Doesn't see the driver flash drive. What to do if the USB flash drive is not detected

Read, what to do if Windows does not display the connected device. How to restore functionality to such a device if this is the reason. A flash drive or any other USB drive should be automatically detected by the computer and displayed in Explorer and the “This PC” folder after connecting to the USB port.

Content:

Diagnosis of the problem

The first thing you need to do if the connected USB drive is not displayed in the Windows file manager, you need to check the tool Disk management.

To open Disk management in Windows 8/10, click right click mouse on menu Start and select "Disk Management". In Windows 7, press the combination Windows keys+ R to open dialog box "Run" and enter the command in it diskmgmt.msc.

Check the list of drives in the window Disk management and find the USB drive that is not detected. It should appear here even if it is not in the folder "This computer", and match in size. Sometimes it is defined as "Removable device", but not always.

If you do not see your disk or flash drive even in Disk Management, then try the following:

Turn on the disk, if there is such a function. Some external hard drives have a separate power cable or are turned on using a separate key dedicated to this.
Connect the device to another USB port. Disconnect the flash drive from this USB port and connect it to another. Perhaps one of the USB ports on your computer has failed.
Connect the device to your computer without a USB hub. If the flash drive is connected to the computer via an extension cord or USB hub, try disconnecting it from it and connecting it directly to the computer. Perhaps the reason is in the hub.
Try another computer. Connect the flash drive to the USB port of another computer and see if it is recognized by it. If the device is also not detected by another computer, then most likely the problem lies with it.

Solving the problem

If the problem options described above do not apply to your case, then your problem can most likely be solved using one of the methods described below. Depending on what you find in Disk Management, there are options for solutions to the problem that has arisen with identifying an external storage medium.

If Windows sees the disk, but cannot read it, then this means that it has a file system that it does not support. In this case, the operating system will prompt you to format the disk before using it. But don't rush to do it! This will destroy all your data.

If other computers see the flash drive, but yours doesn’t

If other computers detect your USB drive, but yours does not, then most likely there is a problem with the device drivers.

To check this, open Device Manager and look for Disk devices And USB controllers. Look to see if these sections contain devices marked with a yellow exclamation mark. If there is such a device, right-click on it and select Properties. The properties will contain information about the error and driver status.

To fix the driver problem, right-click on the device, select Properties / Driver / Update.

If the disk is visible in Disk Management

If the disc is visible in Disk Management, but it does not have a letter, then it is for this reason that it may not appear in Windows Explorer. In order for the system to start displaying it in Explorer, such a drive must be assigned a letter.

To do this, right-click on it and select "Change drive letter or drive path". If there is no such item in the pop-up menu, this may be due to the absence or unsupported file system type of the storage medium.

In the menu that opens, you will see that the drive does not have a letter assigned - assign it. To do this, select Add / / Ok.

If the disk is visible in Disk Management, but it is not allocated

If the disc is visible in Disk Management, but it is not distributed, which means that it is not formatted. In order for such a disk to become operational, right-click on it and select "Create Simple Volume".

Select the maximum suggested partition size and assign a drive letter suggested by the system. After this, the disk will be normally detected by the system and ready for use.

If the disk is visible in Disk Management but cannot be formatted

If for some reason the disk cannot be formatted, then to restore its functionality, you can completely erase it and then re-create the partition.

Note. As a result of such manipulation, all data from the disk (as well as flash drives or memory cards) will be permanently deleted. Therefore, worry about their safety in advance - scan the disk or flash drive using Hetman Partition Recovery, and save your data in a convenient place.

To clean the disk, open Command line as administrator and clean it up using the command diskpart – "clean".

The computer does not see the flash drive because it is broken

If you connected a drive that is not displayed on the device, do not rush to immediately look for an error in the system. Perhaps the problem is hidden in the flash drive. Pay attention to its external condition: 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 other parts is broken. And as a result, the flash drive is not displayed.

And it happens that a flash drive can simply be “flooded” when it is in the outer pocket of a bag during rain. By the way, flash drives are almost always equipped with a diode that lights up when connected. If your indicator reacts, then try connecting the flash drive to another gadget, if, of course, such an opportunity exists.

