Let's go from simple to complex. If one piece of advice doesn't help, or you can't follow through, try the next step. They may seem obvious to you, but experienced admins know how many problems were solved by a simple reboot or plugging into an outlet.
1. Remove the USB stick and reinsert
It happens that a USB flash drive is not fully inserted or a port that has survived thousands of insertion and removal cycles of devices does not provide proper contact.
Something may have gotten into the connectors. Use compressed air, tweezers or a natural fiber brush to clean them. Of course, you should first turn off your computer - safety comes first. Insert metal tweezers into the port of a turned-on computer - you risk being left without a motherboard.
3. Try a different port
Insert the USB stick into a connector that works for sure. For example, the one that is now used to connect a mouse and keyboard.
4. Try connecting another device to the port.
Take a known working mouse, keyboard or other simple device and plug it into the port where the flash drive was inserted. If the device is not receiving power or is not working properly, there is a problem with the port.
5. Try another flash drive
Take a guaranteed working USB stick. It is better if it is with an LED - so you can immediately understand whether power is being supplied to it or not. If there is power, but the flash drive is not detected, the problem is in the software (most likely, the drivers for the USB port are to blame, read about it below).
6. Restart your computer and try again
The operating system may have crashed, and because of this, the USB flash drive is not detected in the computer. As soon as the computer boots everything correctly, the problem will disappear.
7. Try another computer
Or a smart TV, smartphone or tablet (via an adapter), in a word, any device that accurately reads flash drives. This will allow you to understand if the flash drive is working. If so, it’s about the computer.
8. Run the Windows Diagnostic Utility
For Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10, Microsoft has released a special utility that helps to solve problems with USB ports. Download it from the official technical support website and run it, click "Next" in the window that appears. The utility will do the rest by itself.
If everything is OK with the ports, the utility will issue the following report:
A similar window will appear if the utility was able to solve the problem itself. If something went wrong, you will see the following picture:
This is an excuse to try other tips, and if it does not help, contact the service center - perhaps the port is physically damaged or the contact has moved away.
9. Change the drive letter
Sometimes after that the computer sees the USB flash drive again.
- Windows 7: go to the menu "Control Panel" - "Administrative Tools" - "Computer Management" - "Disk Management";
- Windows 10: go to "Settings" (called from the "Start" menu, which is displayed after pressing the Windows button), enter "Administrative Tools" in the search bar, in the window that appears, click on the "Computer Management" icon and go to the "Disk Management" tab ...
Right-click on the required drive (it may not have a volume label, but the size must correspond to the manufacturer's declared) and select "Change drive letter".
In the window that appears, select the desired letter from the list and save the changes. After that, be sure to restart your PC for everything to work correctly.
10. Remove the device and then add it
Go to "Device Manager".
- Windows 7: on the desktop, right-click on the "Computer" icon, select "Manage", in the window that appears, click on "Device Manager".
- Windows 10: Go to Settings (accessed from the Start menu that appears after pressing the Windows button), search for Device Manager.
Or press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter (works on both systems).
If the list contains devices marked with a question or exclamation mark, right-click on each of them and select "Remove device". After that click on "Update hardware configuration":
The system will detect the device and install the drivers automatically.
11. Reinstall the drivers manually
If the system could not find the devices on its own, go to the website of the manufacturer of the laptop or motherboard of your computer and download the latest version of the drivers.
12. Check port voltage
Normally, the USB port outputs a voltage of about 5 V. Use a multimeter in constant current mode, set the limit to 20 V. If the value is more than 10% higher or lower than 5 V, turn off the computer and contact a specialist - there is a risk of "killing" the device when connected to such a port, there may be problems in the computer's power circuits.
If the computer sees a USB flash drive, but does not read it or reads it incorrectly (slowly, freezes while reading, etc.):
1. Scan the USB flash drive with an antivirus.
Perhaps the reason is in the malware that infected the flash drive. By the way, check the computer right away too - malware does not wait for a convenient moment, but spreads immediately.
2. Format the USB stick
If possible, transfer the necessary data to your hard drive or other storage device. Then on the desktop, left-click on the "Computer" icon, in the window that opens, right-click on the flash drive and click "Format". Another option - go to "Disk Management", right-click on the flash drive and click "Format".
Most often, quick formatting (clearing the disk table of contents) is sufficient, but we recommend choosing full format. In this case, the utility checks each disk sector, marks the damaged ones and more likely restores the drive's performance.
Attention! Formatting will destroy all data on the flash drive. If the media contains critical information for you, contact a specialist.
3. Restore the USB flash drive with special utilities.
- D-Soft Flash Doctor;
- JetFlash Recovery Tool;
- Flash Memory Toolkit.
They help to recover flash drives that cannot be formatted or restored by Windows. In addition, utilities for recovering a flash drive can be found on the manufacturer's website.
And allows you to quickly save important files and text documents. However, sometimes users are faced with the fact that the flash drive is not displayed on the computer. What to do in this situation? What could be the reason for this kind of problem?
It should be borne in mind that sometimes the computer stops seeing removable media, even if there were no problems with it before. In some situations, the PC does not display the contents of the folders, and sometimes it does not "see" at all that the device is connected. Finding themselves in such a situation, each user asks himself a completely natural question: "Why is not a flash drive displayed on my computer?" Some people start to panic, worried that all the saved data will now be lost. But do not despair prematurely. First you need to calmly deal with the causes of the problem. There may be several of them.
Lack of power or socket problems
Usually, stationary system units have several ports for connecting USB drives. Some of them are located on the front of the system unit, and they often stop working correctly.
In this case, you need to try to insert the USB flash drive into the connector located on the back of the computer. If there are no corresponding ports, then you need to check the headphone outlet, which is usually also located on the front of the system unit. If the audio track does not play, then the problem is a mechanical failure of the connectors. Another explanation is that they were not originally connected to the PC motherboard. Developers very often make this mistake when producing "sistemniks".
