The flash drive is not detected on any computer. Why does the flash drive not work and how to restore it? Drivers failing or using outdated drivers
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At one point, when the user inserts his storage device into the USB port, the computer may not react at all. Up to this point, everything was fine: the system calmly identified the storage medium and could work with it. But now everything is different and the computer flatly refuses to even show that a flash drive has been inserted into it. In such a situation, there is no need to panic, because everything can be fixed, the main thing is to know how to do it correctly so as not to completely ruin the drive.
In most cases, a simple reconnection helps. If you removed and reinserted your storage media, but the problem persists, then our guide will help you.
It is very important to adhere to the order in which all actions will be presented below. If you decide to use one method separately, this is unlikely to solve the problem. In the course of describing the methods, we will be able to check all possible reasons why the flash drive is not detected by the operating system.
Method 1: Check the device itself and the computer
First you need to do the following:
- Determine if the media itself is working. To do this, insert it into the USB port and see if the indicator light on it lights up. In some cases, a special sound is also used. In any case, there should be some kind of reaction on the flash drive.
- Connect the drive to another USB port. It is advisable to use one that exactly works (this could be, for example, the connector that you use to connect a mouse or printer).
- Carefully inspect your flash drive. There may be some debris or dust on it that prevents it from being detected by the computer.
Device problem
If your drive is detected (something lights up or there is a characteristic sound), but nothing further happens, then the problem is in the ports or in the computer itself. But if the drive itself does not react to the connection, then the problem lies with it.
To make sure of this, be sure to try connecting it to a different connector. First, clean it thoroughly from dust. To do this, use brushes and cotton wool with alcohol. Let the device dry and use it again.
Is the problem still there? Then the obstacle may be in the device itself, or more precisely, in its contacts. In this case, it can be taken for repairs, but the restoration procedure will most likely be very expensive. It is often better to buy a new flash drive than to pay to have your old one repaired. 
Port problem
If the drive has some kind of reaction to the connection, but the computer itself does not react at all, the problem is in the USB ports. To verify this, do this:
- Try connecting it to another computer (very convenient if you have a PC and a laptop).
- Use the disk management tool on your computer. To do this, simultaneously press the buttons on the keyboard "Win" And "R" to launch the program execution window. Enter the command "diskmgmt.msc". Click "Enter". When the tool we need starts, try removing and reinserting your flash drive. If there is no response in disk management, then the problem is definitely in the ports. But if there is a reaction, everything is much simpler. Then, to solve the problem, use method 2-7 of this manual.
So, if you manage to determine that the problem is in the ports, do this:
It is likely that after these steps the flash drive will begin to appear on the computer, at least in the disk management tool. If this instruction did not help and the media is still unreadable, contact a specialist and have your computer repaired. It is quite possible that the problem is a complete malfunction of the ports and it would be better to simply replace them. It's worse if there is some kind of malfunction in the motherboard. But all this can be verified only with a more detailed analysis using special tools.
Method 2: Use the Windows USB Troubleshooter
So, everything is fine with the USB ports, the flash drive has some kind of reaction when connected to the computer, and it appears in the disk management tool as an unknown device. But then nothing happens and the files, accordingly, cannot be viewed. In this case, use the standard Windows troubleshooter. The system will probably be able to independently determine what the problem is and how to solve it.
To do this, follow these steps:
Unfortunately, this program does not always allow you to correct errors. So if all else fails, try the following methods manually.
Method 3: Update your drivers
There are two execution methods of this action: via dispatcher Windows devices and through additional software. To use the first one, do the following:
Method 4: Check the flash drive and computer for viruses
This method is relevant for cases when the drive is detected by the computer, but still does not open. Instead, an error appears. For example, it may say "Access denied" or something like that. Also, the media may open, but there will be no files on it. If this is not the case in your case, simply check your computer for viruses and, if nothing is found, skip this method and move on to the next one.