The computer does not see the flash drive due to a faulty port

By the way, very common reason the fact that the flash drive is not visible means the port is broken. Over time, the inside begins to “loose” or may even burn out, which leads to a poor connection between devices or its complete absence. And yet, there are always several USB sockets on a PC/laptop, and it happens that not each one is responsible for the function of connecting to foreign drives. Therefore, test each port and do it better with several flash drives.

Driver failure is the reason why the flash drive is not visible

Any flash drive contains a driver in its memory. It always starts automatically when you connect the drive to the device. However, in Windows system As you know, there are failures and some settings are lost. To correct the situation, on the desktop, right-click on “My Computer” and go to “Properties”. Then click on “Device Manager”, and then on “USB Controllers”. A list of devices that were once connected via the USB port to the PC will appear in front of you.

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 its name. This is what we need to delete by right-clicking. Afterwards you need to remove the flash drive and insert it back. Such manipulations usually solve the problem that the computer does not see the flash drive.

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Classmates

Literally ten years were enough for USB storage devices to gain popularity all over the world. We use a flash drive every day, leaving disk media in the background. The benefits of flash drives are so great that even the once leading manufacturers of CDs gradually began to close their production. You can write information to a flash drive or, on the contrary, read information from it; the flash drive does not take up large quantity space and it is much stronger than a disk. The cost of the flash drive is quite attractive and does not break your pocket.

But despite the above advantages, it is worth talking about negative points use of flash media. There are times when very important information recorded on a flash drive becomes unreadable. What is the reason - a defective flash drive or a computer failure? When The computer does not see the flash drive, the user may lose access to all information stored on it. In order to restore the functionality of a flash drive, you must have special knowledge. In this material we will look in detail at the reasons why we will try to solve this problem.

Perhaps it’s worth starting by identifying the reasons why The flash drive is not visible on Windows:

The computer's power supply is faulty or there is excessive current on the USB port;

Other reasons why The flash drive is not visible on the computer .

Flash drive malfunction

For the user this is the reason why The flash drive is not visible on the computer is the worst, since it is not possible to repair, let alone return, lost information. If the flash drive chip is subjected to mechanical stress, an electrical short circuit occurs and the contacts of the USB connector are damaged, then these factors can become the main reasons why the flash drive breaks.

Define flash drive failure simple enough. First, visually inspect the device for mechanical damage: cracks, chips, etc. If the flash drive is completely broken, then you should come to terms with the loss and find a replacement. If you have doubts about its malfunction, then check it in action.

Connect the flash drive to the computer via a USB connector, after which the LED on the flash drive should light up (if there is one), and the characteristic sound of connecting the device should sound on the computer. If the light comes on and a sound is heard, then everything is fine - we are looking for the problem in another place. If this does not happen, then most likely the flash drive is faulty and its further operation does not make sense.

Of course, there will be a “Kulibin” who can fix it - replace the controller and solder it where necessary, but such an operation is not cheap and it would be more rational to buy a new flash drive. Repairing a flash drive can only be justified if it contains very important information. If no critical damage is found on the flash drive and there are signs of life, then it is worth trying the methods of restoring its functioning described below.

The computer's USB port is de-energized or faulty.

This is the reason why The computer does not see the flash drive most common among desktop computer users. Many people are accustomed (and it’s much more convenient) to connect a flash drive through the ports installed on the front panel system unit.

Sometimes, when assembling a system unit, the front panel is not connected to the power supply, so Computer USB port is disabled, which leads to the flash drive not being displayed on the computer, even if it is fully functional.

There are several ways to solve the problem. If you quickly need to retrieve information stored on a flash drive, you can connect it from the back of the system unit, but the front USB ports will also be disabled. This is not a solution to the problem, but only a temporary way out of the current situation. Therefore, it is worth resorting to the second method.