In addition, if the computer is via USB, then this may indicate that too little power is supplied to the connector, which is why the media is constantly turned on and off. This is due to the mistakes of the developers, who do not always place the cables as tightly as possible in the necessary grooves.
If the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder for these reasons, then it will be difficult to cope with the problem on your own. It is much easier to contact a service center or return a defective system unit to the seller.
If the problem is not related to a lack of power or incorrect operation of the connectors, then it is worth considering other reasons for the non-working removable media.
Drivers
Each flash drive has software installed by default, which should be automatically activated when the device is connected to a PC. However, Windows 7 does not always install the driver correctly. This is where the most common reason why a flash drive is not displayed in "My Computer" appears.
To fix this problem, you need to go to the "Device Manager". This can be done in two ways:
- Right-click on the inscription "My Computer" and select the line "Properties". On the left in the window that opens, there will be a list of available directories. From it you need to select "Device Manager".
- Left-click on "Start" and type in the name of the required directory in the search.
If everything is done correctly, a new window will open with a list of all connected devices and a report on their work. Find “USB controllers” in this list. There will be a "+" sign next to the label. You need to click on it and see if there is an exclamation mark in front of any of the devices.
If any of the drivers does not work correctly, then you need to right-click on it and select "Update". After that, the system will try to find the required software on its own.
If this does not happen and the computer, then the necessary drivers can be installed manually. To do this, you need to go to the website of the manufacturer of the removable drive and download the current version of the software. After that, you can either run the file directly from the downloads folder, or re-go to the "Device Manager" and specify there the path to the folder in which the necessary drivers are located.
If the computer has stopped seeing the USB flash drive, you can use other ways to solve this problem.
Windows troubleshooters
This method is not suitable in cases where the device is not detected by the system at all. If the computer sees the USB flash drive, but does not open the files stored on it, then in this case "Windows" itself will help to solve the problem.
To use standard troubleshooting tools, you must unplug the USB stick and reinsert it. After that, the system usually notifies that it was not possible to install the software for the device and suggests trying to solve the problem.
If such a function is not available on your computer, do not despair. To do this, go to the official Microsoft website and download the necessary utility. After that, launch it and press the "Next" button. The program will start diagnosing and correcting possible malfunctions on its own. As a result, the utility will report the verdict and offer several solutions to the problem to choose from. The user just needs to follow the recommendations of the program.
In some cases, the standard troubleshooting tools issue a report indicating that no problems were found. This means that the utility's functionality was not enough to work. It can also be a sign that the problem lies in the removable drive itself.
Sometimes the flash drive is not displayed in the My Computer folder for a number of other reasons.
Viruses
Virus and spyware can also interfere with the correct operation of the system. In this case, errors like "Access Denied" appear on the screen most often. This means that viruses and Trojans have damaged the original device driver and replaced several files on it.
To solve this problem, you need to go to "Computer" and in the address bar enter the name of the flash drive (usually some Latin letter), followed by the characters ": \". Next, you need to press Enter. The next step will most likely open an empty folder. To make its files visible, just go to the autorun directory. To do this, select "Service" and go to "Properties", after which a new window will open.
In it you need to find the "View" tab and scroll the slider to the very bottom. Having found "Hide files", you need to uncheck that option and activate the visibility of hidden files. After that, it is enough to confirm the operation, and all the necessary files should be displayed in the folder of the flash drive. However, this is not all. The fact is that after these manipulations, the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder anyway, this is due to the fact that the virus-infected file has not yet been deleted.
To get rid of it, you need to find a document called autorun.inf and delete it. After that, all that remains is to scan the system for possible malware. It is possible that there may be residual virus files on your computer.
If all else fails and the flash drive is not visible to the phone and computer, then you can try more complex manipulations.
You can also try disconnecting all devices from your computer and restarting your PC. After that, you need to scan it for viruses, turn off and turn on the device again and only then connect the USB flash drive. The fact is that the virus may not be on the PC itself, but on some additional device connected to it, so they need to be disabled.
Formatting media
If the device is not visible not only on the PC, but also on the smartphone, then the problems can be more serious. As a rule, in this case, a message appears on the monitor stating that the installed disk needs to be formatted. Starting to fulfill the system requirements, you need to understand that this operation will destroy absolutely all data from removable media. But along with the necessary documents, malicious or incorrect software will also be removed.
To activate this process, just click on "Format" and wait for the system to clear the USB flash drive.
To start the formatting process manually, just perform the following manipulations:
- Go to "Properties" by right-clicking on "My Computer".
- In the drop-down menu, activate the formatting function.
- Choose a file system that will fully match your PC.
- Check the boxes next to "Fast". In this case, the files may be saved, but the "broken" folders will not disappear along with them.
- Click "Start".
There are other reasons for the fact that the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder.
Section conflict
This happens when, for some reason, the system cannot recognize the name of the flash drive. The fact is that several disks can be installed on a computer. If the user assigned one of them the name "K", and at the same time the same index is set on the removable media by default, then this will lead to a failure. The solution to this problem is very simple.
To do this, go to the "Control Panel" and make a selection by category (it will be more convenient this way). After that, you need to find the administration panel and select "Computer Management". In this case, all manipulations must be carried out exclusively on behalf of the administrator. Otherwise, all operations will be in vain, since the system will not accept the changes made.
There are 3 categories in the admin panel. From them you need to select "Storage devices". After opening a new window, a list of all disks registered in the system will be displayed on the right. This list will also include an unnamed device - this is a flash drive, whose name "did not please" the OS.
To fix this small oversight, it is enough to assign a new index to the drive. To do this, you need to click on an unnamed flash drive with the right mouse button and select "Change letter".
