It is difficult to find a person who would not use flash drives. USB, micro-SD, nano-USB, CF - no matter which format you are holding in your hands - the main thing is that flash memory is really a convenient and universal tool for exchanging information. But they, like any other device, are subject to malfunctions from time to time. It happens that the computer does not see the USB flash drive when connected or refuses to work with it. Let's look at how to reanimate the medium and what it takes.
Possible reasons
There are a lot of problems for which a flash drive cannot be read. First of all, the reasons can be divided into:
- Hardware or physical problems.
- Software.
The first are the most common and overtake a large percentage of old flash drives, usually due to the intense or careless attitude towards them. Software malfunctions can occur due to reinstalling the system, changing computer settings, or virus operation.
If nothing happened while connecting the USB flash drive to the computer, you may have faced one of the following problems:
- Broken / disabled port.
- Missing / damaged device or chipset drivers.
- The drive is defective.
- Poor or new flash drive.
The worst problem that a computer does not see a USB flash drive is a malfunctioning memory controller. Typically, such a drive is immediately sent to the trash, and data is lost. Yes, there are wizards who can fix such problems, but it is usually very expensive and less reliable than buying a new drive.
So now the concept of the problem is clear. Next, let's look at why the computer does not see the flash drive, and what to do with it if you do not have any knowledge of programming, electronics and technology.
Resolving Common Issues
If you use high-quality flash drives from eminent manufacturers, then the probability of failure of the controller or the memory itself is minimal. In most cases, there are problems with the USB port, which are quite easily fixed. It is worth saying that problems can be hidden not only in the USB flash drive, but also in the USB connectors of the computer. For example, if you poured tea on it or your laptop fell into the sand.
The controller of the motherboard chipset can suffer, but only if there were power surges before or your power supply can not ensure the smooth operation of the computer. Symptoms of mechanical damage can be as follows:
- When you connect a flash drive, nothing happens.
- The power indicator of the device is inactive.
- The flash drive does not work on other computers - plug damage.
- The problem cannot be reproduced on other computers - port malfunction.
Among other things, port problems are especially common, especially on laptops or tablets.
Port check
The portās performance can be checked by simply connecting any other known-good device, such as a telephone, to it. If everything works, you can proceed to the next step. Otherwise, you can try to restore performance by cleaning the socket and plug of the flash drive. First of all, make sure the integrity of the contacts on both devices. If dirt or foreign objects are visible on the gilded areas, remove them, blow out the dust from the compressor, and then check the connection again. Does it work? Good. And what if the problem could not be eliminated? And why does the computer not see the flash drive after cleaning?
The reason may be corny bad contact. This is often seen on older and heavily used flash drives. The plastic substrate near the pads is erased, and the device cannot be connected normally. This is solved by the āpoke methodā. It is important to find the position of the device in which stable contact will be provided, but port replacement can also save.
Now let's look at why the computer does not see the USB flash drive on Windows 7/8/10, even if it is normally detected on other PCs.
Software malfunction
Problems of this type include everything that is not associated with physical damage. As a rule, malfunctions occur after reinstalling the operating system. Automatic updating of Windows drivers is not always able to install current programs or independently resolve conflict situations.
Symptoms of software failures may include the following:
- A flash drive is defined as an unknown device.
- Attempts to open the drive are accompanied by formatting messages.
- The system freezes or produces unknown errors after long deliberation (preferably for Windows XP).
- Attempts to read information lead to nothing.
You can start fixing such problems by checking the availability of the chipset driver and USB controllers, because the computer will not see the USB flash drive if the port is not powered. This can be done with both standard Windows diagnostic tools and specialized software. We will use the first method. You can go to the window from the control panel by selecting "Device Manager".
First of all, pay attention to the yellow notifications with warnings, they can indicate a problem with the software. In some cases, the driver can be updated directly in this window. Nevertheless, it is better to use third-party driver packs, and itās better to download it manually from the manufacturerās website of your laptop / PC and install it also in manual mode.
Look for the necessary driver in the "Chipset" or "USB-controllers" section. Unfortunately, there are a lot of manufacturers of motherboards and laptops, and therefore it is not possible to provide detailed instructions for each of them.