The second option considers USB connection ports to motherboard. Connectors may differ depending on the model of the system unit case. But you shouldn’t be scared, since each of them is marked and it won’t be so easy to make a mistake. Popular wire types include "VCC", "D+", "D-" and sometimes "GND". Be guided by the inscriptions, despite the coincidence of color markings (sometimes they are erroneous).

First gain access to the motherboard. To do this, you need to remove the housing cover by unscrewing the bolts from back side computer. Find the wires leading from the front panel and a connector identical to the wire on the motherboard.

We do not recommend connecting the front panel to the motherboard yourself - it is better to use the services of a specialist. If the connection is incorrect, this can lead to damage to the contacts and even failure of the device. If you decide to make the connection yourself, make sure you have instructions or a connection diagram for your motherboard model.

Computer USB port is disabled

Often The flash drive is not visible on the computer due to the USB port connector. This or that port may be inoperative due to damage to its contacts. In this case, not only will the flash drive not be visible, but also other devices connected through this USB port.

To fix this problem, you must be able to use a soldering iron and have knowledge of electrical engineering. If they are missing (and in 75% of cases they are not), then the service center will help you fix the USB connector, although for a fee.

If, when connected to all connectors, the flash drive shows no signs of life, then the problem does not lie with it at all. They may be trivial USB ports are disabled in BIOS settings.

To enable USB ports in the BIOS, you need to know how to enter its settings. In the first seconds of booting the PC, press the key responsible for calling up the menu (most often it is Del or F2, or another depending on the motherboard model). Usually from the bottom. When loading, the menu key is indicated.

Having entered the BIOS, go to [ Advanced Settings] ⇒ [ USB Configuration]

Use the arrows to select the line and set the value to allow the use of USB ports.

After enabling the USB ports, press F10 to save the settings and exit the BIOS.

Dirty USB port or USB flash drive connector

A flash drive is considered a mobile storage medium and is often stored in pockets, bags, or hung as a keychain on keys. In view of the constant mechanical movements Debris and dust accumulate in the connector. It’s difficult to call this phenomenon frequent, but it can damage a flash drive. Dust settles on the connector contacts and prevents good connection with a port on the computer. This causes the flash drive to freeze, slow data transfer speeds, and the inability to read information.

Take a cotton swab and remove all debris from the flash drive connector. Then soak the other end of the stick in alcohol solution and clean the contacts. This will get rid of debris and oxidation of the flash drive contacts.

Virus infection

IN modern world The security issue is most relevant for devices connected via a USB connector. By visiting this or that site on the Internet, you become a target for a huge number of viruses, and there’s no need to talk about downloading files.

Today, computer viruses have advanced so much in their development that they have learned to reproduce. Once on your computer, they infect more than one file on your hard drive or flash drive, and the number of infected files grows exponentially.

Due to viruses, most flash drives become inoperative. The computer does not see the flash drive, although there is sound characteristic of connecting a USB device. When trying to read information from an infected flash drive, an information message “Application not found” or “Removable media not found” appears.

To solve this problem, you need to install an antivirus on your PC and scan it. To gain access to files on a flash drive, you need to delete the file with the virus and run diagnostics on it. To do this, use the menu [ Start] in the search bar, enter “Show hidden files and folders."

Open the found item. In the Folder Options window that appears, do the following:

Uncheck the [Hide protected system files] option
Check the [Show hidden files, folders and drives] option

Be sure to apply the changes by clicking on the [Apply] button and click . Otherwise, the changes will not take effect.

Now go to [My Computer] and open the flash drive. There will be an “Autorun” file that needs to be deleted. Check the flash drive for viruses, any available antivirus program. We recommend using the Dr.WEB Cure It utility.

Now you can safely use the flash drive. There shouldn't be any problems with it. If after this, then the problem is most likely due to the lack of drivers, which are discussed below.

Missing, crashed or outdated drivers

A common problem in which The computer does not see the flash drive, is a failure or the use of outdated versions of drivers. The cause of driver failure, in turn, can be a normal power surge or spontaneous shutdown of the system. It is also worth noting that older PC models cannot work with flash drives larger than 32 GB. There is only one solution - updating the drivers.