After that, a new window will appear on the laptop monitor, and the system will offer to change the letter. It is not recommended to use the letter "A" for a flash drive, as it only applies to floppy disks. For the same reason, you should not use the "B" symbol. Index "C" is usually assigned to the main system partition of the hard drive. The letter "D" is responsible for the second logical partition, so it doesn't work either.
All other symbols can be safely used for the drive.
Continuing to understand why the flash drive is not visible on the computer and how to solve this problem, it is worth considering a few more options.
Replacing an extension cord
All kinds of splitters are often used for USB ports. Such wires very often fail. The same thing happens to them that constantly happens with headphones - the contacts come off or break, which makes it impossible to use the accessory correctly.
This can happen if too many devices were connected to the PC at the same time. In this case, it is recommended to try connecting the flash drive directly to the computer. If it works correctly, then it's all about the extension cord. It is also worth trying to use the splitter with another device to check if it works.
However, sometimes it happens that even after all these manipulations, the computer does not see the USB flash drive. What to do in this situation? Don't despair. It is possible that the slots for removable drives are simply disabled.
How to enable USB ports
Sometimes sellers, for some unknown reason, disconnect the connectors using the "fine" system settings. Perhaps this is done so that buyers turn to them for paid services. However, you can handle everything yourself.
To do this, you need to go into the BIOS. After that, you need to go to the section responsible for the controllers and activate the connectors, if they are actually disabled. As a rule, the required settings are located in the Advanced section. To enable the controllers, just use the arrows on the keyboard to select Enable opposite the USB Controllers line. Then just press F10 to save the changes. After that, all that remains is to boot the computer in normal mode.
There is also a simpler explanation for why a Windows computer does not see a USB flash drive.
Mechanical damage
The miniature device could fall to the floor or into the water. From impact, its fragile parts are very easily damaged.
To check the performance of a flash drive, just insert it into the appropriate slot on the PC. If the indicator light on the drive does not light up and the computer does not emit a characteristic "you-duc", then the accessory may be damaged.
In this case, it will be very difficult to "reanimate" the flash drive on your own. Of course, you can try to take it to a service center, where a specialist can recover the data. That is why it is better not to store information on only one miniature media. Also, experts recommend saving important data not on flash drives, but on removable hard drives. They break much less often and last longer.
Specialized programs
If the user has purchased a flash drive from popular manufacturers Kingston, Verbatium and others, then it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the software that these companies offer. If you look at their official sites, you can find specialized utilities there that will help you quickly restore the device's operation. You can also search the Internet for anything else from other manufacturers.
However, you should not download such programs from sites that are not related to the company that manufactures flash drives. In this case, it is possible to get dangerous malware onto your computer.
Knowing why the computer does not see the USB flash drive, what to do and how to solve this problem, you can try to figure it out on your own. However, in the future, it is worth making it a rule to use several drives at once. This is the only way to be sure that important data and files will not be lost at the most unexpected moment. It is also recommended to promptly clean the PC registry and check it for viruses. Some of them can be found in system files. Therefore, do not forget about the security of the OS.
The computer does not see the USB flash drive because it is broken
If you have connected a storage device that is not displayed on the device, do not rush to immediately look for an error in the system. Perhaps the problem is lurking in the flash drive. Pay attention to its external state: the body should "sit" tightly, and nothing should fall off anywhere. Very often, due to careless use or the absence of a cap, the integrity between the connector and the rest of the parts is broken. And as a result, the flash drive is not displayed.
And it happens that the flash drive can be simply "flooded" while in the outer pocket of the bag in the rain. By the way, flash drives are almost always equipped with a diode, which lights up when connected. If your indicator reacts, then try connecting the USB flash drive to another gadget, if, of course, there is such a possibility.
The computer does not see the USB flash drive due to a port malfunction
By the way, a very common reason that a flash drive is not visible is a port breakdown. Over time, inside it begins to "loosen" or may burn out altogether, which leads to a poor connection between devices or its complete absence. And yet, on a PC / laptop there are always several USB sockets, and it happens that not everyone is responsible for the function of connecting to foreign drives. Therefore, test each port and do it better with several flash drives.
Driver failure - the reason that the flash drive is not visible
Any flash drive contains a driver in its memory. It always automatically starts up when you connect the drive to your device. However, in the Windows system, as you know, there are crashes and some settings fly off. To fix the situation, on the desktop on "My Computer", right-click and go to "Properties". Then click on "Device Manager", and then on "USB Controllers". You will see a list of those devices that were once connected via the USB port to the PC.
Now you need to insert the drive into the port and wait until the list that we opened earlier "blinks". If the error lies in the driver, then one of the presented components will have to change the name. It is he who we need to delete by right-clicking. After that, the USB flash drive must be pulled out and reinserted. Such manipulations usually solve the problem that the computer does not see the USB flash drive.
See you soon, friends!
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In recent years, flash drives have become very popular and almost every PC user has it. It has become the norm that almost every second person constantly carries a USB flash drive with all the necessary information. And this is not surprising, because a memory card is much more convenient than a previous generation storage medium, for example, as a disk.
Compactness and affordability are not the main advantages of flash media. Users appreciate it primarily because all files for work or study are always at hand and, if necessary, they can be erased or overwritten.
But no technology is absolutely perfect. Problems such as the inability to read or open files are increasingly common. The reason may lie both in the storage media itself and in the computer. And this is deplorable, because in an instant you can lose all files with important information. That is why it is worth knowing for what reasons the flash drive stops working and all possible methods of fixing the problem.
Non-working USB flash drive
Let's start with the worst, namely that the problem lies in the fact that the media is out of order. Indeed, in this situation, it will be almost unrealistic or unreasonably expensive to fix it.
