How to remove Memory Stick Duo from HP laptop?

[cleeshoy]

Hey guys - not sure if anyone can help me but I thought this forum might be a good place to start given HP haven't been too helpful.

I own a HP Pavilion dv1135AP Notebook PC. Basically that notebook has a "Digital Media" slot which allows to me insert SD RAM cards, etc. It's also compatible with Memory Stick Duo Cards (like the ones that come with the Sony-Ericsson w800i mobile phone). So I stuck the Memory Stick Duo Card into the slot and it read the card fine - I copied the files off the card to my Hard Drive OK. However my problem is now that I cannot eject the damn card out of the slot! The slot is too small for me to put my fingers inside, it doesn't appear to be spring loaded either. Any suggestions?

thanks!

[Jason Dunn]

I'd suggest tweezers, or perhaps even a paperclip to get under part of the card then press upwards and pull out. Let us know how it turns out...

[Damion Chaplin]

Definitely the tweezers thing. Just be careful to not clamp down too hard on the memory stick. Try grabbing it by the edges where there's no vitals and the casing is strongest.

And in the future, I recommend using the adapter (that makes it regular memory stick-sized) when inserting it in your laptop. Incidentally, my Compaq (made by HP) has the same memory card reader in it. When I stick my non-duo memory stick in it goes really far. Somehow I don't think HP's people tested their design with the MS Duo. :?

[cleeshoy]

hey guys - thanks for the advice about the tweezers thing. I tried but unfort my tweezers dont seem to have enough "grab" on them. As for the adaptor, I didn't even know there was one - perhaps i should check all the peripheral stuff it came with :)

[Chip]

I just solved this same problem on an HP Pavillion DV5000 laptop.

Short Answer
Get the adapter. Push it (open end first) into the reader slot all the way to go over the stuck card. Then pull it out slowly.
The wire teeth in the slot are what is holding the smaller card in.
The adapter's plastic cover slides over the stuck card and allows it slide out past the teeth.


Long Story
Memory card from camera was put in the laptop slot without the adapter, which resulted in it being stuck in the slot.
The adapter is rectangular and longer than the camera memory card (which is squarish) and is needed so the small memory card does not get stuck.

HP Support Useless
Called HP support and they suggested either mail laptop in for repair (still under warranty) with at least 2 weeks without the laptop, or bring it in to a local dealer (the suggested Geek Squad at Best Buy or anyone similar) who would charge for the repair. Forget that.

6 Hour Waste of Time
I took apart the laptop to get at the card reader from the back to push the card out. Took the laptop apart down to the motherboard and had to remove parts from the motherboard to get to the card reader only to find that the reader does not come off the motherboard and there is no way to get in the reader from the back. Put it all back together (fragile and scary). 6 hours of work for nothing.

Solution
I looked in the reader slot and realized that the pin teeth on top and bottom of the slot were probably what was holding in the card in there. I just needed two slim pieces of plastic to slide in above and below the stuck card to get it out. That's when I realized that the adapter sitting here was plastic and just the right size as that is what it was made for.
I pushed the adapter into the reader slot, open end first, encapsulating the stuck card. I slowly pulled it out and the stuck card came out a little. I pushed the adapter in again all the way and pulled out slowly and the stuck card came out far enough for me to grab and remove it.
That took 30 seconds.

6 wasted hours for a 30 second solution.
That's kinda what most computer work is like.

[la90631]

Thanks Chip for the information.

Unfortunately, I read this a little to late, I just spend 2 hours on the phone with HP and they say I can ship it in but if physical damage is present, they'll charge me $289-389!!! It appears that there is physical damage since some of the golden pins are visible although the MS Duo is still in there. They say they'll call me if I will incur any charges, but I honestly don't want to pay that much for something I can fairly do without.

