CFexpress with Win11 does not work

I am having the same problem as Bernd with this card reader. I can give you more specific information. I am using Windows 10, a 256GB TeamGroup XTREEM V60 II SD card, and a 64GB Lexar Pro CFExpress Type B card. I have a UGREEN 10Gbps USB-C to USB-C cable plugged directly into my ASUS motherboard rear USB-C port.

When I plug the dual card reader in with no cards inserted, the SD "side" of the reader is recognized (Windows connect sound), assigned a drive letter, and the blue light is OFF. For the CFExpress "side" of the dual card reader, there is no drive letter assigned and the blue light is ON. If I open Disk Management, I can see two physical discs represented with no cards inserted. The SD side of the device is shows as a physical disk "Generic MassStorageClass USB Device" which is indicated as "Removable" with "No Media". The CFExpress side of the card reader shows up as a physical disk "Unknown" and is indicated as "Not Initialized". I did try to initialize it (with no card) and of course it gave an error. Very interestingly, if I right click on the CFExpress side of the card reader in Disk Management WITH NO CARD INSERTED AT ALL and choose Properties, the drive is shown as "Lexar CF Express 64GB SCSI Disk Device" and the Device Type is "Disk drives" (not Removable Disk).

If I unplug the dual card reader, insert the CFExpress card, then plug the card reader back in (the only way I can get the card to be recognized), Disk Management now shows that disk as "Online".

So it seems to me that Windows 10 is correctly identifying the SD card side of the card reader as a removable drive such that when you insert the card it is recognized, and when you remove the card that is also recognized - the drive letter remains visible in File Explorer and the "Volume" changes/updates depending on which card is installed. The blue light goes ON when a card is inserted and goes OFF when a card is removed. BUT the CFExpress side of the card reader is being mistakenly installed as a basic hard disk which needs to be initiated. The blue light stays on regardless of whether a card is inserted or not. And if you plug the card reader into your computer without a card, you cannot get the computer to recognize a card when you insert it. It can only be recognized if you unplug the reader, insert the CFExpress card, then plug the reader back in. Then Disk Managements actually sees an initialized disc with a valid volume and a drive letter is assigned. But then once you remove the CFExpress card, the drive goes back to being "Unknown" and "Not Initialized".

Good day to you there, too, Bernd.

You're most welcome and received the shipping details with thanks.

We'll update you once the replacement has been shipped out here. Have a good one there and stay safe! Best regards,

Choon Wai | Trebleet.com

Good morning,

thank you very much for the support and their offer. Excellent service.

I have just sent them my data by e-mail.

Sincerely, Bernd Matuschek

Ah ha, since you do not have another CFexpress card to test on there. Can you please forward your order details again and also the latest shipping details of yours (Full name / Full Address / Tel#) as well as the order number / order date / order platform to my email account? ( hor.choonwai@gmail.com )

We will send you another CFexpress card reader from our end here. Hopefully this one works with the NKI CFe card that you're having there. Thanks, Bernd! =)

Well, that would be too easy. :D

Unfortunately I don't have another CFe card. And before I buy a new card that I don't need, I'd rather buy a new card reader. It was possible, that's the surprising thing. What will happen next?

Ah, our tech team has tried NKI CFexpress before. NKI is working well, like how a CFexpress card should. But since it's kind of a copied-card, the NKI CFexpress card was also having issues with getting good connections with the reader(s) of ours when we did our testing back then. One last try, is there anyway you could have access to any of the well-known-brand CFexpress card to rule out the possibility of the NKI card being the cause of incompatibility here?

No problem, but I actually have everything through.

1) I can exclude, the removable drive is recognized and displayed with I:.

2) NKI 512GB CFexpress Typ B Kinetic Plus Speicherkarte

3) Could I do it, is it so important? When I plug in the card reader (USB-A or USB-C is the same), the Windows acknowledges with a typical sound and the "removable drive" appears with I: in the Explorer. If I plug in the SD 4.0 from my Canon R5, a blue LED immediately turns on and the file folder opens immediately. Nothing happens with the CFe.