Basically, flash drives break down after a rough impact on the controller or chip, as well as in connection with the closure and failure of the contacts on the board. It happens that after getting into the water, the carrier remains working and users only breathe a sigh of relief. But in vain! After the flash drive got into the water and turned out to be working, it is worth immediately overwriting all the files to another medium. After all, the fact that it works correctly does not mean that after a while it will be the same. Moisture and electronics, although very small, are completely incompatible things and almost never their contact goes unnoticed.
Also, if the computer does not see the media, first of all, you need to establish the cause. It is necessary to inspect the body of the device for cracks and dents. Naturally, if the flash drive is broken "into a cake", it is useless to do anything at all.
But if you still have doubts about the inoperability of the device, you need to go further. It is easy to check if it works. You just need to insert the USB flash drive into your computer. If the device lights up (there is a built-in LED in the case) and the computer beeps about connecting the device, then the flash drive works. This means that the problem can still be fixed.
But if the carrier itself did not react in any way, like the PC, then it is already useless to do something. You can, of course, contact an electronics repairman or service center. They will try to re-solder the contacts and can even replace the broken case, but this will be very expensive. It's easier to buy a new flash drive, unless, of course, the old one does not have vital files.
Is the USB flash drive showing signs of life? So, we are looking for the problem further.
De-energized USB port on the front of the PC
The most common reason why the computer does not see the USB flash drive is a de-energized USB port on the front panel. For many users, it comes to automatism to connect a USB flash drive to a computer through the front panel. It's easy and convenient. And somehow it is completely forgotten that these are not the only ports on the PC.
This problem is especially likely after the PC has been repaired or cleaned from dust, replacing thermal paste, or any other activity that includes disassembling the system unit. Just at the time of its assembly, forgetfulness, you can not connect the front ports to the power supply. The problem is simple and easy to solve.
If you need files right here and now, you can simply use other ports. They have to be working if the problem is really the hardening of the front ports. If the flash drive works and the rear ports too, then access to the files will be. This can be called the first way to solve this problem. But after all, it's better to spend a little time and connect them, because the habit is a gain.
But the second method already takes time. You need to connect the motherboard power cable to the front of the PC. The connectors can be different, it all depends on the case model. But it's okay to get confused in them, since each cable has a marking and the whole structure is arranged, so you need to try hard to connect a "foreign" cable.
But still, in different models there are wires of this type, such as "VCC", "D-", "D +", and also "GND". Also, those who are afraid to confuse everything and do something wrong can look at the color coding. Typically, wires and connectors have the same markings. But just in case, you need to pay attention to the inscriptions.
First you need to access the motherboard itself. To do this, you must carefully unscrew the bolts holding the cover and remove it. It is recommended to put the bolts in one place so as not to lose. After that, you need to find the cable leading to the front panel and find the connector on the motherboard. Their markings must match. And so you can work on the principle of exclusion. If only one power cable is not connected, then its free connectors. But you still need to carefully look at the color and letter marking.
After the connector of the desired color is found, you need to carefully insert the power cable into it. Then, without assembling the case, turn on the computer and check the operation of the front panel. If everything works well, then great, if not, then it is worth checking the labeling carefully.
In the event that you cannot connect the cable due to fear of burning the contacts, it is recommended to call the wizard. A qualified specialist will do this work once or twice, and your equipment will work as usual.
Incorrectly functioning or disconnected USB port
In some cases, the problem that the computer does not see the USB flash drive is not in the storage media itself, but in the connector where it is connected. For example, a port may simply not work due to damaged contacts in it. And this port will not see not only the USB flash drive, but also any other device connected through it.
The problem is easily solved if there is little knowledge in circuitry. You just need to patch up the contacts of the soldering irons. But if such knowledge is completely absent, then the computer must be taken to a service center. There, problems can be quickly resolved for a small payment.
But it is worth noting that if none of the ports are working, then the problem may lie much deeper. For example, this can happen because the ports are disabled in the BIOS.
To reconnect the ports in the BIOS settings, you must first go into it. To do this, you need to restart the computer and press the F2 key in the first three seconds of the restart. After that, the BIOS window should open. On different models, the keys for calling the BIOS may differ. They are usually labeled.
To connect the ports, you need to follow the instructions:
- After the BIOS is open, you need to go to the Advanced Settings menu and select the USB configuration.
- Find the line "USB Controller" and set the value "Enabled" in front of it. This will allow you to use the ports.
- After all the above manipulations, you need to save the changes by pressing the F10 key. This will not only save the changes, but also exit the BIOS.
Now that we can say with confidence that the ports are connected, we need to check them. To do this, you need to connect a USB flash drive through one of the ports and make sure that everything works as it should. If the computer still does not see the USB flash drive, then the problem lies elsewhere.
Dirt and dust in the flash drive connector
Due to the fact that the flash drive is very compact, it is always carried with you in your pocket or bag. Some even attach it as a squirrel to their apartment or car keys. In addition, quite often the cap from it is lost.
It is this attitude towards the device that leads to its pollution. Small debris and dust getting into the card slot can damage it. This is because the pins get dirty and stop communicating properly with the port pins on the PC.
Also, a sign that the flash drive is dirty can be its freeze, slow file transfer and information reading. In order to clean the media connector, you need a match or a cotton swab. Use a match to shake out all the litter from the connector. And moisten a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe everything inside. This will help remove debris and prevent contact oxidation.
Viruses on a PC or media
You should be especially careful to ensure that no virus gets on the USB flash drive. Even on a verified site, you can get infected. And many users do not think about information security at all and download files from unverified sources.
Inserting a USB flash drive into someone else's computer with viruses is a sure sign of infecting files that were already on the media. Viruses on your computer multiply rather quickly, infecting more and more files.
That is why quite often the flash drive does not work precisely because it is infected with a virus. As a rule, in this case, the computer recognizes the media and beeps to indicate that it is connected. But the files on it cannot be read, and the system tries to convince the user that the flash drive was not found.