At the same time I remember a few months ago when my brother knocked off the part where the antenna goes from our HD Big Screen TV, a guy from Best Buy came to our house for a home-service call under the extended warranty. He said that it would usually cost around $300 and it wasn't covered under the extended warranty, however he fixed it without charging us. But then again that was Best Buy, the retailer, and it was under extended warranty (thought not covered) and not the manufacturer of the tv itself, so I don't know if I should try and see if I can get it fixed without any charges?? And at the same time I don't want to be without my laptop for 7 days and risk them not fixing it.

Any suggestions??? Or does anyone know where else I can get it repaired for cheaper? Hope I didn't confuse anyone. Thanks!

[athena2186]

Well I am sure glad I found this forum... Unfortunatly for me it was a bit to late. I like many made a poor judgement of error and thought that perhaps my memory stick from my cell phone would work flawlessly in my laptop. Needless to say, i was very very wrong.

I have the sony ericsson w810i which has the memory stick PRO duo and an hp pavilion. Im sure you all know where the story is going, but if not ill give you the short version. The card in my phone was holding at least 100 pictures and i thought it was about time to take them off the phone. So i pulled the card out of the slot in the phone and pushed it into the card reader in my hp.

I had no problems transfering the photos. The problem was when i tried to remove the card. Obviously it wouldnt budge. My dad always says that the internet holds the key to everything so i got online, and as this forum has been discusing, i found out that it doesnt really fit in the slot.

Eventually i did get the card out... using a bobby pin (take the plasic ends off so the pin fits nicely on either side of the card, and twist it a bit to tighten the grip and pull the card out slowly. It doesnt do any damage but might take a few tries)

Good thing i found you guys though because im pretty sure i would pull that stunt again thinking that my card readers just isnt equip with the spring mechanism that is designed to eject the cards.

Thanks a million

[la90631]

Just to give you guys an update, I actually had another problem with my HP laptop (not physical) but in the hardware or something like that, so I called and sent it in and also told them about the memory stick, and they actually fixed both problems without charging me a penny! I got my laptop back within next week. I love HP!! :)

[letsrock]

my nokia n93i memory card has been strucked in hp notebook,plz let me know how can i take out.n i didnt got ur idea about adapter n all plz can u n explain again..if possble.lz reply soon.

[quistis1085]

I had an 8 gig memory stick pro duo and I used the adapter to get some pictures of my card. I started smelling burning plastic and I didn't think anything of it until I went to eject my memory stick and I couldn't get it out. I had to get pliers to get it out and once I did, a piece of metal, probably from the media slot, was lodged in the adapter and part of the adapter was melted. So, my memory stick is now stuck in the adapter. I have an HP dv9000 series laptop.

[Rawrsaurus]

What worked for me is that I was able to use paper clamps (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/477339495_0fc764c8b9.jpg) and a *thin* strip metal that was laying around to take out akin to picking a lock. Use the paper clamps to secure and the strip to seize the memory card out.

Good luck.:)

[blade1]

Hey guys!

I also faced the same problem. Pro duo memory card got stucked in HP Pavilion dv 2500. I successfully transfered the photos but when it came to the matter of removing this card.....I could not.

Solution: I got a small sharp end of scissor inserted at one end of the card slot----> pushed it SIDEWAYS and UPWARD of the memory card---> went to the other side of card----> pushed it SIDEWAYS and UPWARD-----> bacame loose----> finally removed by hand.

[hrfranklin06]

i'm so glad i found this the other day. i got home and my husband informed me that he didn't know he had to use the adapter for the memory card to be able to use it in the computer and he had got it stuck. i was mad him but this saved his butt lol

[RiCapistrano]

Hi to all specially to Cleeshov,
I believe I read this forum too late, but for those who will encounter the same problem ( Which HP should have resolved by simple usage right at the R&D stage ) here a much simpler solution.
Straighten in a linear manner a diaper pin o cloth pin ( a needle is too brittle and doesnt have a headfor proper handle, but can also be used ). Using a a long nose pliers, bent the smallest hook 90 degrees you can make at the pin's tip. Use this bent tip to grab pull the slightly protruded seam of the duo inside your laptop.
Hope this will be helpful to other who will encounter the same problem.
Thanks.
Ric

[liberryman]

The Internet does hold the key to everything. To whoever suggested using the tip of a safety pin bent 90 degrees, thank you!