Use your antivirus to make sure there are no viruses on your computer. If you have a weak antivirus program, use one of special utilities to remove viruses. One of the best is Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. If no virus is detected, do this:
Method 5: Change the name of the removable storage device in the system
It is quite possible that a conflict has arisen due to the names of several disks in the system. To put it simply, this means that the system already has a disk with a name under which your USB drive should be identified. However, it will still be detected in the disk management program. We discussed how to launch it above, in the first method. So open Disk Management and follow these steps:
Method 6: Format the storage media
In some cases, when you try to open the drive, a warning appears indicating that the drive must be formatted before use. Then it will be most effective to do this. Just press a button "Format disk" to begin the process of erasing all data. 
Even if the above warning does not appear, it would still be better to format the flash drive.
To check the file system, in "Computer", on your hard drive, press right click mice.
In the window that opens, go to the tab "Are common" and pay attention to the inscription "File system". It is very important that the flash drive is formatted in the same system. 
If nothing is displayed on the drive, all that remains is to use one of the recovery tools.
Method 7: Restore your drive
You can accomplish this task using standard means Windows. To do this, do the following:
In addition, there are specialized programs for recovering removable media from brands such as Transcend, Kingston, Silicon Power, SanDisk, Verbatim and A-Data. As for devices from other manufacturers, the instructions for Kingston recovery pay attention to method 5. It describes how to use the iFlash service of the flashboot website. It allows you to find special programs for flash drives from a variety of companies.
Hi all! Today we’ll look in great detail at what to do if computer or laptop doesn't see flash drive. Before you begin any action with a flash drive, read the article to the end - this IMPORTANT!
Mobile flash drives are the undisputed leaders among devices for storing personal data. However, malfunctions in their operation occur regardless of the brand:idea: and your version.
Let's figure out what to do if your computer or laptop does not recognize the flash drive. The following article lists all known issues and most effective ways to solve them, but first try these two simple solutions:
Try installing the flash drive into another computer or laptop.
No matter how trivial it may sound, before you sound the alarm, try restarting your computer. This solves the problem in 50% of cases.
The necessary theory for understanding - Flash drive: to live or not to live.
Practice shows that if flash drives malfunction, it is quite difficult to return both user data and the functionality of the device.
You can safely say goodbye to a flash drive if there is an electrical short circuit, mechanical damage to the chip or contacts on the board, or a controller failure.
To find out " survivability» flash drive, insert it into the computer. If the system does not show new device, and the LED on the case does not light up, then, most likely, the drive cannot be revived.
If the flash drive still shows signs of life (the LED indicator is on), but does not work, then there are solutions; let’s look at the possible reasons.
Do not forget that flash drives have a limited service life - with active use, only a “couple” of years.
The device may simply wear out or burn out due to a voltage drop, or be damaged due to careless handling.
Possible problems with the flash drive.
Most often, the problem lies precisely in the flash drive, its compatibility and characteristics. The following are typical problems for flash drives and recommended user actions.
The methods described belowwork on both XP and Windows 10and younger. The main difference is the changed interface. The commands and section names remain the same.
1st reason: Unformatted disk.
If, when you start a flash drive, the system asks you to format it before starting work, does not allow you to access user information and shows the absence of files, then the problem is clear, and formatting is inevitable, but there are cases when a virus hides all files, I gave a solution for this reason in this video:
If higher described problem does not fit, then go to the properties of the flash drive and click on the option - Format disk ( Important: when formatting data, data recovery will be very difficult) and select the appropriate file NTFS system or FAT 32 (see below: File system conflict).
If valuable data was stored on the drive, use fast mode when formatting. Then try to restore deleted files using utilities, but this method does not always allow for complete return of files (see below: Recovery programs flash drive).
Before you begin, test the flash drive on another device. There is a chance that the flash drive is “buggy” or was disconnected incorrectly.
2nd possible reason: Cleaning the USB connector.
If the flash drive is quite old, has been in more than one bag in its life, and also serves as decoration, then its connector could be clogged. Accumulated plaque and dust can cause“invisibility” and similar “glitches” such as not starting the first time or low reading speed.