Log in to [Device Manager] through [My Computer] or as we previously searched through the search for “Show hidden files and folders”, enter “Device Manager”.

Open [Device Manager], connect the USB flash drive to your computer and select [USB Controllers]. Right-click on [Storage Device] and click [Delete].

These steps will allow you to remove the drivers for the USB drive. After removing them, disconnect and reconnect the flash drive to the USB port of the computer to reinstallation drivers and solutions to the problem.

If the problem cannot be solved, then most likely you need to update all USB chipset drivers. This is quite easy to do - use the disk that came with your motherboard or the DriverPack program, which will mark those drivers for which an update is available and will download and install them if you allow it.

Having heard about the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 format, many users are stunned and doubt their actions. Don't be alarmed - everything is correct! Drivers for USB of the above formats are installed in the same way, and the only difference is in the speed of writing and reading information.

File system

Errors file system may be the reason why The flash drive is not visible on the computer. Let's see this for real?! Go to [Device Manager] using one of the methods described above. Select the [Disk Devices] tab and find your USB drive. If the flash drive is present in the list, then it is in good condition, but the file system does not perceive it at the proper level, and therefore it is not displayed in Explorer. In our case, the flash drive is shown in the list, therefore it is operational.

To solve the problem with the file system, you need to format the flash drive, but immediately take into account the consequences of this action, which we will consider below in another subsection of the material.

If your USB drive does not appear in [Device Manager], then most likely the reason why The flash drive is not visible on the computer lies in it itself - apparently it is faulty (the contact has become unsoldered, the chip has burned out). You can also use the services of a service center, but again this is not cheap and will be an irrational decision, unless, of course, very important documents are stored on it.

File system conflict

Sometimes, the information contained on a flash drive is not displayed due to a conflict between the file systems on the flash drive and the computer. A living example, a computer working with the NTFS file system may conflict with a flash drive working with the FAT32 system. In addition, this problem is typical not only for computers running Windows, but also for Mac OS operating systems. For example, you need to format the flash drive on your Mac and you select standard or ExFAT as the file system, therefore this flash drive cannot be read on a computer running Windows.

First you need to find a computer that uses a different file system and read the flash drive on it, then save important information, since after formatting all data will be deleted from the media.

The file system problem can only be solved by formatting the flash drive. Find out what file system your computer uses, then go to [My Computer] and right-click on the hard drive shortcut to open the context menu, in which click on [Properties].

The window that appears will present all the information about the disk space and the file system used. In our case it is NTFS. After this, we carry out the process of formatting the flash drive, choosing the same file system. Right-click on the flash drive's shortcut and select [Format].

In the small window, select the required file system and check the [Fast] attribute, then click [Start].

Many people are probably wondering why we recommend choosing [Quick] formatting? On the one hand, this significantly reduces the formatting process, and on the other hand, it is possible to restore some documents that were previously present on the flash drive, but this requires special programs. If you decide not to check the [Fast] attribute, then all information previously present on the flash drive will be deleted without the possibility of its recovery.

Very often, when you connect a flash drive (usually a new one) to your computer, the operating system informs you that in order to continue using the flash drive, you need to format it. It’s not a problem with a new flash drive, but what if a similar message appears when you connect a flash drive that already has data and this is not its first use? Moreover, the volume of the device is 0 - as if there is emptiness, even the absence of the drive itself, just a shell in the form of a label.

If this is not the first connection for a flash drive and there is data on it, then you should try connecting it to another PC; the reason may be in your operating system. Thus, you can check this option and save the necessary files from the media in advance. But whatever one may say, you will have to format the flash drive. In the paragraph above we examined in detail - how to format a flash drive.

Please note that before formatting, you need to find out the file system used on your PC and during the formatting process, specify the same one for the flash drive. Also, to be able to restore formatted data, set the [Fast] attribute. In this case, the process will take place only according to tables of contents, and all information will be subject to restoration. Of course, not without special programs.