[jibear]

I just solved this same problem on an HP Pavillion DV5000 laptop.

Short Answer
Get the adapter. Push it (open end first) into the reader slot all the way to go over the stuck card. Then pull it out slowly.
The wire teeth in the slot are what is holding the smaller card in.
The adapter's plastic cover slides over the stuck card and allows it slide out past the teeth.


Long Story
Memory card from camera was put in the laptop slot without the adapter, which resulted in it being stuck in the slot.
The adapter is rectangular and longer than the camera memory card (which is squarish) and is needed so the small memory card does not get stuck.

HP Support Useless
Called HP support and they suggested either mail laptop in for repair (still under warranty) with at least 2 weeks without the laptop, or bring it in to a local dealer (the suggested Geek Squad at Best Buy or anyone similar) who would charge for the repair. Forget that.

6 Hour Waste of Time
I took apart the laptop to get at the card reader from the back to push the card out. Took the laptop apart down to the motherboard and had to remove parts from the motherboard to get to the card reader only to find that the reader does not come off the motherboard and there is no way to get in the reader from the back. Put it all back together (fragile and scary). 6 hours of work for nothing.

Solution
I looked in the reader slot and realized that the pin teeth on top and bottom of the slot were probably what was holding in the card in there. I just needed two slim pieces of plastic to slide in above and below the stuck card to get it out. That's when I realized that the adapter sitting here was plastic and just the right size as that is what it was made for.
I pushed the adapter into the reader slot, open end first, encapsulating the stuck card. I slowly pulled it out and the stuck card came out a little. I pushed the adapter in again all the way and pulled out slowly and the stuck card came out far enough for me to grab and remove it.
That took 30 seconds.

6 wasted hours for a 30 second solution.
That's kinda what most computer work is like.



THANK YOU soo much! the two slips of plastic really did the trick! Took me 10-15 minutes though. I'm embarrassed to say, but this is sadly one of the reasons how I busted up my new laptop 2 years ago.. and how could I do this again..! I wish I read this post then, but I'm glad I did now :). I know that this is an old post, but I just had to say thank youuuu!

[bellamor27]

I used small scissors (the kind you use to trim your eyebrows or nosehairs..usually come in manicure packs) and it was easy because the blades are small enough to use. It took me 5 seconds.

Good Luck!

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

This is a 3.5 year old thread, man, I hope HP has fixed the damn issue in their current crop of notebooks!

[nessanerd]

Last week bought a brand new HP G61 that has a "5-in-1 Digital Media Reader" the instructions say that it DOES SUPPORT MEMORY STICK PRO DUO, well that is according to HP. I had the exact same problem as everyone else posting on this forum, no ejection mechanism = you can't get the damn thing out. So I thought. I started freaking thinking it's either going to take me a few hours and/or I'm going to break something and have to pay a bunch of money to fix it. Needless to say I was quite surprise when I got 2 small paring knives, put one on either side of the card, squeezed them together just a little bit, pulled away from the computer and the card slid gracefully out. I'm am very glad I got it out, however, I will definitly be calling HP about this. It's ridiculous that they specifically state that the card IS supported when there's no ejection mechanism to me that is definitly NOT supported.

The key is 2 longish flat objects, a little bit of pressure, and pull.

Hope this helps.