4) Both cards work perfectly in the camera and are also displayed on the computer via the EOS R5 (I also have access). File system is then displayed DCF (formatted in the camera with corresponding file folders). Both cards were previously formatted with exFat and the SD 4.0 also shows this in the properties on the card reader.

Since everything works, in the end only the card reader for CFe cards remains. Everything else I could exclude. I only ever use the camera with USB-C for the transfer to the computer, so I did not know since when the card reader no longer works.

I think you can't describe and narrow it down in more detail, I don't have a 2nd CFe card reader.

Will have a look at the invoice in a little bit, Bernd. Thanks~ We have had some Windows users who had the "non-auto-assigning Drive Letter” problems before. Am not sure if that's the case for you there. 1) Do you mind trying below troubleshooting to see if it works for you there? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you are facing “non-auto-assigning Drive Letter” issue using external card readers & USB Flash Drives, perform the below to solve the issue.

Making sure that the Virtual Disk service is running. You can check the status of this service in the services management console (services.msc).

This is how to do that:

Go to <Computer Management>

à Click on <Services> Tab

à Browse the list appeared for <Virtual Disk> and Double Click on it

à Making sure the “Service Status” shows “Running” & all START, PAUSE & RESUME buttons are dimmed. If “Service Status” showing as “Stopped”, CLICK ON THE “START” button.

à Restart your computer and try it again, the systems should now be able to auto-detect / auto-assign drive letters to all external card readers or drives.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) What type / model / brand of CFexpress card are you using there please? 3) Can you please take a short vid to show us what happens when the card is being inserted and connected to the computer? 4) Just to double check, the format of the card is the right format to be used on a Windows computer, right?

Hello, I just sent you the invoice by mail.

PS: I used another cable, ... was the same effect. Basically, you can close here first, unless something new becomes known. It has nothing to do with Win10->Win11. :) Greeting Matu

Just one last try, any other cable to test on it? (but I supposed that's not relevant, as SD 4.0 is working fine there). Please allow us to have some time here, let me check with our tech team side. I will come back to you at the soonest we could here. Will keep you posted, Bernd. Meanwhile, could you please email us the order number / order date / order platform so that we could have a look at your order (if you still have them there). Email: info@trebleet.com Thanks~

So... also on the other computer (Win10) the CFexpress card does not work (SD cards go), so remains only a defect of the device (especially the CFe slot).

After 6 months and hardly in use not a good sign. :(

Ok, sure and sorry to hear that. Will wait for your update from your end then.

So... it's not because of the camera FW. Formatted the card in the camera with an old FW, ... it only works SD 4.0 with exFat and no CFe with DCF. :(

Tomorrow I'll plug that into a Win10 computer.

You're most welcome, Bernd. Meanwhile, we will wait for your upcoming feedback and we shall then carry on from there again. =) Best regards, Choon Wai | Trebleet.com

Hello, thanks for the support.1) No, I only read one card at a time. 2) I can also rule that out.

It worked once and 2 things have changed: Upgrade win10->win11 and FW update in the camera. I want to reset the latter, which has not yet been possible. I'll get in touch again.

Hello Bernd, thank you for contacting us. We're truly sorry for what you're experiencing there. Question: 1) when you try to read the CFexpress card, is the SD 4.0 in the reader itself? (the reason we're asking is that some older ports may not be able to supply enough power to access to both cards at the same time) Or perhaps you may want to try on another connecting port to see if it's the case? 2) Question1 if YES, can you please try just inserting CFexpress alone. Unplug the connecting cable (with the CFexpress Card inserted) and plugging in the connecting cable? Let us know if any of the above works and we will assist you from there on, ok? =) Best regards, Choon Wai | Trebleet.com