The partition is occupied or the flash drive is using a letter occupied by the partition

There are often cases when a flash drive is incorrectly detected by the system. It seems like it’s not such a serious problem - the connection is displayed, there is a flash drive icon in the tray, but you can’t use it.

The error is that the system did not specify a letter for the partition under which your flash drive is listed or assigned a letter that was already occupied, thereby creating an address conflict.

To solve the problem with assigning letters to sections, you need to set them manually yourself. It's quite easy to do! Follow the instructions below.

First, open the [Run] window by going to the [Start] menu or pressing the key combination +R.

Enter the command in the search bar diskmgmt.msc, which will open the Disk Management window.

The disk manager will open, in which you need to find our flash drive. To do this, reconnect the flash drive, and we will need the partition that disappears and appears again in the future.

In our case, the USB drive is the section underlined in the image above. In addition, he is assigned a different type of badge. Right-click on it and select [Change letter] in the context menu.

After this, a small window will open, in which click [Change] and then .

Another one should open small window, in which you have to select a drive letter. After selecting a letter, press .

It is very important to know that before changing the partition letter, you need to make sure that it is accessible. Look in advance which letters are already reserved by the system. Sometimes it is not possible to fix the problem because the occupied letter changes to another occupied one. After all, it is possible that by creating a partition for a flash drive and assigning a letter to it F, this letter will already be occupied by the local disk.

Faulty power supply

Excessive current flow to the USB port or a faulty power supply may cause The flash drive is not visible on the computer. Let's start in order: the power supply draws energy from the electrical network, then converts it and distributes it to all nodes of the computer. Each power supply has its own parameters and its own power limit. By the way, a power supply with a power of 400W will not produce 800W, therefore the entire system must consume a balanced amount of energy.

For example, if you replaced any board or circuit on your computer, this may be the reason why the system does not see the flash drive. Most likely, this part consumes much more energy than its predecessor; therefore, some computer node simply does not receive energy. Therefore, this “some” node is the USB port of the computer. It is worth taking into account the power consumption parameters of your PC in advance, and if you still encounter this kind of problem, you will have to replace the power supply with a higher power one.

Low power supply power is not the only reason why The flash drive is not visible on the computer. Sometimes it happens that the power supply is simply faulty, i.e. either it is completely burned out or produces less energy than stated. In the first case, the computer will not show any signs of life; in the second, there will be a malfunction of some computer component. This problem can only be solved by repairing the power supply, but we still recommend its complete replacement.

Recently this problem expanded a little. The fact is that various USB devices have begun to gain popularity, such as mug warming mats, wireless mice, keyboards, lamps and others. Moreover, many are accustomed to charging their phone via USB on a computer. In addition to all this, you want to connect a USB flash drive. But here you will fail. The reason is that there is an energy overload on the USB ports, i.e. devices connected via USB consume the maximum possible amount of current and therefore you will not be able to connect anything else. The solution to this problem is obvious - disconnect one or more devices to connect the necessary ones.

Windows XP does not see the flash drive

There are many reasons why Windows XP does not recognize the flash drive. Moreover, the reason may lie in the flash drive, in the system itself, and even in the hardware of the system unit.

In the case when The flash drive is not visible in Windows XP, this problem can be solved by making adjustments in the settings. It is advisable to carry out this process manually, although the Internet is replete with many utilities for these needs.

If the flash drive itself is still faulty, then it is recommended to try to save the data stored on it in any way and buy a new drive.

When The computer does not detect the flash drive, the following notifications will pop up:

When the USB drive is connected to the computer and you want to read data from it, the “Insert disk” message appears.
The flash drive needs to be formatted.
A notification appears indicating that the data cannot be read.
The system freezes when connecting a flash drive to the computer.

This section of the article will discuss several common reasons why Windows XP does not see the flash drive and given detailed instructions to solve this problem. Just read the description of the error carefully and, if it is similar to yours, follow the instructions. If the instructions for one reason or another are not suitable, and The flash drive is not visible on Windows XP, it’s worth trying the next item of material, and so on until the problem is resolved. First, you need to determine whether the flash drive is working properly. As we already wrote above, this is indicated by the LED (if available) on the flash drive. If it blinks, lights up or glows, then the problem is most likely not with the USB drive, but with the system itself. It is also worth considering that when you connect a flash drive to a computer, the system emits a kind of sound notifying you that the device is connected.