However, the chance of bringing a flash drive to such an “unreadable” state is quite small. A small object like a match or a hard wooden toothbrush will help remove debris and dust. Carefully walk along the contour and blow out the flash drive.
Avoid sharp metal objects that can cause damage to the device.
The 3rd possible reason is Autorunner viruses.
- Click Apply and Ok.
- We go through “My Computer” to the media and delete the file called Autorun.inf.
- We drive the flash drive using antivirus. Afterwards we highly recommend formatting it.
Note! If a virus has settled on the computer, then most often antivirus treatment does not help (especially for drive E - there is such a reason...). You will have to reinstall the OS and drivers.
4th reason: Problems with the computer (does not see the flash drive).
Computer problems are less common and easier to fix. The most common failure is inactive USB port. Let's look at the possible reasons:
Lack of nutrition.
Often a failure occurs if the drive is connected to connectors with front part system unit. Users are familiar with this problem. personal computers, using primarily the front panel. The main reasons are:
- lack of power on the front panel (port goes off);
- The front USB port is not connected to the power supply.
By decision The problem will be connecting the flash drive to the ports on the rear side. A more productive way is to connect the cable to the motherboard.
The appearance of the cable is different for each system unit model and depends on the number of ports. Focus on the color of the cable and the standard D-, D+, VCC and GND markings for all.
The USB port is disconnected or burned out.
Sometimes the computer doesn't see the flash drive due to a port failure. In this case, not only the flash drive, but also other devices are not displayed.
The main reason is damage to the contact or disconnection of the USB connectors in Bios. If you need to go to a workshop with a burnt port, you can curb the BIOS yourself, for this:
- When loading the system, press F2 or Del - depending on the BIOS version.
- Finding the tab Advanced, then USB Configuration.
- Check that the USB Controller sign is displayed next to Enabled line– permission to use ports.
- Save your settings.
note that Bios settings differ by different models motherboard. Once again, without a significant reason, you should not edit them.
Difficulties with sections.
Another one possible reason– problems with partitions. In this case, the computer recognizes the flash drive, but produces a characteristic sound and an unfamiliar shortcut with an arrow appears in the lower right corner. As a result, the system does not assign a partition letter to the new device (for example, F). To fix the problem:
- Right-click on USB and from the suggested options select “Change drive letter” in the pop-up window select Change and letter from the proposed options;
- save and try.
File system conflict - MacOS.
A system running NTFS may not like it "flash drive" with FAT32. Due to file system conflicts, similar problems are possible.
Most often, owners encounter conflicting flash drives apple products. So, for Mac OS the main file system is ExFAT or MacOS Extended, which Windows cannot read.
To resolve the conflict, will have to format drive, having previously decided on a file system suitable for your PC.
See you in the next article, so as not to miss new articles and information, subscribe to RSS- here is the link: (you can unsubscribe at any time).
Having appeared in 2000, portable flash drives began to rapidly conquer the market for digital storage media. Over the course of several years, they managed to practically displace optical disks, which are significantly inferior in many respects. And, indeed, compared to CD/DVD drives, flash drives have many advantages. They are more compact, reliable, characterized by better high speed read/write, and can also store a significantly larger amount of data.
But despite everything positive sides, USB flash drives, like any other devices, certain moment may malfunction. Most often there are problems with reading or writing data, but it often happens that the flash drive is not detected by the system. In such cases, when connecting the media, the user may receive various notifications, for example, “USB device is not recognized”, “Disk is not formatted”, “Insert disk”. And this despite the fact that the device is connected to a USB port. It may also be that the icon is visible in the system tray, but the flash drive itself is not displayed in the “My Computer” section.
The reasons why the computer does not see the flash drive can be different - hardware failures of the flash drive itself or the USB port, incorrect settings in the system or BIOS, errors file system, software conflicts, driver problems, virus infections, and so on. Today we will try to look at the main reasons why a computer may not recognize a flash drive, and at the same time we will give the most effective ways solutions to these problems.
Hardware faults
Unfortunately, this type of malfunction is quite common and at the same time the most difficult to fix, so in some cases it is not possible to restore the device’s functionality. Failure can be caused by rough physical impact on the device body, moisture ingress, damage to the microcontroller due to short circuit on the board.