[ChartreuseMongoose]

So I bought an inexpensive and on-sale little Sony Cyber-shot camera to carry around for quick photos. Then I find out that I need to buy the Memory Stick Duo. And, now that it's stuck in my HP laptop, I find out that I need an ADAPTOR to remove it! Sheesh! Well, I suppose it's a relief to discover that it wasn't just some dumb thing I did without thinking ... that's it's a problem lots of folks have encountered. And, yes, years after this thread was begun, it's STILL a problem.
How much does an adaptor cost, by the way?
Now I'm going to figure what makeshift tools I can use to release the darn thing... I'm glad to find so many industrious suggestions here. Truly, "necessity is the mother of invention" ........

[ChartreuseMongoose]

YES! Two paperclips used like tweezers (on the top and bottom rather than on the sides) --- and the stubborn little thing eased right on out! I love the internet even more at times like this! Thanks for having this info available.

[zenallenar]

I'm so glad this forum is still available. The question about the photo stick is here AFTER 4 YEARS! Amazing. The answers were just what I needed.

My friend had placed my photo stick in her HP laptop and it became stuck. Not only could we NOT get it out, we couldn't view photos AND her laptop slowed down to a crawl and gave the dreaded "black screen! OMG.

We began with the tweezer solution and that didn't work for various reasons already stated below. We attempted a plastic knife solution too, sliding it above the stick to possibly activate the eject apparatus.

We had thought of the bobby pin solution, fearing that the ones we had were too large, we went to bed. This morning, reading your bobby pin solution, we dared it.

After removing the tips and straightening the curved end with needlenose pliers, she held the flashlight while I did the delicate surgery of insert, twist and pull. I saw it move the first time. The second time, we BOTH saw it more. The third time, it came out!

THANK YOU! I hope this forum discussion stays online so others can get help when they need it.

Oh yea, my stick works. Her drive doesn't - it wants to reformat HER photo stick. Oh well.

[Sethman2011]

This also happenned to me!! Thank God I found this website. I tried a lot of stuff here. But only blade1's technique worked, anyway, Thank You Everyone!!!~:)

[supersano]

I will be contacting HP directly about this issue. It is absolutely inexcusable that they are allowed to claim support for Memory Stick Duo when it clearly requires an adaptor. For them to print the 'Duo' logo on the front of the laptop with no indication that an adaptor is required is a complete falsehood. Every full-size Memory Stick reader made in the last decade would then qualify for Duo compatibility. I can read a memory stick with my ass with the right adaptor. Absolutely ridiculous. Brings me back to the stupid-old-days when Apple made me stick a paper clip in my desktop to get my CD out of the drive.

[weq92f]

While I realize this thread is a bit long in the tooth and normally would stand against revival of long old threads/topics, I cannot ignore the overwhelming urge to reply.

A fellow G60 user, I too have had the issue covered here in detail. I'm interested to find that an adapter is available ( ?? ), however I must admit, upon initial discovery, I devised my own methods and procedures to get the data from my duo pro card and just moved on.

This evening I had a difficult time getting the card to seat properly, so I went hunting around to see if I'd discovered yet another nasty little surprise with the G60!! Much to my relief, it seems the reader is pretty stable. However I did find this thread :(

This laptop really is another example of a product that should never have been launched as-is and was not supported adequately by HP after the sale. Among the actual hardware problems and other issues I have had:

o duo pro as noted here
o battery limp way too early ( warranty support was denied )
o on-board microphone does not work as expected ( useless! )
o input port for inbound mic feed has same problem ( useless! )
o on-board mouse pad main button ( left-click ) intermittent failure
o on-board hardware switch indicating lid open/close intermittent failure
o USB dynamic intermittent strange oddities w/power and connectivity
o keyboard buttons hard to maintain
o general overall lack of rigidity in casing ( probably causing some of the above )
o general overall plastic flimsy feel

Despite repeated and very specific requests for support on these issues, I could not get past the first line and very difficult to understand HP Customer Support Engineer on these issues. I was not able to get the hardware repaired or even diagnosed properly during the warranty period.

Never again will I purchase another consumer level computing device from HP.

-weq