The computer has stopped seeing the flash drive - perhaps the most common problem that users have to face. It becomes especially acute if the drive contains some important data that cannot be lost.
Viruses and antiviruses
If the computer stops seeing the flash drive, then the first thought that comes to mind is a virus. The reason lies precisely in it, if when you try to open the flash drive, the message “Application not found” appears.
Remember that a virus can get onto a flash drive even if you briefly connect to an infected device. It may end up on your drive even if you didn't copy any files to it. Therefore, you should not connect anywhere.
How to treat? There are two ways - one is reliable but crude, and the second will give your files a chance. In the first case, you can simply format everything, and then there will definitely be no virus, but all files will be lost. To format, right-click on the flash drive, select “Format” and click the “Start” button in the window that opens.
Formatting a flash drive In the second case, you can try to get to the flash drive through Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the drive icon and selecting “Explorer”. If you are lucky and the flash drive opens, then try to find the “autorun.inf” file there and delete it. Then you need to check the flash drive for viruses, and then you can open it and use it. If this does not help, you can try deleting other files that seem suspicious to you, which were definitely not on your flash drive.
Formatting a flash drive If the computer stops seeing the flash drive, then the reason may not be a virus, but an antivirus. You can try turning it off temporarily. However, there is a risk of infection if the drive contains viruses.
Problem with the flash drive driver
For each device on the computer there is a driver - a small program that controls its operation. There are also drivers for flash drives, which are usually installed automatically every time you connect a new flash drive to a particular computer. So, if the computer no longer sees the flash drive, then the problem may be a damaged driver.
To solve it, you need to right-click on “My Computer” with the flash drive connected, select “Properties”, and then the “Hardware” tab. Here we need a "Device Manager" button. In it you need to find your flash drive in the “USB Controllers” section of the list (or something similar). When you find it, right-click on it and select “Delete” (don’t be afraid, this will not delete the files). After the flash drive with drivers is removed, click on the “Update hardware configuration” button in the top menu of the manager. A new driver installation will begin and your problem may be solved.
Reinstalling the flash drive driver Faulty computer
If the computer no longer sees the flash drive, then the reason may lie in the hardware itself. Thus, disabled or damaged USB ports will not read your device. In this case, we can recommend trying to connect the flash drive to different ports on the computer.
You should also try disconnecting other USB devices, if any. It is possible that the power supply is too weak and is not capable of powering all devices at the same time.
Look, maybe there is some dirt on the contacts of the computer port or the flash drive itself. It needs to be cleaned. For this reason, the message “USB device not recognized” may appear. The cause of poor contact may be the USB extension cable. Try connecting without it.
The best way to determine whether the flash drive or the computer is at fault is to connect the drive to another computer. If it doesn’t work on the second one either, then most likely the reason is in the flash drive. If it works on the second computer, but not on the first, then the reason is in the computer.
Unsafe removal of flash drives
If the computer no longer sees the flash drive, and you always remove it unsafely, then know that you did it and ruined everything.
Unsafe removal of a flash drive provokes problems in the flash drive chip, which the next time you connect it manifests itself as follows: the drive cannot be opened, and when you try to do this, the computer prompts you to format the drive.
In this case, it will most likely not be possible to save the files, and you will need to format the flash drive to at least get the drive back to work.
Always use safe shutdown of your flash drive. Otherwise, it may damage the files on the flash drive, the flash drive itself (even irreversibly) or the USB ports of the computer.
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Assigning the wrong letter
If the computer no longer sees the flash drive, the reason for this may be that it assigned the drive a letter that designates some other drive in the system. This happens due to some glitches.
To fix the situation, click “Start” and select “Run” (or just win+R). In the window that opens, enter “diskmgmt.msc” (without quotes). The Disk Management window will appear. Here, if your flash drive is connected, you should see it in the list of all drives. To change the letter, you need to right-click on the flash drive in this window and select “Change drive letter...”
Assigning a letter to a flash drive Then click the “Change” button and select a letter that is not yet in the system.