It is not difficult to determine whether there is a hardware malfunction; you just need to connect the device to a known working USB port of any computer. If the flash drive does not show any signs of life, the indicator on it does not light up and the characteristic connection sound is not heard, there is a high probability of complete failure of the drive. What to do if the computer does not see the flash drive due to hardware failures? The best thing is not to act on your own, but take the device to service center, where it will be handled by competent specialists.
USB connectors are disconnected from power
This is another reason why the computer may not see the portable media. When assembling or repairing a PC, the user or technician sometimes forgets to connect the front panel to the power system, and this is where USB flash drives are most often inserted. Naturally, no devices connected to a de-energized panel will be recognized, nor will their indicators light up. Often, along with USB ports, they are left without power and, accordingly, .
The solution here can be twofold. If you need to access the contents of the media urgently, you can insert it into the rear slots of the computer. This, of course, will not solve the cause of the problem, but immediate access to the flash drive will be obtained. In order for the front panel to be used in the future, it must be connected to the motherboard. In principle, there is nothing complicated about this, and although PC case models may differ significantly, all cables have their own connectors, so the likelihood of making a mistake and connecting the wrong cable to the front panel is almost zero.
However, if you have only a vague idea about the contents of the system unit, it would be preferable to call a specialist to your home.
Connecting the panel to the power system does not provide a 100% guarantee of the operation of the drives connected to it. In some cases, they simply may not have enough power, especially if many other consumers are already connected to the PC. Try disconnecting some of the devices, connecting a USB flash drive to the back panel, and also be sure to check the power supply - it should provide all computer components with sufficient energy.
The flash drive is not visible due to incorrect BIOS settings
If all ports do not work, it may well be that they are disabled at the BIOS level. To get into it, immediately after turning on the computer you need to hold down the F2 or Delete key (at different manufacturers motherboard keys may differ). The BIOS interface also differs in different PC models, but, as a rule, the necessary settings are located along the path Advanced Settings– USB Configuration.
In the last subsection, you need to find the “USB Controller” parameter and make sure that the value opposite it is set to “Enabled”. If the value is set differently, change it and save the settings by pressing the F10 key.
The computer does not show the flash drive due to a name conflict
If the flash drive is registered by the system, but is not displayed in Explorer, you should check that the letter is assigned to it correctly. So, if a device is assigned a busy letter (or not assigned at all), it will not appear in Explorer. The name conflict is easily eliminated. Team diskmgmt.msc Open Disk Management and find the USB flash drive. If you know its volume, you can easily identify it among other drives, and you can also remove and reconnect the media to the USB port.
In our example, the flash drive has the letter H, which matches one of the virtual drives, and therefore is not displayed in the “This PC” section. Right-click on the icon and select “Change drive letter or drive path...” from the menu.
In the window that opens, click “Change” and select a letter from the list that is not used anywhere on the PC.
Save the new settings by clicking the “OK” button. After this, the flash drive should become visible in Explorer.
Drivers for USB ports or flash drives are missing or incorrectly installed
Often the reason that Windows 7/10 does not see the flash drive is a failure of the drive drivers or USB ports. In both cases, the problem is solved by reinstalling or updating the drivers. By inserting the flash drive into the slot, through the menu Win+X launch Device Manager, expand the item in the window that opens USB controllers– USB storage device, right-click on it and select “Delete” from the menu.
After this, remove the drive and connect it again. As a result of this manipulation, the drivers will be reinstalled.
If the actions did not bring a positive result, then you need to reinstall or update the drivers of the USB ports themselves. There are two options here. If you have a disk with “native” motherboard drivers, install the drivers from it. You can also use a popular program to automatically detect and update outdated or malfunctioning drivers DriverPack Solution.
File system incompatibility
File system conflict is relatively rare, but it cannot be ruled out. There are examples when flash drives connected to devices under Android control, were no longer recognized normally in Windows. A similar situation can occur when connecting flash drives formatted in file format to a computer. ExFAT system, used on Macs. The problem can be solved by formatting the drive in NTFS through the disk properties. The main thing is not to forget to do this before backup copy all data by connecting the drive to the device on which it was recognized.