It’s worth trying to change the connection port of the flash drive, and best case scenario connect it to another computer, since there is a high probability that the port or system of the computer is faulty. Let's say you connected a flash drive to a port and the system started to freeze a lot. This means that the USB port is faulty and it is advisable not to use it.

When using a USB hub or extension cable, it may be that The computer does not see the flash drive. In this case, the problem is hidden in the USB hub or extension cable. You can use the services of service centers or repair the device yourself. Sometimes minimal knowledge in electrical engineering is enough to solder several contacts that may have come loose.

It is worth noting that the problem may be hidden in the insufficient amount of current supplied to the USB port. To make your “diagnosis” more convincing, disconnect all USB devices from the computer, except the main ones (mouse and keyboard). If and in this situation The flash drive will become visible on Windows XP, then the problem is precisely because of the power supply, which we wrote about above. You can get rid of this problem by replacing the power supply. An alternative to purchasing a power supply can be a USB hub, which has its own power source.

If, after disconnecting auxiliary USB devices, the problem could not be solved, then the power supply may still be the cause, as well as an outdated USB port. In other words, old-style laptops cannot open flash drives larger than 32 GB. The only way to solve the problem is to buy modern computer or laptop.

Sometimes users connect a flash drive through the front panel of the computer and it not visible on Windows XP. Therefore, the USB ports are not connected to the motherboard or the power supply capacity is not enough to power them. Above we looked at the process of connecting the front panel of the computer to a power source.

In Windows XP, the flash drive is not visible due to errors

Due to errors in the operating system, Windows XP may not see the flash drive. For example, the Windows SP2 build does not contain software packages or updates that ensure full functioning of USB devices. You also need to take into account the fact that only one USB port can work a certain amount devices.

How to solve this problem? It is enough to update the assembly to SP3 and install the required updates. This procedure is simple and even an ordinary PC user can handle it. He is required to perform a few mouse clicks, and the system will automatically download and install updates. Well, let's get started? There are two ways to solve the problem: download the update from the Windows Update service (support has ended) or install it from a flash drive or disk. First, check the version of the package installed on your system.

Right-click the [My Computer] shortcut and select [Properties]. The window that appears will provide information about the system.

To install SP3, allow the system to automatically check for and download updates. Go to [Control Panel] and open .

After the operations have been completed, the system will automatically begin searching for updates and notify you about the need to install all components at once or individual components. If you don’t know which updates are responsible for what, then it is advisable to update everything at once.

Once the update is complete, the system must reboot to apply the settings. There will be a notification about this, in which you need to click and wait complete installation. After this, you can fully use the flash drive on Windows XP.

For those who still decide to choose the updates themselves and not download everything at once, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list that will guide you in the right direction:

KB925196 - if the flash drive or iPad is incorrectly identified;
KB312370 (2007) - includes USB 2.0 support;
KB968132 - corrects errors when connecting multiple USB drives;
KB871233 - fixes a problem where the flash drive is not visible in the system after resuming from sleep mode;
KB88740 - fixes Rundll32.exe error;
KB895962 - fixes an error due to which the computer does not see the flash drive after turning off the printer;
KB817900 - USB problem port, after removing and reconnecting the flash drive;
KB314634 - connecting only old-style USB devices.

Windows XP does not see the flash drive due to a driver conflict

Sometimes Windows XP does not see the flash drive due to driver conflict. It happens that old drivers cause errors in the system and, moreover, they can block the work of fresh drivers. An example of such a situation can be described as follows: you are trying to connect a flash drive to your computer, and the system, in turn, notifies you of an error and asks you to insert the disk. Otherwise, it starts to freeze or assign a letter to the flash drive that is already occupied by the partition.

