And allows you to quickly save important files and text documents. However, sometimes users are faced with the fact that the flash drive is not displayed on the computer. What to do in this situation? What could be causing this kind of problem?
It should be borne in mind that sometimes the computer stops seeing removable media, even if there were no problems with it before. In some situations, the PC does not display the contents of the folders, and sometimes it does not “see” at all that the device is connected. Finding themselves in such a situation, each user asks himself a completely logical question: “Why is my flash drive not displayed on my computer?” Some begin to panic, worried that all saved data will now be lost. But do not despair prematurely. First you need to calmly deal with the causes of the problem. There may be several of them.
Typically, stationary system units have several ports for connecting USB media at once. Some of them are located on the front of the "system unit", and they quite often stop working correctly.
In this case, you need to try inserting the USB flash drive into the slot located on the back of the computer. If there are no corresponding ports, then you need to check the headphone outlet, which is usually also located on the front system block. If soundtrack does not play, then the problem is due to a mechanical malfunction of the connectors. Another explanation is that they were not originally connected to motherboard PC. Developers very often make this mistake in the production of "systems".
In addition, if the computer is via USB, then this may indicate that too little power is supplied to the connector, which is why the media is constantly turning on and off. This is due to the mistakes of developers, who do not always place the cables as tightly as possible in the right grooves.
If the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder for these reasons, then it will be difficult to deal with the problem on your own. Much easier to contact service center or return the faulty system unit to the seller.
If the problem is not related to a lack of power or improper operation of the connectors, then it is worth considering other causes of non-working removable media.
Each USB flash drive has software installed by default, which should be automatically activated when the device is connected to a PC. However, Windows 7 does not always install the driver correctly. This is where the most common reason why a flash drive is not displayed in "My Computer" appears.
To fix this problem, you need to go to the "Device Manager". You can do this in two ways:
If everything is done correctly, a new window will open with a list of all connected devices and a report on their work. In this list, you need to find "USB controllers". There will be a "+" sign next to the inscription. You need to click on it and see if there is an exclamation mark in front of any of the devices.
If any of the drivers does not work correctly, then you need to right-click on it and select "Update". After that, the system will try to find the right software on its own.
If this does not happen and the computer, then the necessary drivers can be installed manually. To do this, you need to go to the website of the manufacturer of the removable drive and download current version BY. After that, you can either run the file directly from the downloads folder, or go to the "Device Manager" again and specify the path to the folder where the necessary drivers are located.
If the computer has stopped seeing the flash drive, you can use other methods to solve this trouble.
This method is not suitable in cases where the device is not detected by the system at all. If the computer sees the flash drive, but does not open the files stored on it, then in this case Windows itself will help solve the problem.
To use the standard troubleshooting tools, you need to remove the USB flash drive and reinsert it. After that, the system usually notifies that it was not possible to install the software for the device and offers to try to solve the problem.
If such a function is not available on your computer, do not despair. To do this, go to the official Microsoft website and download the necessary utility. After that, run it and click the "Next" button. The program will automatically start diagnosing and fixing possible faults. As a result, the utility will report the verdict and offer several options for solving the problem to choose from. The user only needs to follow the recommendations of the program.
In some cases standard means Troubleshooting issues a report indicating that no problems were found. This means that the functionality of the utility was not enough to work. It may also be a sign that the problem lies in the removable drive itself.
Sometimes the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder for a number of other reasons.
Virus and spyware can also affect the correct operation of the system. In this case, errors like "Access Denied" most often appear on the screen. This means that viruses and trojans have damaged the original device driver and replaced several files on it.
To solve this problem, you need to go to the "Computer" and in address bar enter the name of the flash drive (usually it is some latin letter), followed by the characters ":\". Next, you need to press Enter. The next step will most likely open an empty folder. To make its files visible, just go to the autorun directory. To do this, select "Service" and go to "Properties", after which a new window will open.
In it you need to find the "View" tab and scroll the slider to the very bottom. Finding "Hide files", you need to uncheck that option and activate visibility hidden files. After that, it is enough to confirm the operation, and all the necessary files should appear in the folder of the flash drive. However, that's not all. The fact is that after these manipulations in the "My Computer" folder, the flash drive does not appear anyway, this is due to the fact that the file affected by the virus has not yet been deleted.