Assigning a letter to a flash drive I discuss the issue of changing drive letters in detail in
Typically, the suspects in this case are software failures, incorrect operating system settings, outdated drivers, malfunctions of computer USB ports, adapters, or the 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 a 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 helped, then the problem is probably a physical malfunction of the hard drive or flash drive. 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 a store or service center if repairs make sense.
Hello dear site visitors! In this article I would like to tell you about why doesn't the computer see the flash drive?, and what to do to fix it.
Reasons why the computer does not see the flash drive.
Before you decide what to do, you need to understand the reasons, and there can be many of them.
Reason #1. The USB port on the front panel of the computer is not connected.
This is one of the main reasons. Most often, people insert a flash drive into the USB port on the front panel of the computer, as it is very convenient. But it happens that during assembly, the craftsmen forgot to connect the front panel to the motherboard. As a result, the flash drive is not visible, and you still cannot insert headphones into the front output :).
Reason #2. Not a working flash drive.
This is the second of the main reasons. Flash drives, like everything in this world, do not last forever, sometimes they break. Most often they burn out.
Reason #3. Virus.
Where would we be without them :). Unfortunately, when transferring data from a computer infected with a virus, two things can happen:
- The files on the flash drive will not be visible, I talked about how to solve this problem in this article -
- The flash drive itself will not be visible.
Well, your computer may also be infected, and because of this the computer does not see the flash drive.
Reason #4. Driver failure
Driver failures are very rare. However, it does happen.
Reason #5. File system conflict.
It happens that the file system on the flash drive is FAT, and on the computer it is NTFS. Sometimes these file systems conflict. Because of this, the computer does not see the flash drive.
Reason #6. Faulty USB port.
Sometimes it is not the flash drive that is faulty, but the USB port itself.
We figured out the main reasons. Now let’s figure out how to make the flash drive visible.
Let's get rid of problems.
Let's decide first problem— The USB port on the front panel of the computer is not connected. Unfortunately, many people cannot solve this problem on their own, because... The front panel is connected to the motherboard, and for this you need to know where to “plug the cord”. If you want, you can call a specialist and he will connect everything for you, it shouldn’t cost much. However, there is an easier way out - connect the flash drive to the rear panel, which also has USB ports.
Problem #2- Not a working flash drive. If the computer does not read the flash drive at all, then most likely it has simply burned out or failed. And there’s nothing you can do about it except throw away this flash drive and buy a new one. But it happens that the computer makes a sound when “inserting” a flash drive, but does not show the flash drive itself. This most often refers to reasons 3,4 and 5.
Let's figure it out with the third problem, that is, with a virus. To do this, you need to check all disks and file media on the computer. That is, we insert the flash drive and check the PC thoroughly. I talked about how to do this in lessons and
Problem number 4– driver failure. But here you will have to puff, but in principle nothing complicated.
Specifically in this case, you need to update the USB port drivers. To do this, you need to go to Device Manager. The most convenient way to do it is this:
You can also open the device manager using the command devmgmt.msc in Run. You can read about how to do this
Now we find the item “USB controllers” and left-click on the small button to the left of this inscription.
We are given a list of all the USB ports that you have on your computer. Next you need to insert the USB flash drive. After this, a change will occur on one of the lines (you will definitely notice it, because the entire device manager will seem to flash). On the newly appeared or changed line, right-click and select “Delete”.
With this action, we will remove the driver.
After that, remove the flash drive and insert it again. That's it, we updated the driver.
If updating the drivers does not help, then it may be a file system conflict. Here we are crept up on the fifth problem.
We will solve it by formatting the flash drive in the file system we need.
To find out what file system you have, go to Computer -> Right-click on drive C
Select Properties. And it will show what file system you have.
We will format the flash drive using the program HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, this program sees the flash drive even when the computer does not see it (unless, of course, the problem is the difference in file systems).
I talked about how to format a flash drive using this program in the article. You can also download this program there. The only thing is that in the File system item, select the system that is on your computer, in my case it will be NTFS.
well and solve the problem for reason No. 6, easiest. If your USB port is faulty, then you simply try to “plug” the flash drive into other USB ports, and if they don’t “function”, there is only one way out - a repair shop.