It’s worth saying a few words separately about file system errors. As a rule, a drive with such errors is recognized by Windows, and problems are observed mainly with reading/writing data. The exception is when the file system of a flash drive is defined as RAW, when the device appears empty in Explorer. In both cases, the problem is resolved either by formatting or by checking the disk with the command chkdsk [flash drive letter]: /f followed by error correction.
Action of viruses
Virus infection is another possible reason why a flash drive may not be recognized. Signs of infection vary widely, but most often it is indicated by the “Application not found” or “Removable media not found” notifications. If infection is suspected, it is necessary to perform full check computer and flash drive antivirus program. Before scanning the drive, you should also check its contents for hidden file Autorun.inf and, if one is found, be sure to remove it.
Other reasons
Above we looked at the main points that allow us to answer the question of why the computer does not see the flash drive. In fact, there may be many more reasons. Conflicts between drivers and hardware, malfunctions and contamination of ports, repeated connection/removal of a drive from a port - all of this can become potential sources of the problem.
It is likely that the media is not detected due to USB ports being disabled in the system settings. It's easy to check. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer, click Win+X, select “Device Manager” from the menu and expand the “USB Controllers” item in the window that opens. If the USB Mass Storage Device item is yellow exclamation point, there is a high probability that the USB port is disabled in the registry or local editor group policies. We check the settings as follows.
Team regedit(entered in the “Run” window) open the registry editor, expand the branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/services/USBSTOR and see what value the parameter has Start. It should have a value of 3, if it is different, correct it by replacing it with 3. After making the changes, restart the computer and check the operation of the USB ports.
Alternatively, the settings can be checked through the Local Group Policy Editor. Open it with the command gpedit.msc and expand the thread Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Access to Removable Storage Devices.
Double-click on the “settings” on the right side of the window. Removable drives: Deny Reading" and make sure the switch is set to "Disabled" or "Not Configured".
We hope that the information provided will help you resolve problems related to your USB drives.
Hi all! In this article we will talk about cases when a flash drive is not detected on any computer at all. So what will it be detailed instructions on restoration.
I must say that the experimental USB drive is already well known to you from previous publications, since not so long ago we recovered information from it and . For those who haven't read it yet, you can check it out.
The situation changed for the better only when a good old utility called Hard Disk Low Level Format Tool. It was she who helped solve the problem and save money by bringing the drive back to life.
So what needs to be done. The first step is to install the above program from the official website of the developers. It is small and weighs very little. Launch it and select “Continue for free”:
Then, in general, our flash drive appears, which in the most Windows system 10 is not defined at all. That is, it is nowhere and everything is here:
Select it and click the “Continue” button at the bottom to proceed to the formatting process. In this case, it is probably not worth warning that all data will be lost as a result of this process. 😉
In the next step, go to the “Low-Level Format” section and click the “Format This Device” button:
After this, the program will once again inquire about the seriousness of our intentions. Here, just like in a registry office, we say “Yes” once again:
That's all, friends, now all you have to do is wait for the low-level erasing process of the USB drive to complete. After this, the long-suffering flash drive was finally detected in the system, but when accessed for the first time, it “asked” to be formatted again. Well, let's not argue:
We are starting the procedure again regular means the great and terrible Windows:
As a result, guys, the flash drive, which was not detected before, has successfully started working. Therefore, we can safely say that the detailed restoration instructions were still a success.
If you still have any questions, ask them in the comments to the publication. And that's all for now and see you again. In conclusion, as always, let's watch another interesting video.
Hello, dear friends!
There are several reasons why you may encounter the fact that the computer does not see the flash drive.
This problem can occur on any OS. It occurs on both Windows XP and Windows 10. 
