First, confirm that your MicroSD card’s storage capacity falls within the camera’s compatibility threshold. The 1990\retro only accepts MicroSD cards that are 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB in size.
Next, confirm that your MicroSD card has been inserted into the camera in its proper configuration. For a detailed visualization of the proper configuration see Step 1 of How to Take Your First Photo in the Getting Started section within this guide.
If at this point your 1990\retro still does not recognize the MicroSD card, remove the card from the camara and establish a filesystem connection to it via computer by inserting the MicroSD card directly into your computer, or into a compatible adapter first and then connecting that adapter with your computer.
Give your computer a moment to recognize the MicroSD card. If you own a PC or laptop running macOS, skip ahead to the For macOS subsection.
For Windows:
Open "File Explorer” by clicking on the folder icon (usually on the taskbar). You can also press the Windows key + E on your keyboard for a shortcut. Look under "This PC" or "My Computer" for your MicroSD card. It will be listed as a removable disk labeled "USB Drive.”
If the MicroSD card is not able to be recognized by your computer, and hardware errors with both your computer and the MicroSD card adapter have been safely ruled out as potential issues, then there may be an internal hardware problem with the memory card itself due to manufacturing error, improper handling, or other unknown external factors.
In File Explorer, locate your MicroSD card. Right-click on it and a menu will appear. From the menu, click on "Properties" at the bottom.
In the "Properties" window, you’ll see several tabs. Click on the "General" tab. Look for the section labeled "File System." This is where you can see the formatting type of your MicroSD card:
FAT32,
exFAT, or
NTFS
Your MicroSD card must be formatted in FAT32 to work properly with your 1990\retro. If your card is in any other format, it must be reformatted. For detailed instructions on how to accomplish this, check out our How do I reformat my MicroSD card? (Windows) FAQ solution.
If your MicroSD card is formatted properly in FAT32 but still not able to be recognized by your 1990\retro, there may be a hardware-related issue involving the camera.
To check if your 1990\retro is covered under our warrantee, see here.
For macOS:
Open "Finder" by clicking on the Finder icon (the blue-and-white smiley face) in the Dock at the bottom of your screen. In the left sidebar of Finder, you should see your MicroSD card listed under the "Locations" section. It will appear as a removable disk labeled “USB Drive.”
To check the formatting type, open Disk Utility by clicking on the Spotlight Search icon (the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of your screen) and typing “Disk Utility” on your keyboard. Press Enter to open the app.
In the left panel of Disk Utility, locate your MicroSD card under the "External" section. Click on it to select it. At the top of the Disk Utility window, you’ll see details about your MicroSD card. Look for the information labeled "Format" to see the file system of your card:
MS-DOS (FAT32),
exFAT, or
APFS/NTFS
Your MicroSD card must be formatted in FAT32 to work properly with your 1990\retro. If your card is in any other format, it must be reformatted. For the easiest method, use our [How do I reformat my MicroSD card? (macOS)] FAQ solution.
If your MicroSD card is formatted properly in FAT32 but still not able to be recognized by your 1990\retro, there may be a hardware-related issue involving the camera.
To check if your 1990\retro is covered under our warrantee, see here.