Well, what to do if laptop Can't see the flash drive? Here everything is even simpler, because there are fewer reasons.
- Not a working flash drive.
- Virus.
- Driver failure
- File system conflict.
- Faulty USB port.
And you already know how to deal with all this.
Well, that's all. See you again!
If, when connecting a flash drive, external hard drive, printer or other device connected via USB in Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (I think this also applies to Windows 10), you see an error saying that the USB device is not recognized, these instructions should help solve the problem . The error may occur with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices.
In this part we will talk about how to fix the error USB device is not recognized in the device manager in Windows 7, 8 or Windows 10. I note that these are several methods at once and, as I wrote above, they may or may not work specifically for your situation.
So, first of all, go to Device Manager. One quick way to do this is to press the Windows key (with logo) + R, enter devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
Your unidentified device will most likely be located in the following sections of the manager:
- USB controllers
- Other devices (and called "Unknown device")
In the case where an unknown USB device with an exclamation mark appears in the "USB Controllers" list, try the following two things:
Another method, the functionality of which I happened to see in Windows 8.1 (when the system writes error code 43 in the description of the problem: USB device is not recognized): for all the devices listed in the previous paragraph in order, try the following: right-click - “Update drivers”. Then - search for drivers on this computer - select the driver from the list of already installed drivers. In the list you will see a compatible driver (which is already installed). Select it and click “Next” - after reinstalling the driver for the USB controller to which the unidentified device is connected, it can work.
USB 3.0 devices (flash drive or external hard drive) are not recognized in Windows 8.1
On laptops with the Windows 8.1 operating system, the USB device not recognized error is quite common for external hard drives and flash drives running via USB 3.0.
Changing the parameters of the laptop's power supply circuit helps solve this problem. Go to Windows Control Panel - Power Options, select the power plan you are using and click "Change advanced power settings." Then, in the USB settings, disable temporary disabling of USB ports.
One of the most common problems faced by laptop users is the “invisible” flash drive. It seems like you inserted it into the USB port, but the stubborn computer just can’t detect it. There is no need to panic, as the problem can be completely solvable.
First of all, you need to do a quick check of the computer itself and the flash drive. To do this, you only need two things: a second computer and another flash card. Just see if your laptop sees other (probably working) flash drives. It’s also worth checking the flash drive itself - connect it to other computers and check if it works correctly. Based on this quick check, you can draw conclusions regarding the performance of the hardware.
If your laptop does not want to see absolutely any flash cards, then the problem may be a faulty USB port. Check whether the flash card will be read in other ports, if any. But if the card itself does not want to work anywhere, then, unfortunately, there is little that can be advised - it is possible that the contact is coming off the plug or the board itself is damaged. In such cases, it will be cheaper to buy a new drive.
It is curious that the flash drive may not work due to the fact that the laptop’s power supply simply does not have enough power. This happens when the device is weak and there are a lot of devices connected to it. If you use hubs (USB port splitters), then try connecting the drive directly.
What if the problem is software in nature? Well, it's quite possible. Check if the laptop's USB interface is connected in the BIOS settings. To do this, while the computer is booting, press the button DEL(this could be another key - one of F1-12), reset settings to default(default) or look for the line where the USB interface is mentioned and turn it on (On or Enable). Unfortunately, the exact location of the parameter cannot be named, since it may differ in each BIOS version (as well as the name of the setting itself).
The problem may lie in the operating system settings. Follow these steps - go to Start, find the item “ Execute". Enter the command “ diskmgmt.msc" and press Enter. The Disk Management window will appear. It can also be found through the Control Panel ( Administration - Computer Management - Disk Management).
Now see if the flash drive is visible in the top window of this window (you can find it by the volume name, if you remember it, or by size). If the storage device is visible, then right-click on it and select “Make partition active” from the menu. If the drive name is displayed as “Unknown” or “Not initialized” or “Not allocated”, then most likely the flash card is damaged and all that remains is to replace it.