To get rid of it, you need to find a document called autorun.inf and delete it. After that, it remains only to scan the system for possible malware. It is possible that residual virus files may be present on the computer.
If nothing helped and the flash drive is not visible to the phone and computer, then you can try to do more complex manipulations.
You can also try disconnecting all devices from the computer and restarting the PC. After that, you need to scan it for viruses, turn the device off and on again, and only then connect the USB flash drive. The fact is that the virus may not be on the PC itself, but on some additional device connected to it, so they need to be disabled.
If the device is not visible not only on the PC, but also on the smartphone, then the problems can be more serious. As a rule, in this case, a message appears on the monitor stating that the disk being installed needs to be formatted. When starting to fulfill the requirements of the system, you need to understand that this operation will destroy absolutely all data from removable media. But along with the necessary documents, malicious or incorrect software will also be deleted.
To activate this process, just click on "Format" and wait until the system cleans the flash drive.
To start the formatting process manually, just perform the following manipulations:
There are other reasons that are responsible for the fact that the flash drive is not displayed in the My Computer folder.
This happens when, for some reason, the system cannot recognize the name of the flash drive. The fact is that several disks can be installed on a computer. If the user has given one of them the name "K", and at the same time the same index is set on the removable media by default, then this will fail. Solving such a problem is very simple.
To do this, go to the "Control Panel" and make a selection by category (it will be more convenient). After that, you need to find the administration panel and select "Computer Management". In this case, all manipulations must be carried out exclusively on behalf of the administrator. Otherwise, all operations will be in vain, since the system will not accept the changes made.
There are 3 categories in the administration panel. From them you need to select "Memory devices". After opening a new window, a list of all disks registered in the system will be displayed on the right. This list will also include an unnamed device - this is a flash drive, whose name "did not please" the OS.
To correct this small oversight, it is enough to assign the drive new index. To do this, right-click on the unnamed flash drive and select "Change letter".
After that on the monitor laptop computer a new window will appear, and the system will offer to change the letter. For a flash drive, it is not recommended to use the letter "A", as it only applies to floppy disks. For the same reason, you should not use the symbol "B". Index "C" is usually assigned to the main system partition hard drive. The letter "D" is responsible for the second logical partition, so it also does not fit.
All other characters can be safely used for the drive.
Continuing to figure out why the flash drive is not visible on the computer and how to solve this problem, it is worth considering a few more options.
All kinds of splitters are often used for USB ports. Such wires very often fail. The same thing happens to them that constantly happens to headphones - the contacts move away or break, which makes it impossible to use the accessory correctly.
This can happen if too many devices were connected to the PC at the same time. In this case, it is recommended to try connecting the flash drive directly to the computer. If it works correctly, then the whole thing is in the extension cord. It's also worth trying the splitter with another device to see if it works.
However, sometimes it happens that even after all these manipulations, the computer does not see the USB flash drive. What to do in this situation? Don't despair. Perhaps the removable drive slots are simply disabled.
Sometimes sellers, for unknown reasons, disable connectors using "fine" system settings. Perhaps this is done so that buyers turn to them for paid services. However, you can handle everything on your own.
To do this, you need to go into the BIOS. After that, you need to go to the section responsible for the controllers and activate the connectors if they are actually disabled. Usually, desired settings located in the Advanced section. To enable the controllers, just use the arrows on the keyboard to select Enable next to the USB Controllers line. Then just press F10 to save your changes. After that, it remains only to boot the computer in normal mode.
There is also a simpler explanation why Windows computer does not see the flash drive via USB.
A miniature device could fall to the floor or into the water. From impact, its fragile parts are very easily damaged.
To check the performance of the flash drive, just insert it into the appropriate slot on the PC. If the indicator light on the drive does not turn on and the computer does not make a characteristic “you-duck”, then the accessory may be damaged.
In this case, it will be very difficult to “reanimate” the flash drive on your own. Of course, you can try to take it to a service center where a specialist can restore the data. That is why it is better not to store information on only one miniature media. Also, experts recommend saving important data not on flash drives, but on removable hard drives. They break much less often and last longer.