What is the reason for such errors? For example, you have two USB drives and you connected one of them to your computer. The system will automatically begin installing drivers, after which you loaded the data onto the flash drive or downloaded information from the flash drive, and then disconnected the device. Then you connect a second flash drive, and the system gives you an error. This behavior means that the system issues a previously installed kernel driver for working with this flash drive, although they are incompatible.

Reinstalling drivers for USB devices on Windows XP

You can solve the above problems by reinstalling drivers for USB devices manually or automatically. But first, a little theory: the system may mistakenly provide a driver for one USB device to operate another. To eliminate this situation, remove all drivers for USB drives and reinstall them.

This problem is usually accompanied by the error “USB device not recognized” or a system freeze in which problems occur. various processes, blocking access to the flash drive.

Using the DriveCleanup utility

To remove all USB device drivers, you can use the DriveCleanup program. Why her? The DriveCleanup utility first searches for installed drivers throughout the system and only then removes them.

First, turn off your computer and disconnect all USB devices to avoid program conflicts in the future. Turn on the computer again and download the DriveCleanup program (link below). The program can run in all versions of Windows, regardless of the system bit depth. We offer exclusively fresh and free version DriveCleanup.

Now all that remains is to run the program as an administrator (right-click on the shortcut) and it will automatically start searching for drivers and prepare them for removal.

Automatic installation of USB drivers

After you remove all drivers from the system, for the continued functioning of USB devices, a new driver package must be installed on your computer. To do this, you just need to connect the USB device to your computer, and the system will install the drivers automatically. When you connect the flash drive to your computer, the system will notify you with a window in the tray about the driver installation process. Please note that some systems hide this notification from the user. The main thing is that within a few minutes, the drivers will be completely installed, and the USB device will be available for use.

Installing USB drivers manually

Manual installation of drivers involves installing them from a third-party resource, for example, from the Internet. To avoid driver conflicts, we will install them using another PC.

We connect our problematic flash drive to another computer on which it is recognized. Please note that Windows versions were the same. Through a search, we find two files in the system that need to be transferred to a computer on which the flash drive is not visible.

%SystemRoot%\INF\usbstor.inf

%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\drivers\usbstor.sys

They should be placed in the same folder as on the other computer with confirmation that the files have been replaced. Then we reboot the system. After this, the flash drive should appear on this computer.

Other Possible Causes

We considered only the most popular reasons why a flash drive is not visible on a computer. In general, there are a huge number of them, but their appearance is not so frequent. There are also situations in which the computer does not see the flash drive, which are displayed by other system messages.

System message "Insert disk"

When drivers overlap and interfere with each other, an error occurs accompanied by the “Insert disk” notification. To solve this, remove all drivers for the flash drive and reinstall them. We wrote about how to do this a little higher.

System message about the need to format the disk

Above we wrote in detail how to format a USB drive. The message itself appears when the flash drive is used for the first time on this computer or there is some malfunction in its operation. Also, you will not see its contents and the amount of free/used space.

System data error message

There are three reasons why this error occurs. Flash drive failure, driver conflict or file system conflict. It is enough to reinstall the drivers or perform a quick (to be able to recover lost data) formatting. All these solutions have been described in detail in the relevant paragraphs of the article above.

System hangs when connecting a flash drive

We have already raised this issue above, but it is still worth considering this error in more detail. Its occurrence is due to one of two reasons:

A driver conflict has occurred;
The USB port is faulty.

To find out what exactly is the reason for you, connect the flash drive to another port and if the hang continues, the reason is in the drivers. Above are instructions and recommendations for reinstalling drivers.

The indicator lights up, but the computer does not see the flash drive

Most likely, one of the contacts on the flash drive, which is responsible for data transfer, was damaged. It can also be assumed that the drivers conflict or the system assigned a letter to the flash drive that is already occupied by another partition. Try connecting it to another computer and if the problem reappears, make sure the partition is accessible. If this is not the case, then reinstall the drivers (deleting the old ones first) and the flash drive will become operational.