If this happens, first of all, you need to install an antivirus on your computer and check it completely. And in order to be able to view files on the map, you need to access them. But for this you need to delete the infected document from it. To do this, first of all, you need to do the following:
- Open "Start";
- Find through the search bar "Show hidden folders";
- Right-click on the item issued at the request and go to "Show hidden files and folders";
- Find the line "Hide system files" and remove the checkbox from it;
- Find the line "Show hidden files" and mark it with a tick;
- Press the "Apply" button;
- Click "OK".
After all these steps, you need to go to the "My Computer" folder and go to the problem device, in this case the drive. A file named "Autorun" will be visible in its folder. This file must be deleted, and then scan the USB flash drive for viruses using any antivirus software. This can be done by right-clicking on the drive folder and selecting "Check for viruses". Typically, this line will be marked with your antivirus icon.
After the flash drive is completely safe for use, you can easily read information from it. But, for example, if there were no viruses on it or it still did not work after all the manipulations, then the problem may lie in the absence of drivers.
Outdated or crashed drivers
It also happens that the flash drive is not displayed by the computer due to the fact that the drivers are outdated or a failure in the system. Power surges or sudden system shutdowns are common causes of failure. Also, older computers may simply not work with cards larger than 32 GB. Both are solved by a simple driver update.
To do this, go to the "Device Manager". You can get into it through the "My Computer" folder and simply find it by searching in the system. After the "Device Manager" folder is opened, you need to insert the problematic USB flash drive into the computer port and open the "USB Controllers" tab. In the tab, we find a line with the name "Storage device", select it and delete it through the menu with the right mouse button. This will remove the driver from the system for the USB stick. After deleting, you need to reconnect the USB flash drive. This will start the automatic installation of drivers and the computer will see it as usual.
Of course, if the problem persists, then you need to try to do something else. For example, reinstalling all USB drivers can help. This can be done using the disk that came with the motherboard. If not, you can download a driver update program. There are many such programs on the web. They work identically. They scan the computer and give out all the drivers that have updates. Also, such programs themselves and update them after the agreement of the user.
It is worth noting that you should not doubt your actions due to the difference in USB formats. Drivers for ports 2.0 and 3.0 are installed the same way. Moreover, the ports differ only in the speed of writing and reading information.
The presence of errors in the file system
Due to the fact that the computer has an error in the file system, it cannot see the drive. You can check this through the "Device Manager".
To do this, you need to insert the drive into the PC and go to the "Disk devices" tab in the manager. If the device is displayed, then the drive itself is working properly, and the system simply does not perceive it as necessary. The problem is corrected by simply formatting the memory card. But this is a very delicate action. It will be described in detail in a subsequent paragraph.
If the drive is not displayed in this tab, then the flash drive itself is faulty. Her contacts could come off or the controller burned out. In the repair of techniques, the craftsmen will fully cope with its resurrection. But such a small work will be unreasonably expensive, it will be cheaper to buy a new device.
Conflict between filesystems
It happens that the files on the media are not displayed by the computer due to the fact that there is a conflict between the file systems on the connected device and the PC. For example, this often happens when the file system is NTFS on the computer, and FAT32 on the drive. This is found not only in Windows operating systems, but also in "apple" products. So, for example, if a flash drive was formatted on a MacBook, then it will not be readable on a PC with the Windows operating system.
So, it turns out that the only way out is to format the device. But before that, it would be wise to copy the files on a computer with a different operating system. The latest PC where the drive was used is fine. After formatting, the flash drive will be completely empty.
To properly format the drive, you need to follow the instructions:
- Open the "My Computer" folder;
- Click on the connected device with the right mouse button and select "Properties";
- In the window that appears, see which file system is used on the drive and remember. Close this window;
- Right-click on the folder of the connected device and select the "Format" function;
- In the window that appears, check the box that matches the file system of the drive. This will format it to the correct file system;
- Check the "Fast" attribute and click "Start".
After a while, the PC will inform you that the formatting of the drive is complete. The flash drive is formatted correctly and should now work correctly.
IMPORTANT! Fast formatting is chosen not only for the reason that files will be deleted faster. If suddenly there was something important on the flash drive, only in this way of deleting these files can be returned using a special program. If you use non-fast formatting, then the files will be lost forever.
Unformatted USB flash drive
Quite often, when a completely new USB flash drive is inserted into the port, the PC warns that the device needs to be formatted before use. That is, there is no access to the device until formatting. If the flash drive is new and there is no information on it, then you can safely perform formatting of any type. The problem will go away after that.
But if the flash drive is not new and has been used before, that is, it has the necessary files or not, then you can try to connect it to the port of another PC. Then again to the computer, which does not give access to files. This simple action helps to fix the problem.
If the problem persists, then it is better to copy the files you need to another PC and format the USB flash drive. A step-by-step instruction on how to do the correct formatting was provided just above.
The flash drive was assigned a busy letter or there are problems with the partition
As already mentioned, the technique is imperfect and even the computer can be wrong. So, the PC may not correctly detect the type of connected device. But in appearance you can't tell, because the computer signals the connection and the flash drive is being displayed. But you cannot use it for its intended purpose.
Also, the problem itself may be that the system did not assign a letter to the partition, or it did it, but it is already busy. For this reason, there is a conflict between addresses.
To fix this, you need to try assigning a letter to the section. You need to do this manually according to the instructions:
- Press simultaneously "Win + R" in order to bring up the "Run" window;
- Enter the command diskmgmt.msc in the window line. It will redirect to the necessary section for managing drives;
- In the manager for connected devices, you need to find a USB flash drive. You can just turn it off and on and see what appears;
- On the section defined as a connected drive, you need to right-click and click on "Change letter";
- In the window that appears, click successively "Change" - "Ok";
After that, an additional dialog box will open in which you can select the letter you like for the drive. After selection, just click on "OK" and the selected letter will correspond to the section of the device.