After installing the driver, you must restart the computer and try to read the USB flash drive again. Everything should work.
It is worth saying that the first time you connect, installing the flash driver is required. Depending on the configuration of the equipment, it may not be installed immediately, but, say, within 5 minutes, this is normal for older machines. In addition, the installation can be started in the background. Therefore, do not sound the alarm if the flash drive is not visible on the computer after a few seconds - just wait a bit. In the event that the drive is still undecided, it is worth trying to correct the situation.
Incorrect drive letter definition
So you tried several possible ways, but still the computer does not see the USB flash drive. What is the reason for this disgrace and are there other ways to fix the problem without erasing the data? Of course have!
Each logical drive in Windows has a specific letter that cannot be repeated. When a USB flash drive is connected, the system automatically distributes a letter to it to avoid confusion. Sometimes it happens that a USB flash drive does not receive this identifier or acquires one already used on other drives, this usually happens when several drives are connected at the same time. In this case, it will be forcedly disabled without the ability to read.
You can check this and change the letter in the following way:
- Open My Computer and select Manage.
- In the window that opens: Storage devices / Disk Management.
- Find your flash drive here.
- Right-click on its name and select "Change drive letter or drive path."
- Next, click on "Change."
- From the list, select the letter you want.
- Click āOKā and confirm the action.
Done, the letter is changed, and the flash drive should be detected without problems. This is not true? Then let's study the possible problems even deeper and find out why the computer does not see the flash drive and what to do next.
Hardware Compatibility
The computer may refuse to read the USB flash drive, not only due to malfunctions, but also due to hardware compatibility issues. It is understood that both the drive and the PC are fully functional, but cannot work in pairs due to design features. The most common causes are:
- Drive is too large. For example, on older computers flash drives of a certain dimension were not supported, since this was not necessary.
- Port format incompatibility. There are flash drives for phones, computers, video cameras, and they all work with different port formats - USB, nano-USB CF, and so on.
- The flash drive is assembled poorly or improperly flashed.
You can eliminate these problems by checking the USB flash drive on other computers. If on other machines it starts without problems, but your Windows computer does not see the USB flash drive through the USB port and beyond, then go to the next step.
Formatting will help
Physical compatibility is not the only problem. The computer may not pay attention to the flash drive and due to the difference in file systems. The file systems used differ on different operating systems. For example, Windows 7 uses NTFS, and Linux systems use Extfs or FAT.
A flash drive can also be converted to use a specific file system by formatting. You can do it this way:
- Connect the USB flash drive to the computer.
- Make sure the device is connected but cannot be read.
- Open My Computer.
- Right-click on the icon of your flash drive in the additional devices section and select the "Format" option.
- Select the desired file system.
- It is advisable to uncheck the "Quick format". So, the flash drive will be completely updated, but the data is irretrievably lost.
- Click start and wait for the download to finish.
Please note: full formatting will destroy all data from the drive without the possibility of its recovery, therefore, if there is something valuable on the USB flash drive, make a backup on the computer where the device is supported.
Usually mandatory formatting is required by new, sterile clean drives that are connected to the computer for the first time. This is due to the lack of a file system and any information on the disk at all. If you suddenly see a window asking you to format a removable disk - you should not be scared. Just accept this, wait a few seconds, and start using the memory for its intended purpose.
A flash drive can be unreadable even if it was previously used as a boot disk. Some programs mount images so that it cannot be started in the usual way. In this case, formatting will also be the only salvation. Moreover, when you try to open the USB flash drive, a window appears with formatting or cancellation options, so the choice is small anyway.
BIOS issues
In some cases, when the computer does not see the USB flash drive through USB and nothing can revive it, the problem may be hiding somewhat deeper than the design features of the port. Most motherboard devices can be temporarily disabled in the BIOS both manually by the user and third-party software. You can solve this problem as follows:
- Restart your computer and open the BIOS. Often for this you need to press F8 / F2 / Del in the first seconds of system boot just during the speaker signal. You can not try to guess the exact time, but press the button several times until the settings are opened.
- The main BIOS window will open. There is no cursor, unless you have a UEFI system, so you have to control the arrows and Enter and Escape keys.
- Select āAdvancedā, in the panel above, then āUSB Configurationā.