If a user has purchased a flash drive from popular manufacturers Kingston, Verbatium and others, then you should familiarize yourself with the software offered by these companies. If you look at their official websites, you can find specialized utilities there that will help you quickly restore the device. You can also search the Internet for something else from other manufacturers.
However, you should not download such programs from sites that are not related to the company that manufactures flash drives. In this case, you can get dangerous malware on your computer.
Knowing why the computer does not see the flash drive, what to do and how to solve this problem, you can try to deal with it yourself. However, in the future it is worth making it a rule to use several drives at once. This is the only way to be sure that important data and files will not be lost in the most unexpected way. this moment. It is also recommended to clean the PC registry in a timely manner and check it for viruses. Some of them may be in system files. Therefore, do not forget about the security of the OS.
USB flash drive is a compact and convenient device for storing files. Like any equipment, it is prone to failures and breakdowns - both hardware and software. If the computer does not see the flash drive, you can usually deal with the problem yourself. We list the possible reasons why the USB drive is not displayed or not readable, and the ways to solve them as soon as possible.
When a flash drive is not detected, it is convenient to carry out primary diagnostics with a utility from Microsoft. All possible problems it will not solve, but it can eliminate common errors.
Download from the official site and run if your drive is not recognized. The utility is suitable for Windows 7 - 10.
If the utility does not figure out why the computer does not see the inserted USB flash drive, go to self verification. Start with the USB ports - they may be faulty or not enabled. If you inserted the drive into the port on the front of the system unit, move it back or try the adjacent slot. Along the way, check the contacts of the USB connector of the flash drive - if small debris gets on them, the device is not readable on the computer. Clean the dust with a toothpick, wipe the contacts with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
If the laptop does not see the USB flash drive, the reason may be the insufficient power of the power supply. When too much equipment is connected via USB to the PC - mouse, keyboard, removable HDD, a smartphone on recharging - there is not enough power for everything, and the system does not recognize the next device. In this case, just unplug the extra devices and re-insert the drive.
If the computer does not recognize the flash drive and other USB devices in any of the ports, USB is disabled in the BIOS settings. To access to change them, restart the PC, at the beginning of the boot, press the keys to enter the BIOS.
The desired combination will be written on the screen, usually F2. In the BIOS, go to the "Advanced" tab, click on "USB Configuration". In the "USB Controller" item, set the value to "Enables". Press F10 to save settings and exit.
When a flash drive is detected, but not readable, it stands. If you recently inserted the drive into someone else's computer or laptop, it could host a virus. Then the system will connect your USB device, and when you try to copy files, it will give an error "Application not found" or "Access denied".
In order for the antivirus to gain full access to the drive, check if it has an autorun file replaced by a virus. To do this, open the flash drive in "Explorer", the option to show "Hidden Items" must be enabled so that all items are visible.
The option is enabled on the top panel of the "Explorer" or in the folder options. If you find a virus autorun.inf file, delete it immediately, then run an antivirus scan.
If your computer has stopped seeing the USB flash drive, and in other PCs it is perfectly detected, deal with the drivers. Open the "Device Manager" through the properties of the "My Computer" shortcut. In the list of USB controllers, find the USB flash drive - if there is a yellow triangle next to it with exclamation mark, right-click on the name and select "Remove device". Remove the drive from the computer connector and insert, the drivers will be installed again.
If that couldn't, download and install new USB drivers from the computer or laptop motherboard manufacturer's website. If you do not see a USB device in the manager, remove it and insert it again, while the list will disappear and the desired line will appear.
Sometimes a driver conflict occurs - when the system tries to use a driver for another similar storage device for your drive, so the computer does not see the flash drive in any way. What can be done in such a situation? You should remove information about previously connected USB devices from the OS. Programs and DriveCleanup compatible with Windows 7 - 10 can do this.
USBOblivion will create and remove USB mount points. After the end of its work, restart the computer and check if the system can recognize the flash drive.