ADVICE! Before choosing a letter for a drive, you should look at the already occupied ones. Otherwise, the problem will remain if you unknowingly assign a busy letter to the device.
Power supply defective or portal overcurrent
Many users noted that the computer did not see the drive due to the fact that the power supply was faulty. Its job is to consume and distribute energy. Like any device, it has a limit on power values. That is why the distribution across the nodes is balanced.
For example, this situation may arise after replacing one node. And the new element requires more energy than the rest. Because of this, the balance is disturbed during the distribution of energy, and since the power supply cannot supply more energy to the replaced node, it simply does not reach other points.
This imbalance in power distribution can literally de-energize a PC's USB network. It is correct to calculate in advance the energy consumption of one or another unit when replacing it. But if an important element was replaced without this calculation, then all that remains is to buy a more powerful power supply.
But if there was no replacement of the node, then most likely the power supply is faulty and incorrectly gives out the potential for power. For example, after a breakdown, it began to produce less power than declared by the manufacturers. In this case, you should not even try to fix the problem, since the fate of the entire PC is at stake. Better to replace the power supply.
There is another explanation for the fact that the PC does not see the USB flash drive. Look at your computer, what's connected to it? A computer mouse, a lamp for a keyboard, a smartphone on charging, and maybe some other device? And all this overloads the USB ports. Simply connecting multiple devices already consumes the maximum current distributed to them. And the flash drive is superfluous there. For the PC to start seeing the map, you need to turn off a couple of devices and the problem will be solved.
What to do if your Windows XP PC does not recognize your flash drive
There are many reasons why a memory card is not recognized by a PC with Windows XP operating system. The problem can be both in the storage medium itself and in the operating system. But the computer hardware itself may also be to blame.
If the operating system is the reason that the computer does not see the connected device, then it is necessary to make changes in the OS settings. This can be done using special utilities, but it is recommended to do everything yourself.
A defective flash drive is not worth the money that can be spent on repairing it in the service. The only thing worth keeping is to save this one and buy a new drive. You should choose a flash drive of good quality in a case made of sturdy material. This will help protect the new drive from mechanical damage.
As a rule, if the PC cannot identify the drive, then the OS informs the user about this with the following messages:
- The drive is inserted into a computer port and when you try to read information from it, a message like "Insert a disk drive" pops up.
- When you try to read information from the card, the OS informs you that the drive should be formatted before use and does not allow data to be read without this. It turns out that it is not possible to view the files, since after formatting they will be deleted.
- After the user tries to access the files on the connected device, the OS reports that access to the files on the drive is not possible.
- Immediately after connecting the device through the port, the OS hangs. It is noteworthy that when the drive is removed, everything returns to normal.
When solving the problem that the PC does not see and does not read files from the drive, it is necessary to solve it sequentially, clearly following the points:
- The first thing you should pay attention to when connecting a drive is the indicator on the card case. It is built there in order to determine the health of the device itself. If the LED blinks, but the USB flash drive is not read by the computer, this means that the problem lies with the OS itself or the hardware of the PC.
- The flash drive looks ok but still doesn't work? It is recommended to change the port. There is a possibility that the one in which the flash drive is inserted is malfunctioning. Quite often, when connecting a drive through an incorrectly working port, the computer freezes. It is easy to check, since there are other ports on the computer. If everything works as it should when you reconnect the device, then you need to either stop using the broken port, or have it repaired at a service center. It is also recommended to check if it is dirty. Dirt and dust can interfere with the connection of the contacts and cleaning the problem usually fixes the problem.
- When using hubs or extension cords to connect a USB device, it may not be recognized by the computer due to a malfunction of additional equipment. It can be easily repaired with minimal knowledge. Upon inspection, you can easily notice the contacts that have come off and the soldering iron can easily fix this. You can also solve everything without personal intervention and just take the hub for repair.
- There is a possibility that not enough current is being supplied to the USB ports. This is due to their overload by various devices. This is easy to check by turning off all extraneous devices, leaving only the most necessary, namely the keyboard and computer mouse. After that, you need to connect the drive and make sure that it works. If so, the power supply is too weak and needs to be replaced. But buying a cheaper USB hub can help as it has its own power source.
- If the previous points did not help to fix the problem, then there is a possibility that the power supply unit does not have enough power or the USB port is out of date for your drive. In short, older computers and laptops cannot read drives larger than 32GB. Nothing can be done here. Either use a smaller drive or replace your computer with a more modern model.
- Well, the last chance of a faulty flash drive is that it is plugged into the front port out of habit. It may be de-energized due to the fact that the port is not connected to the motherboard. Also, the ports may not work due to lack of power. You can connect them to the motherboard yourself. Detailed instructions for connecting them are located in the section above.
Errors in Windows XP make it difficult to see the drive
The device may not be detected due to errors in the operating system itself. For example, the OS may simply not have the necessary software packages for updating necessary for the correct operation of devices connected via USB ports. It is also possible that only certain devices can be read on a certain port.
You can solve this problem by updating the system to SP3 and making all the updates that are available. This does not require any special knowledge. A couple of clicks and the system will do everything automatically.
Updates can be downloaded either from Windows Update or from media (flash drive, disk). But first of all, you need to check which package is installed on the system. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Click on "My Computer" with the right mouse button and select "Properties".
- In the window that opens, see the necessary information.
In order to install updates, you need to let the system search and install them on its own. This can be done in the Windows Update panel. After the system gains control, it will independently find the necessary updates and ask the user for permission to install them. Installation can be done either selectively from all found, or as a whole package. It is recommended to perform a custom installation only if you have an idea of what the selected update does. If there is no such knowledge, then it is better to let the system install all the updates it finds.
After the system has installed all the necessary updates, the OS will ask for a request to restart the computer. This is necessary for the changes to start working. It does not take a lot of time. After rebooting, you can safely connect the USB flash drive and do business.