- Make sure that all āUSB0 / 3.0 Controllerā parameters are set to āEnabledā. Correct, if necessary, using the Enter key.
- Press F10 to save and reboot.
Done, now the controller is working fine and the ports can be used.
Device Driver Failure
The memory controller, like other devices, needs to install a driver. The system itself installs it as soon as the flash drive is loaded into the port. Failures sometimes occur, and the program may not be installed correctly or the files may be damaged during installation, for example, you removed the device without waiting for the installation. As a result, the flash drive either ceases to be detected, or it works extremely incorrectly.
Oddly enough, this problem is fixed quite simply and even in several ways:
- Update driver manually.
- Reconnect the USB flash drive, changing the port at the same time. The software will be reinstalled and most likely without failure.
- Force the flash drive to reinstall the driver.
Let's look at the last method in more detail.
You can override the device using regular Windows tools. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the "Control Panel".
- Select "Task Manager."
- Most likely, you will notice a yellow icon with an exclamation mark and a USB mark. Click on it with the right mouse button and click āDeleteā. Then reconnect the USB flash drive with changing the port.
- If there is no icon, you should expand the āUSB controllersā, select the item corresponding to your USB flash drive, and also delete it, and then reconnect the drive.
Please note: the names of the items may differ, so in some situations it is worth analyzing what you saw and making appropriate decisions.
SD and microSD cards
There are practically no differences between these cards from USB memory. On both, you can store and read information overwrite many times and connect to different devices. But it also happens that the computer does not see the USB flash drive, while working normally with USB models. If you are sure that the flash drive is working, then most likely the problem is again with the drivers. If you use a card reader port and an adapter for micro-SD flash drives for reading, check that the software is working as described above.
Adds problems and the fact that often the driver for the card reader is supplied separately from the chipset programs, so manual download may be required.
Sometimes the computer does not see micro-flash drives solely through the fault of the adapter. The only problem that can be observed in this case is its damage. Try using a different adapter or connecting a USB flash drive through a standard USB port using some device - a phone, a 3G modem, a player, and others.
Among the many problems associated with the invisibility of a flash drive in the system, there is one that is not entirely clear for inexperienced users - the computer sees the flash drive, but does not open it, and all actions are accompanied by the error "The action is impossible! The disk is damaged or write protected. "
You should not panic, most likely, you yourself accidentally blocked the card during integration into the card reader. Most of them have a small Lock switch with an arrow. If it is moved down the pointer, the flash drive is locked and cannot be read, but can be detected. This switch is useful in cases where you do not want to lose all the data from the card by accidentally formatting it, for example.
By the way, SD cards are more prone to damage and live several times less than USB. This is due to the practically absent protective case, since its function is performed by the device to which they are connected. Therefore, all impacts, scratches of the load fall immediately on the memory medium itself, and even a slight deformation can lead to death. If other devices, in addition to the computer, do not see micro-SDs (this also applies to flash drives, by the way), perhaps the problem lies in physical damage.
Viruses
The problem is not as widespread as others, but, nevertheless, still occurs. There are frequent cases of infection with unwanted software and viruses that penetrate other programs. This method of spreading malware was popular many years ago, but even now there is no guarantee that any downloaded document will be rejected by the same document.
Most normal antiviruses are able to detect unwanted software or scan a USB flash drive for problems at the request of the user or automatically. Nevertheless, not very smart antiviruses can perceive the flash drives themselves as a threat and prohibit any action for them or start scanning as soon as the drive has been connected. At the same time, they find a bunch of pseudo-problems and the Autorun.ini file and broadcast that your computer is in danger. If you are sure that the flash drive is clean, disable this antivirus and use the drive as usual.
It is worth thinking about scanning if the USB flash drive behaves strangely, and start, for example:
- Spontaneously update the driver.
- Not defined as removable media.
- Connect constantly.
- Make some obscure file manipulations. Folders with strange names, hidden files, etc. appear.
- Vigorously squander computer performance.
- Lost a few megabytes of volume, but by itself is empty.
Using such a device in normal mode is not recommended, and the sequence of steps to resolve the problem will be as follows:
- Selectively scan the drive with your antivirus or other utilities, for example, USB Disk Security or Panda USB.
- Save important files.
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