# Did removing a laptop card without hitting the button kill it? (Mac) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960 "2008-11-22T04:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/1 "2008-11-22T04:16:59Z")
So, we’ve been having network trouble, which had seemed fixed on all the other computers. Today I fired up my laptop (Powerbook G4) thinking that since all the other computers were working, it would work. Couldn’t connect to my network. A year ago the wireless card in my computer died and we stuck in a Belkin wireless card into the slot, which has been working. I restarted, which didn’t work, and then I took out the card and I may accidentally have not hit the “eject” button first. Anyway, now it doesn’t recognize the card at all. Did I ruin it (Himself says I did, but that might be because he doesn’t want to mess with my mac) or is there something I should do to make it recognize the card again? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/2 "2008-11-22T16:16:12Z")
On my (Windows) laptop, the Eject button is only mechanical. It’s normally flush with the side of the laptop. Pushing it once, the button comes out. Pushing it a second time then ejects the wireless card. Is this what you’re describing? If you wrenched the card as you pulled it out, you may have physically damaged it, but if you pulled it straight out, that’s what the eject button would have done anyway. If you’re describing something completely different, well, at least you get a bump. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/3 "2008-11-22T18:14:49Z")
You’re talking about a PC card/ExpressCard slot – one of those things on the side (usually) of a laptop that was designed for removable cards – not a card inside the laptop, right? If so, yeah, what ZenBeam said. It shouldn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/4 "2008-11-22T18:18:51Z")
Yes, a PC card, and I just pulled it out straight. So why doesn’t it work now? It won’t recognize the card at all and I can’t find anything to make the laptop look for it. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/5 "2008-11-22T18:38:04Z")
Have you tried the Belkin on another PC? Is it possible that the slot itself is somehow damaged, not the cards? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/6 "2008-11-23T03:24:31Z")
Well, I don’t have another laptop with a slot. I can’t find any utilities on the Mac to gently remind it to check its slot or anything - IMHO the things run great when they’re fine, but when something goes wrong it’s hard to figure out how to fix it. I’m running Tiger - is there some setting I’m missing or something? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-removing-a-laptop-card-without-hitting-the-button-kill-it-mac/473960/7 "2008-11-23T03:37:03Z")
'fraid I don’t have anything more to offer… sorry ☹