For those who want to install only a few updates, you need to know which one does what. Here are the data you need to navigate:
There is a conflict between drivers in Windows XP
It also happens that due to conflicting drivers, the computer cannot recognize the connected device. So, old drivers can cause errors in the system and prevent new ones from working correctly. The problem can be expressed as a pop-up error message when a USB flash drive is inserted. The system does not see it and requires you to insert a disc to start working. Sometimes the OS freezes.
This is due to conflicting drivers. For example, a user has two drives. After he inserts the drive number 1 into the PC, the system automatically installs drivers for this type of device. After finishing work with this device, the user takes it out and starts working with drive No. 2. As a rule, the second flash drive is working, but the system still reports an error. This is because the OS uses the installed driver after using drive # 1 to start the second one. But they are incompatible with each other.
Reinstalling drive drivers on Windows XP
Since the drivers are incompatible with each other, they need to be reinstalled. This can be done both automatically and independently.
Due to the fact that the system uses drivers from one device to another connected via a port, you must first remove all drivers for this type of drives. Then perform a clean install.
As a rule, the OS, in the presence of such a conflict, issues a message stating that the inserted device cannot be recognized. Also, the system can completely freeze so that you can not do work on a PC.
Removing Drivers Using the DRIVECLEANUP Utility
A special utility called DRIVECLEANUP will help you to remove drivers simply and effectively. This utility is good in that it searches the system for drivers before uninstalling. Then it deletes them.
To start fixing the problem, you need to turn on the PC and disconnect all unnecessary devices from it, leaving only the keyboard and computer mouse. This will help to avoid various conflict situations during the process.
Then you need to download the driver removal utility. It is advisable to do this through a trusted resource, or better from the official website of the program. The program itself is compatible with all OS versions. When the utility is downloaded, you need to open it using administrator rights. This can be done by right-clicking on the program icon and selecting "Open as administrator". Then the utility will do everything on its own.
- Place the driver update utility file in the system folder named System.
- Open a command line and write the command drivecleanup.exe and execute it by pressing the Enter key.
- This command will run the utility, and the command line will display information about all the drivers on the PC.
It will also delete them.
Automatic installation
Since in the previous paragraph all drivers were removed from the computer, you need to reinstall them. This is necessary for the normal operation of the system. Fortunately, they can be installed automatically. It's very easy to do.
The only thing you need is a USB flash drive. It just needs to be plugged into a USB port on your computer. After the PC recognizes the device, it will automatically install the drivers for it.
Quite often, this will be visible on the pop-up dialog box. But on some systems, the process of automatically installing drivers for a new device is invisible to the user.
This process is short-lived. This can take 2-3 minutes at most, no more. After installing the drivers, the device will start working correctly. This means that now the computer will not only recognize the card, but also read information from it.
Manual installation
You can also install the drivers yourself without using a flash card. To do this, you need to download drivers from the Internet. But in this case, there may be a conflict with the system. That is why it is recommended to install using a different PC.
To do this, you need to take the USB flash drive with which there were problems and insert it into the computer where it is recognized. There is a small condition for manual installation of drivers, namely that the version of the operating system on the PC where the flash drive was not recognized and the one from which the installation will be performed must completely match.
Now you need to search through the system to find two files with paths:% SystemRoot% \ INF \ usbstor.inf and% SystemRoot% \ SYSTEM32 \ drivers \ usbstor.sys
In any convenient way, you need to move these files to a PC that does not recognize the USB flash drive. This can be done, for example, using another flash drive or send via Kidney or via Contact. On a computer that has a problem with recognizing the drive, the files must be placed in a folder with the same path as they were on a working PC. After moving them to the required folder, the system will ask the user to confirm the replacement of files. When everything is ready, you need to restart the system. And you can safely use an already working USB flash drive, since the problem will be eliminated.
Here were analyzed the most common reasons why a USB flash drive is not recognized by a computer. But as you might guess, there are many other reasons for its inoperability. Also, this error may be accompanied by other messages from the system.
Insert disc message
This message may appear when a disc is inserted. First of all, it is recommended to check how the USB flash drive is inserted and whether the device itself responds (blinking LED). It happens that over time the flash drive bends, and in order for contact to occur, you need to insert it into the port slowly until you hear a beep.
It can also occur due to overlapping drivers from the previous media. Due to their incompatibility, it turns out that the flash drive does not seem to exist. To fix the situation, you need to remove all drivers and install (simple reconnection of the flash drive after removing the drivers).
The system requires formatting the disk before use
This may be due to the fact that the flash drive is new and has never been used. In this case, you can format it without consequences, since there are no files on it.
But this can signal a system failure in the flash drive itself or its damage. The solution to this problem is described above, and there is also the principle of correct disk formatting.
A message about the presence of a data error pops up
This message appears when:
- The computer contains incompatible drivers. Solution: uninstall and reinstall the drivers.
- There was a conflict in the file systems. Solution: formatting the flash drive in the desired system with the preliminary saving of the data.
- Failure in the medium itself.
The system hangs after connecting the device
This behavior of the PC may indicate that:
- The port through which the media was connected is faulty.
- The presence of incompatible drivers.
To eliminate one of the problems, it is tedious to connect a USB flash drive through another port. If everything works, then it's in it. No, the drivers are to blame.
The computer does not see the USB flash drive, but it signals the connection
When the carrier is connected, an indicator lights up on it, which signals the established contact. If, in this case, the computer does not see the USB flash drive, a faulty contact in the medium itself, which is directly responsible for the transfer of information, may be to blame.
Also, a conflict between drivers or an already occupied partition letter can also cause such a reaction.
Error 43 / Error 43
If the OS issues this error, then it is useless to even try to get to the files on the media, since it automatically stops the process of reading information on the device. This error can be caused by the following reasons:
- Media malfunction. It is recommended to check its functionality on a third-party PC.