Sometimes the computer detects a flash drive, but incorrectly. When you do this, you hear the normal sound of turning on the USB drive, an alert pops up, and a tray icon appears, but you can't use the device. The computer does not recognize removable media because the OS assigned it the wrong partition letter already occupied by other hardware. There is an address conflict, and the flash drive does not work.
What to do in such a situation? If the computer does not see the flash drive, open the Disk Management utility. To quickly find it, hold down Win + R and type diskmgmt.msc. In the list of disks, pay attention to the "Status" parameter for the desired device. If there is “Healthy”, right-click on it, in the menu, click on “Make Partition Active” - if the item is available.
To set the partition to the correct symbol, select "Change Drive Letter...". In the new window, allow access to the device and click "Edit". From the list of letters of the English alphabet, specify any to assign to the section. Just make sure which letters are already used for naming devices and don't use the first A, B, C, D, by default they are for floppy disks and hard disk partitions.
If the "Status" field is "Unknown", then the flash drive has stopped working due to damage. Try to recover data to save it.
When you turn on a new removable drive in your PC, the system will prompt you to format it. The volume of the device is displayed as 0 MB, as if Windows 10 or 7 does not see the flash drive.
The formatting procedure is useful in case of a file system conflict. If the computer is using FAT32 and the USB device is using NTFS, it will be difficult to read the files. If the drive already contains data, find a PC with a similar file system and copy all the information to it.
On your computer, open File Explorer. Right-click on the flash drive, in the menu go to "Format". In a new window, install the desired file system, check the “Quick” checkbox below - this will not only speed up the process, but will also help you recover data later if you could not copy it. After formatting, reconnect and check the device.
If Windows XP is installed on the PC, sometimes the flash drive is not recognized due to lack of updates. SP2 lacks components for USB devices to work properly, so please upgrade to SP3 and install the latest patches from Microsoft.
Open the properties of the "My Computer" icon, if you see Service Pack 2 in the OS information - allow automatic update. Run windows update, wait for the installation of new system components.
We figured out what to do if your computer or laptop does not see the flash drive. There can be several reasons for the problem, check the most common ones from our list in order to eliminate them and use the drive.
Sometimes at the most inopportune moment, when it is urgently necessary to transfer information from a USB flash drive to a PC, the computer refuses see new device. It's about causes We will try to describe this problem and its solutions in detail in our article.
Hardware failures
So if your computer does not seeUSBflash drive, then the first thing to do when a problem is found is to check the health of the USB flash drive and USB connector. A properly functioning device connected to a working port will have a steady blinking indicator light. If the indicator blinks, but the computer still does not recognize the USB flash drive, then the problem should be looked for in the operating system.
nutritional deficiency
Quite often, a flash drive does not function when connected to a port located on block front panel. It happens that such connectors are simply not connected to the main power supply, and sometimes they receive insufficient power. In this situation, you should try to connect the device to a free port on the back of the computer.
The flash drive may not work. in case of power failure. This happens when there is excessive current overload in the USB ports or USB hub, or when the power supply is malfunctioning. In addition, it happens that the computer does not see the flash drive because it is too large, but as a rule this is rare.
Flash drive failure
If after doing all previous actions the computer is still can't see flash drive, then the reason may be in the device itself. Should try connect it to another computer. If the USB memory does not function on other PCs, then it is safe to say that it is faulty. It should be referred to the diagnosis to a competent specialist.
It is possible to repair a flash drive, however, very often repairs are more expensive than the cost. Therefore, it is worth repairing the device with a strong need. In other cases, it is cheaper to buy a new drive.
BIOS settings
The problem is sometimes hidden in the settings of the operating system. For example, computer does not recognize flash drive if not activated USB support through the BIOS. When the setting in the BIOS is done, a message may appear that says " USB device not recognized". This may be due to the reasons discussed below.
The flash drive is automatically assigned a busy letter
A very common problem is when the system assigns an already occupied drive letter to the device. You can troubleshoot in this way:
It happens that computer does not recognize usb flash drive because required ones are missing or outdated. In this case, updating the motherboard drivers will help. The name of her model can be viewed through the Everest program. driver should download from the official website of the developer.