Error 43

An error like this automatically blocks access to reading information from a flash drive. Therefore, you will not be able to obtain the data. There are several reasons why Error 43 appears:

Faulty flash drive (check this by connecting it to another computer);
The hardware configuration has been updated (in Task Manager, roll back to an earlier driver version);
Driver conflict (instructions for solution are described above).

Conclusion

Perhaps this is where we should end interesting material, in which you studied the reasons why The flash drive is not visible on the computer. All the instructions and recommendations described above will certainly help to cope with the current problem. When The computer does not see the flash drive- this does not mean that you need to throw away the device (of course, if it is faulty). Sometimes this problem can be solved without much effort. Leave comments, share your recommendations - let's make the computer display the flash drive together!

Usually the suspects in this case are software failures and incorrect settings operating system, outdated drivers, malfunctions of computer USB ports, adapters or drives themselves.

Depending on the reasons, the problem manifests itself differently in each case. It happens that the computer does not react at all to the flash drive or hard drive. In other situations, the sound of connecting a new device is heard, but the drive icon does not appear in Explorer. And sometimes the computer simply freezes immediately after contact with the USB device.

What to do if your Windows computer does not see a flash drive or external hard drive

First, figure out what exactly the problem is with: the computer, the adapter (if the connection is via a cable) or the drive. Try connecting the USB device through other ports. If this does not help and you are using a cable, try replacing it with a spare one. If unsuccessful, check whether the drive opens on other computers.

If the device works on another PC or you do not have the opportunity to check it

Connect your hard drive or flash drive to your computer and follow these steps in order. If the first does not help, move on to the next and so on.

If the other PC also does not see the drive or all of the above tips did not help

In this case, most likely the problem is in the drive itself.

If you have a flash drive rather than a hard drive, you can use special utilities to fix software errors. Such software can usually be found on the manufacturer's website. For example, the JetFlash Online Recovery program is for Transcend drives. And USB Flash Drive Online Recovery is for ADATA brand flash drives. But keep in mind that during the recovery process, these utilities erase all data from flash drives.

If none of the above helps, then there is probably a physical problem. hard drive or flash drives. Then it is better to show the device to a specialist or return it to the store under warranty.

What to do if Mac does not see a flash drive or external hard drive

On Apple computers, the verification procedure is slightly different, but follows approximately the same algorithm. We will assume that you have already tried restarting the computer, disconnecting and connecting the flash drive, and also made sure that the connection is reliable. If this does not help, you need to do the following:

Open the built-in disk tool (Programs → Utilities → Disk Utility) and check if the problematic flash drive is displayed there. If the drive is still visible, try it by clicking the “Erase” button and reconnect it. Keep in mind that all data from the flash drive will be permanently deleted.

Mac diagnostic software provides detailed information about all software and hardware components on your computer, including USB devices. Open the Apple menu, then hold down the Option key, click "System Information" and go to the USB section in the menu that opens.

If the flash drive is there, then the problem lies in the software and you can try to restore the disk by referring to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If there is no information about the flash drive, then the matter is a physical malfunction, and you should contact the store or service center, if repair makes sense.

(2 votes, average: 3,00 out of 5)

Today, you practically cannot find a person who does not have a flash drive in his arsenal. This device is a universal thing and is used everywhere. On TVs, stereo systems, cars and other devices. The more often we use a flash drive, the faster it deteriorates and the computer stops finding it. In this article I want to tell you several ways to fix the problem of an “unreadable” flash drive.

Case one

Insert the flash drive into the USB port on the back. If it doesn’t help, then unfortunately your flash drive is dead.

Case four

You insert the flash drive into the USB port, and it asks you to format it. I'm afraid that in this case you will have to format it, or else it won't work. This could happen if the flash drive was not removed correctly or it was removed during copying, preventing the process from being completed.

Case five

USB device not recognized. There is no need to panic in this case; the cause may be dust or dirt that has stuck to the contact ports. Try inserting the flash drive into another port - it doesn’t read? There are two options: either reinstall Windows or the driver, but it’s better to try the second option - you shouldn’t reinstall Windows right away.

Well, that's all, I have listed the most basic problems that occur when the computer does not see the flash drive.