SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate)
The SanDisk and Western Digital ImageMate readers are external USB devices aimed at photographers and videographers moving large capture cards. They rely on the built-in Windows driver, so they generally need no installation and mount cards as drives on connection. To reach the speeds a fast card supports, choose an ImageMate model rated for that card's bus mode and connect it to a direct high-speed USB port rather than through an unpowered hub.
Family profile
- Reference coverage
- 10, 11
- Hardware category
- Card Readers
- Manufacturer
- Western Digital
- Related families listed
- 12 in this category, 1 elsewhere from Western Digital
This coverage label describes releases discussed by this publication, not certified compatibility. Confirm the exact device or PC model, hardware revision, current Windows release, and current package requirements on the publisher source before making a change. Windows 10 Home and Pro reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Extended security updates and other editions have separate lifecycle terms; a driver listing does not extend Windows support.
SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate) at a glance
| Detail | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Reader type | External USB reader for large capture cards |
| Connection | USB, use a direct high-speed port |
| Driver needed | No, uses the built-in Windows driver |
| Driver source | None, cards mount on connection |
| Wake-from-sleep | Reconnects with the USB device |
| Speed ceiling | Choose an ImageMate rated for the card's mode |
How to tell this is what you have
- External ImageMate USB reader
- Works with the built-in Windows driver
- SanDisk or Western Digital branding
Worth knowing: USB readers generally work with the built-in driver; use WD support for product details.
Device Driver Guide does not host driver files or bundle an updater. This page documents the SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate)family; its citations are selected from the package-source policy recorded for this family.
Device Driver Guide hosts no executables or updater tools. External citations are limited to official publisher documentation pages and are labeled before you leave this site.
Browse related families
Open the listed card readers directoryPackage path for SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate)
The family record names None, cards mount on connection as the package source. Use Windows 10, Windows 11 only as reference coverage, then check the current publisher requirements for the exact model, hardware revision, Windows release, and PC configuration. A family name alone does not establish compatibility.
Shared identification, preparation, installation, verification, and rollback procedures are maintained on the full card readers guide, rather than repeated on every family page. The citations below follow this family’s declared vendor, system-update, PC-maker, or motherboard-maker source policy.
Official sources and citations
These links serve two different purposes. A manufacturer support selector helps you find an exact model, but does not prove that a package or feature exists for every product in a family. Claim-specific documents explain the cited technology, requirement, lifecycle, or bounded package example. In either case, check the publisher domain, exact model and hardware revision, operating-system release, supported-products list, and package notes before making a change.
- Western Digital downloads and documentation
Western Digital: Use this publisher-maintained page to match the exact Western Digital model and operating-system release before selecting a package.
- Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle
Microsoft Lifecycle: Lifecycle documentation for Windows 10 Home and Pro; separately governed editions and servicing channels can have different dates.
- USB class drivers included in Windows
Microsoft Learn: Class-driver context for conforming USB devices; this does not establish features or support for an unnamed reader.
Device Driver Guide is an independent reference, not a repair or technical-support service. It does not host or mirror installers and receives no payment for these links. A named-model package example applies only to the systems and operating systems on that publisher page; it is not a recommendation to install the package across a family. Report a moved or incorrect link through the correction form.
Other card readers families to compare
SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate) next to the other 12 families in this category
| Family | Manufacturer | Reference coverage | How you recognize it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk / Western Digital USB card readers (ImageMate) (this page) | Western Digital | 10, 11 | External ImageMate USB reader |
| Realtek PCIe/USB Card Reader Controller | Realtek | 10, 11 | May list a Realtek PCIe or USB card reader controller in Device Manager |
| Dell integrated media card reader driver (Latitude, XPS, Inspiron) | Dell | 10, 11 | Only configurations physically equipped with a reader apply |
| HP integrated media card reader driver (EliteBook, Pavilion, ENVY) | HP | 10, 11 | Slot on an EliteBook, Pavilion, or ENVY chassis |
| Lenovo integrated card reader driver (ThinkPad, IdeaPad, Yoga) | Lenovo | 10, 11 | Slot on a ThinkPad, IdeaPad, or Yoga chassis |
| ASUS integrated card reader driver (Zenbook, Vivobook, laptops) | ASUS | 10, 11 | Slot on a Zenbook or Vivobook chassis |
| Acer integrated card reader driver (Aspire, Swift, Predator) | Acer | 10, 11 | Slot on an Aspire, Swift, or Predator chassis |
| Microsoft Surface storage/reader components | Microsoft Surface | 10, 11 | First verify that the exact Surface model has a memory-card slot |
| MSI integrated card reader driver (laptops) | MSI | 10, 11 | Slot on an MSI laptop chassis |
| Gigabyte / Aorus integrated card reader driver (laptops) | Gigabyte | 10, 11 | Slot on a Gigabyte or Aorus laptop |
| Kingston USB card readers (Workflow / MobileLite) | Kingston | 10, 11 | External USB reader on a cable, not a built-in slot |
| Samsung microSD USB reader/adapter | Samsung | 10, 11 | Compact USB adapter for a single microSD card |
| ASRock desktop board USB/card reader header support | ASRock | 10, 11 | Front-panel reader wired to a motherboard USB header |
Other Western Digital families in the catalog
Western Digital hardware documented outside card readers
| Family | Category | Reference coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Western Digital / SanDisk SSD (WD Blue, WD Black SN series) | Storage & NVMe | support depends on the current model-specific SanDisk/WD utility |