Missing USB driver
Sometimes there is no special driver on the computer and it is for this reason that the computer does not see the flash drive wherever we put it. You need to check such a guess in the following way:
Viruses in the system
Sometimes viruses in the operating system affect the correct functioning of the flash drive. In this case, you need to scan your computer antivirus program And .
File system incompatibilities
Another reason why the computer does not see the USB flash drive may be that the computer fails read file system. This most often occurs when a file is installed on the flash drive. FAT system. Need to try to execute devices per system NTFS or FAT32.
As you can see, incorrect operation of a flash drive can be caused by hardware or software problems. That is why in every separate case iterate over different variants reasons.
What to do if the computer does not see the flash drive? Removable drives and HDDs should be extremely easy to use. But sometimes it happens that after connecting an external USB device to a personal computer with an operating Windows system it is categorically unrecognizable. If the computer does not see the flash drive, then this may be due to problems with partitions on the removable drive, using the wrong file system, faulty connectors, outdated drivers, or other reasons.
Below in the text, as well as at the end of the article, you can watch a video why the computer does not see a removable drive. Perhaps from it you will learn or understand more than from the article.
If the PC does not see the flash drive through "My Computer", then, in the worst case, this may mean that the removable drive is out of order and can no longer be restored. Pocket flash drives and large external HDD work on an identical principle, so the tips listed below are relevant for both types of devices.
What to do if the laptop does not see the flash drive? First of all, you need to find out if the drive is displayed in the disk management manager. Windows Explorer should automatically detect a removable device when it's connected via a USB port. Insert a disc into the slot. In some cases, to activate an external device, you must press a special button or lever on it. Heavy removable HDDs, unlike flash drives, can even be connected to the mains using a separate power cable, so the computer may not see external drive if it is disabled.
Now you need to open the disk management tool. To do this, press the key combination Win + R, enter diskmgmt.msc in the line that appears and confirm with Enter. Now we can see the external drive in the control window. It should appear here even if it doesn't have sections.
If you see a device here that is not readable, then you can immediately start formatting it so that windows explorer And various devices could access it. If the netbook did not detect the flash drive, then go to the next section, in which we will try to determine why the drive is not recognized.
Now we need to somehow get Windows Explorer to recognize external drive. It may not be recognized due to a hardware issue with the computer's USB port. Other possible causes could be incorrectly installed drivers or physical breakdown flash drives.
What to do when the computer does not see the flash drive? First, you need to disconnect the drive from one USB port and try to connect it to another. If the removable drive worked in the new slot, it means that the problem was in the failure of the previous one. In case you are using a USB extension cable, try unplugging it and connecting the flash drive to your computer directly. Such cables sometimes cannot provide a removable device with enough power to operate.
If Windows 7 does not see the flash drive in the disk management tool, even after you have connected it to a different connector on the laptop, then the malfunction may be both in the flash drive itself and in the PC. If there is another computer nearby, then you need to try connecting the drive to it to see if it detects it. If the flash drive refused to work on several computers, then it most likely has outlived its usefulness and must be disposed of. But before making such a sad conclusion, it is imperative to check whether the removable device appears in the disk management window on other computers.
If the drive works on other PCs, or you don't have additional computers that can be used, you need to check the relevance installed drivers. This is done using Device Manager. To open it, press the key combination Win + R, enter devmgmt.msc in the opened line and confirm with Enter.
In the list of devices that appears, you need to carefully check all disks for the presence of an icon in the form of a yellow exclamation mark. If such a symbol was found, then the problem lies in the drivers. We right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark, select "Properties" and look at the error message. It should help you solve the problem as it can be copied to a string Google search to find feedback from other users experiencing a similar issue.
Problems like this can be difficult to fix. If the computer does not see the drive relatively recently, then you can try running System Restore. But it's best to use the "Update Driver" button to install latest version necessary software. You can try clicking "Roll back driver", in the hope that it previous version will be workable. It is also allowed to use the "Delete" button to external device disappeared from the system's field of vision until the computer was restarted. It also happens that when repeated Windows startup flash drive suddenly becomes working.
If the computer does not see the USB flash drive, then the Disk Management tool can be used to fix partition and file system problems. If you see that the disk is partitioned and full of unallocated space, then you can create a new partition on it. Because of this, Windows and others OS can work with a flash drive.
