videos are showing up. Open your camera, and navigate to the relevant settings menu, usually labeled Storage or USB Connection. Then select Mass Storage as your preferred USB connection mode.

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Fix 3. Update/Reinstall the SD Card Driver

Sometimes, the problem may lie with the outdated or incompatible USB driver that prevents the SD card from being properly recognized. Updating or reinstalling the SD card driver can help resolve the problem.

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand Disk drives, and then right-click your SD card.

  • Update driver: Click this button and choose Search automatically for drivers to update the card driver.
  • Uninstall device: Select this option to uninstall the disk driver. The appropriate driver will be automatically installed after restarting the computer.
update or uninstall the disk driver in Device Manager

Fix 4. Format the Camera SD Card

If your videos on the camera SD card are still not showing up on your computer, it might be time to format the SD card. However, keep in mind that disk formatting will erase all files on the SD card. So, it is necessary to recover files from the SD card before formatting it.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery can help you search for data that is invisible to the naked eye, and help you restore deleted, lost, or invisible files. You can use it to scan your SD card to see if it can find your videos that cannot be displayed normally on the computer.

Download its free edition, launch it to scan the SD card, preview the found videos or other files, and then save them to your computer.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Once the needed files are rescued, you can format the SD card from File Explorer.

Right-click your memory card and choose Format. Next, set up the file system, volume label, and other disk information, tick Quick Format, and then click Start.

format the H: drive in File Explorer

Also, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to recover files even if the SD card is formatted. Note that this tool only supports recovering files from quickly formatted rather than fully formatted.

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Bottom Line

If your videos show up on camera but not computer, check whether the files are hidden, or try changing a USB connection mode, updating/reinstalling the card driver, or formatting the card for further use.  

Moreover, it is necessary to regularly transfer your videos from the camera SD card to another location for file backup in case of any SD card errors.

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