Here are some troubleshooting tips that will help decide whether or not your card reader is defective:
- Test another device (e.g., a flash drive) in the same USB port to see if it works.
- Try another USB port if your computer has one.
- Ensure that your computer's USB ports haven't been disabled.
- Remove the reader, and reboot your computer. Plug the reader back in. You should see a solid green light appear. Open a blank document in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc. Click in the document then swipe a card. If the reader is able to read the card's magnetic strip, a string of characters will appear in the document. Note: This string will not be formatted like the information on the front of the card.
- Try using it with another computer.