My SD card got hot and stopped working. What should I do?

Shut the computer down and unplug it from power. Disconnect the card reader once it is safe to touch, and let everything cool. Don't keep plugging it in to see if it works, and don't touch any damaged or melted parts.

Excessive heat could mean a short or another electrical fault. If you see smoke, smell burning, or find melted plastic, leave it disconnected and get the computer checked by a repair technician.

The reader is a possible culprit, but the card or USB port could also be damaged. Don't assume a new reader alone will fix it. Inspect the reader, card and port for scorching, melted plastic or bent contacts, without poking anything into the port.

If the card has important data, stop using it and consider a data recovery service rather than trying it in another reader.

If this is a desktop and the hot port is on the front panel, its internal USB cable can usually be disconnected from the motherboard. Shut down and unplug the computer first. If you're not comfortable opening the case or identifying the cable, have a technician do it.

A rear motherboard port or a laptop port is a different repair job. Either way, leave the affected port unused until it's checked.