We right-click inside the unallocated space, select "New Simple Partition" and follow the program's further instructions. If the drive is divided into parts, but still not displayed, you need to check if it is assigned a specific letter. Usually this should happen automatically, but in some cases manual input may be required. We right-click on the partition of the removable disk, select "Change letter" and enter any free letter. For example, you can write "G:", and in the future the drive on the computer will be called that way.
If the disk is partitioned, but XP does not see the flash drive, then it is not certain that the partitioning was done using the correct file system. For example, a flash drive can be formatted with ext4 for Linux (Linux) or HFS Plus for Mac (Mac). In this case, Windows 10 does not see the flash drive, because such a system is not familiar to it. You need to reformat the drive with NTFS or FAT32. Thanks to this, Windows will be able to recognize the flash memory. To reconfigure a partition, right-click on it, click "Format" and select the desired file system.
Note that this will delete all files on the drive. It makes sense to first connect the USB flash drive to a Linux or Mac device in order to copy the data. If you cannot connect a removable drive to devices such as a DVD player or TV, then the reason may be in the file NTFS system. The above technique only works with FAT32.
Each person has encountered an unpleasant situation when the PC does not see the USB flash drive. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very different, but in the most common cases, eliminating this problem does not require special knowledge or skills, it is enough just to have an elementary idea of \u200b\u200bthe operation of the device.
If you don't know anything about the desktop, but standard methods solutions to this issue do not help, then this article will help you. It will discuss the main reasons why the PC does not see the connected device and methods for solving this problem.
The most banal, but at the same time, the most unpleasant option is a drive failure. To check this, you need to try using the flash drive on another computer. If he also does not see the device, then the diagnosis is obvious. Unfortunately, nothing can be done in this case. Your only option is to buy a new drive.
It is not uncommon for the drive to not be visible to the computer due to problems with the USB port. If we are talking about the rear port, then most likely the problem lies in its breakdown. In this case, it is recommended to call a wizard who can fix it. But if the drive was inserted into the front USB port, then more rosy scenarios are possible.
The probable reason why Windows does not detect a USB flash drive may be a virus. Therefore, if your desktop suddenly stopped seeing the connected device, then it is worth checking both the computer and the drive for a virus. If a virus is found after the scan, the antivirus will fix the problem and your PC will safely see the device.
The PC may not detect the USB drive due to driver issues specific device. In order to check this, you should go to the device manager (My computer-> *Right-click*-> Properties-> Hardware-> Device Manager). Next, you need to click on the black plus, which is located next to the "USB Controllers" section.
Then you need to insert the drive and pay attention to which driver has changed. It needs to be removed. Immediately after that, we take out the flash drive and immediately insert it back. If you uninstalled that driver, the installation of the new driver will begin. After that, the PC will be able to see the connected device without any problems.
To solve this type of problem, you need to format the drive with the correct file system. If you need to find out the file system on your PC, you should go to My Computer-> *Right Click*-> Properties. In this section, you will learn which file system you need to format the drive with. This can be done with special program, which will see the flash drive if your problem is really an incompatibility of file systems. In the program settings, specify the required file system and after a couple of minutes enjoy the fact that the desktop sees your device.
If your USB drive is found, but it is not in the device partitions, then this means that it has been assigned the letter of an existing partition. This problem is quite common, but it is very easy to fix. To solve it, you need to go to Control Panel-> Administrative Tools-> Computer Management-> Disk Management. The central part of the screen will contain all the drives that are currently connected to the system. You need to click on the "removable disk" (this is how your Flash card will be recognized) and then select the "replace drive letter" item. Here you change the assigned letter to any other free one, after which it will definitely be visible to the PC.
Perhaps this is one of the most commonplace reasons why the PC does not see the flash drive. If the connector is dirty, you just need to clean it. As a result, your drive will become visible to the computer (of course, in the absence of other problems).
In this article, all possible reasons why a computer may not see a flash drive have been sorted out. If suddenly you could not solve your problem, then you should double-check each of the possible causes. And then your flash drive will definitely be recognized by the computer.
