Editing Openai/6916d462-73e8-800d-a155-42e6b343ee34 (section)

=== Assistant: Absolutely — I can help! ===
Absolutely — I can help! Don’t worry, this is a super common issue for brand-new 3D printer owners. Let’s go step-by-step and figure out why your printer isn’t reading the SD card or G-code.

==== ✅ A Few Quick Questions That Usually Solve the Problem ====

===== 1. What format is your SD card in? =====

Most 3D printers require the SD card to be formatted as FAT32 (not exFAT or NTFS).

Try this:
* Put the SD card in your computer
* Right-click → Format → choose FAT32 → Start
* Then put only ONE test file on it

===== 2. Is your file name too long or does it have weird characters? =====

Printers can be picky. Try renaming your file to something simple:

✔️ test.gcode
❌ T-RexModel_Final_Version2!!.gcode

===== 3. Are you slicing in the correct format? =====

Your slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer, etc.) MUST export a <code>.gcode</code> file.
Some beginners accidentally save the project file instead of slicing it.

✔️ File should end in: model.gcode
❌ Not: .3mf or .stl or .factory

Make sure you click “Slice” → “Save to Removable Drive”.

===== 4. Is your SD card too large? =====

Some printers only read 8GB–32GB cards.

If your card is:
* 64GB
* 128GB
* 256GB

…it may NOT read correctly.

Try a 16GB or 32GB card if possible.

===== 5. Does the printer see the card at all? =====

When you insert the SD card, the screen should change to show:
* “Print from SD”
* or the list of files

If it doesn’t, the printer may not be detecting the card reader.

==== 🔧 If you want, tell me: ====
* Your printer model (Creality? Anycubic? Ender? etc.)
* Which slicer you're using
* What exactly happens when you put in the SD card (nothing shows up? files show up but won’t print?)
* What size SD card you’re using

I can walk you through the exact steps for your specific machine. 😊