- The presence of incompatible drivers in the system.
- A hardware configuration update has occurred. Solution6 rollback the driver in the Manager.
Conclusion
The article describes all types of the most common reasons why the computer does not see a USB flash drive, and also describes how to solve them. It is recommended, if such a problem exists, to solve it sequentially, following the points of the article. This will help correct the situation only if the flash drive is not mechanically damaged irreversibly.
The computer does not see the USB flash drive - there is a solution.Hello. Your the computer does not see the USB flash drive , memory card or hard drive and you are wondering what to do? Surely every computer user has a similar situation, or even more than one.
Today I will help you with this question. I'll tell you what problems there are with displaying usb devices and the possibilities of solving them. By the way, the last article was about data recovery from a USB flash drive. If you are interested, then replenish the baggage of your knowledge.
Your computer does not see or does not detect a USB flash drive, hard drive and memory card. Let's look at the possible reasons for this situation. At the end of the article, do not forget to watch a visual video lesson on how to make a flash drive or hard drive work.
Small outline of the article
- Device definition
- Power indicator
- Front usb ports
- Lack of power
- Usb disabled in bios
- Usb device not recognized
- Outdated drivers
- Viruses
- Different file systems
- Conclusion
Determine the device
The first step is to determine exactly how the computer does not see your usb drive. From this answer, it will be clear whether it is possible to recover data from a flash drive or not.
To do this, you need to go to the Windows Device Manager.
In order to enter it, you need to right-click on the shortcut of my computer on the desktop or in the start menu, go to properties, click on the device manager.
Then select disk devices.
We got into the device manager and the disk devices tab. If your flash drive or memory card is displayed in this list, then with a high probability you can recover data on them. If the flash drive is not there, then most likely the memory card controller has burned out. I recommend trying to connect your usb device to other computers.
If nothing changes and the flash drive is also not visible, then most likely the matter is in the faulty controller. From such a usb device, you will pull out the data, you can of course contact special institutions that are engaged in this (they are not in all cities), but they will charge you a tidy sum for the work. So think about whether you need it or not.
Your flash drive is visible as a device, but it does not appear in my computer or explorer, or asks to be formatted. To do this, you need to go to disk management. To get into it, you need to follow these steps. Here are screenshots for clarity:
The device is displayed, writes its volume and file system - it is ready to work and functions normally.
The device is displayed, shows its size, but does not display the file system and writes "not defined". In order to use it, you need to right-click in the undefined window and select format. You can check the quick format checkbox and click OK. After the device is formatted, it should work normally.
Displays as removable device, writes no media and does not show file system. All these parameters indicate that this device is not working properly, there are internal or external damage to the controller. With such a flash drive, you can read information without special expensive equipment.
Power indicator
When connecting a flash drive to a computer, a small indicator on the usb device should light up. If it caught fire and started blinking, then everything is fine with the flash drive, but not with the operating system, you need to look for the reason in it. If the flash drive indicator does not light up, then the problem may be in the device itself or in the connected port of the computer.
Front usb ports
There have been cases when the flash drive is connected to the computer via the front usb ports, but the flash drive does not work. Perhaps these front usb are turned off or forgot to connect them to the motherboard.
Not enough power
Power shortages mainly occur when connecting hard drives through the front USB ports of a computer, hubs and hubs. It is best to connect such devices directly to the usb connectors on the motherboard, that is, on the back of the computer. If you are using a usb hub or hub, then disconnect unnecessary devices, maybe this will help. Also, the reason may be in a low-power computer power supply.
Usb disabled in bios
This problem is rare. Mainly in computer clubs and similar entertainment establishments. What is it for? In order for a person not to introduce viruses and download various programs and unnecessary information on the computer. It is rather a protective measure. If this is a home computer, then you need to go to the BIOS settings and check the box to enable the launch of usb devices in the motherboard.
Usb device not recognized
The usb device is not recognized, and when a USB flash drive is connected, the operating system gives it an already used letter (the used volume label). This does not always happen, there are other cases. In order to fix this, you need to go to the computer control panel.
I showed how to enter it above, or you can call the Run window - the keyboard shortcut on the Win + R keyboard (the checkbox between Ctrl and Alt plus the letter R) and type the command diskmgmt.msc. Go to disk management, find the device you need - a USB flash drive, right-click on it and select Change drive letter or path to disk. In the window that appears, you can add or change this letter.
Outdated drivers
It is possible that you have outdated drivers - update them. To do this, you need to find out which company is the manufacturer and model of your motherboard. Usually written on the box with the packaging, if you saved them of course. If not, use Everest or Aida. With the help of them, you can find out the model of your motherboard and a lot of other useful information about your computer. After you have found out everything, you need to go to the manufacturer's official website, find the desired motherboard and download drivers for the chipset and usb device, if any.
Viruses
There have been cases when the computer does not recognize the USB flash drive due to viruses that have appeared in your operating system. To do this, I recommend using good antivirus programs and doing a full virus scan at least once a month. If you do not have it, you can use the free antivirus Kaspersky Yandex version, or purchase a paid product.
Different file systems
This is common, but very rare. Your computer does not see the USB flash drive due to a conflict between the file systems of the computer and the USB flash drive. Most flash drives work in two file systems FAT and FAT32, and hard drives in NTFS.
You can try to format your flash drive in another format such as FAT32 or NTFS. Perhaps after that everything will work fine.
Helpful information. On a USB flash drive in FAT and FAT32 format, you can upload information in one file no more than 4 Gigabytes, and much more on the hard drive. Therefore, if you encounter such a problem, be prepared for this and keep in mind.
And for dessert, watch a short video tutorial on how to make the computer see a USB flash drive and a hard drive. For a comfortable and enjoyable viewing, I recommend watching this video in full screen, that is, in full screen mode.
The computer does not see the USB flash drive and hard drive