If the computer does not recognize the connected flash drive, then you may encounter one of the following variations:
- The computer says “insert disk”, despite the fact that you have already connected the flash drive
- Connection sound and notification, but the flash card is not in Explorer
- It says that it needs to be formatted because the disk is not formatted
- A message appears indicating that a data error has occurred
- After connecting the flash drive, the computer freezes
How to fix?
The simplest and at the same time effective methods will be located at the beginning of the article.
If any method does not help you, move on to the next one. Also, write a comment below to the article about your problem...
If nothing helps, check the flash drive for serious problems. physical damage- they can make it impossible to repair the flash drive.
1. Check through Disk Management
First of all, you need to check whether the computer sees the connected flash drive.
Run Disk Management Utility: Win + R and then enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter
In the disk management window, pay attention to whether the flash drive appears and disappears when you connect and disconnect it from the computer. 
If the computer sees the connected flash drive and all partitions on it (usually one partition) are able to "Good"- then this is the ideal outcome.
In this case, just right-click on it and select “Make partition active”, and perhaps assign a letter to the flash drive - this will be enough.
If the partition is faulty or deleted, the status will display "Not distributed."
Try right-clicking on it and selecting "Create Simple Volume" to create a partition.
This will create a partition with formatting and deletion of all data that was on the flash drive.
If the mark is displayed "Unknown" or "Not initialized" and one section is able "Not distributed", this may mean that the flash drive is damaged.
2. Further actions after verification
We launch the device manager and check whether your device is displayed as unknown; it may also be located in the “Other devices” section.
The drive can be called either by its real name or as a “USB Mass Storage Device”.
Right-click on the device, select Delete, and after deleting it, in the Device Manager menu, select Action - Update hardware configuration.
Perhaps this action will be enough for your flash drive to appear in Windows Explorer and was available.
In addition, you can do the following:
If you connect the flash drive to the computer via an extension cable, try a direct connection.
Try connecting to all ports on your PC.
Turn off the computer, disconnect all third-party and USB components, except for the mouse and keyboard - if they do not have a built-in card reader, as well as the flash drive being tested. Turn on your computer.
If after this the flash drive works, then the problem is in the power supply. USB ports computer - the reason is a weak PC power supply.
Using third party programs
Programs designed to remove all USB drivers devices.
What is this for? To eliminate erroneous interactions between installed drivers and connected devices.
Windows installs the driver for USB devices and at the moment it is connected to the PC.
When connecting a new device, it is possible that an attempt will be made to use the already installed driver to a new device.
If the driver and device are incompatible, both an error and a computer freeze may occur.
Such programs include, for example, DriveCleanUp and USBOblivion.
Drivers for USB components are located in the registry, and such programs remove them from there - there is no other way.
My personal opinion is that you should use such programs only when everything is very bad when working with flash drives.
Third-party programs with incomplete compatibility can lead to new problems in the interaction of flash drives with the system, for example, the PC will stop seeing ALL flash drives.
Reinstalling USB devices in Windows Device Manager
If the computer does not see a single flash drive, and the above recommendations did not help, try the following:
- Launch Device Manager. Open the Run menu by clicking Win buttons+R and then enter in the field devmgmt.msc
- The device manager will open, go to the USB controllers tab.
- Next, you need to delete, by right-clicking and selecting the appropriate item, devices with the following names:
- USB root hub
- USB Host Controller
- Generic USB Hub
- After this, select the action - update the hardware configuration
After repeated USB installation devices, check if they are working USB drives on your computer or laptop.
Additional actions
- Check your computer for viruses
- Check the Windows registry, namely the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Explorer . If there is a “NoDrives” parameter, remove it, and then restart your computer
- Go to the section Windows registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\ CurrentControlSet\ Control.If such a "StorageDevicePolicies" key exists, delete it.
- You can also try to completely disconnect the computer/laptop - turn it off, disconnect it from the network/battery, and then press and hold the power button for 10 seconds. After this, turn on the computer. The method is strange, but sometimes it helps.
This is where I will end the article.
After reading it, you learned about possible ways to solve the problem of an unidentified USB drive.
I hope the information was useful, and if there was a problem, you were able to fix it.
All the best.
See you again, friends!