USB card on an iMac?

Someone said that he was going to send me some documents on a USB. I assumed it would be a typical USB thumb drive. However, what I received is a flat card. It doesn't fit in the USB ports on my iMac. Is there any way I can use this card in my Mac? Thanks!

A photo of the card may help.

If it's an SD card or a Compact Flash card...you can get a USB adapter for those.

- Nick

What kind of USB card is it and what year and model iMac do you have? The later model iMacs have a slot for a SD card, is that what he sent you?

"About this Mac" says it's an iMac mid-2010. There are no slots, just the typical USB ports.

As I mentioned...a photo of the card would help.

- Nick

Yikes...not at all what I expected.

- Nick

PJS said:

Someone said that he was going to send me some documents on a USB. I assumed it would be a typical USB thumb drive. However, what I received is a flat card. It doesn't fit in the USB ports on my iMac. Is there any way I can use this card in my Mac? Thanks!

Click to expand...

It should fit. I know they look a little weird, but it should connect in the same general fashion. How does it not fit, too wide, or what?

Too wide for the port (not too thick, but too wide left to right).

Along the lines of what "Dieter3" is saying. The connector on that storage device looks exactly like the inside of a typical USB connector...without the metal casing that typically is on the average USB connector/cable. See the photo below (the two USB connectors in the middle):



If you carefully insert this storage devices connector into your computers USB port so that the 4 metal pins line up with the 4 metal pins in the computers USB port...everything should wotrk out

This is probably best done on a flat desktop surface so that this storage devices large size can be supported by the desktop surface & not stress the USB port on the computer.

- Nick

It would probably also be possible to connect things with this USB male to USB female cable (photo below). Except that the female end of this cable is basically the same as the USB port on the computer.

This is basically a USB extension cable.



- Nick

Hi Nick and Dieter3:

Finally, after some finessing, I WAS able to insert it into the USB port on my iMac, but even after waiting about 10 minutes, it is not mounting/loading/being recognized. Not sure what to do next.

Finally, after some finessing, I WAS able to insert it into the USB port on my iMac, but even after waiting about 10 minutes, it is not mounting/loading/being recognized. Not sure what to do next.

Click to expand...

Do you know how it was formatted? Your iMac will recognize and mount it if it's formatted to FAT-32 or HFS+. It may not mount if it's formatted to another file system. Can you see it from Disk Utility?

PJS said:

Hi Nick and Dieter3:

Finally, after some finessing, I WAS able to insert it into the USB port on my iMac, but even after waiting about 10 minutes, it is not mounting/loading/being recognized. Not sure what to do next.

Click to expand...

This concerns me a bit. It should not really have needed finessing. It should have been a straight forward fit.

chscag said:

Do you know how it was formatted? Your iMac will recognize and mount it if it's formatted to FAT-32 or HFS+. It may not mount if it's formatted to another file system. Can you see it from Disk Utility?

Click to expand...

What he said.

That is indeed a USB flash drive - I have one like that in my wallet right now (it's great for carrying around). If it's not registering with your machine, something could be wrong with the card itself. Can you try it on another computer?