What to do if the files on the flash drive are not visible. What to do if road signs or markings are not visible to the motorist

Owners of flash drives have situations when, after inserting their media into the computer again, its contents cease to be accessible. Everything looks as usual, but it feels like there is nothing on the drive at all, but you know for sure that there was some information there. In this case, you should not panic; there is no reason to lose information yet. We will look at several ways to solve this problem. You can be 100% sure that it will disappear.

The reasons for this problem can be very different:

• operating system failure;
• virus infection;
• misuse;
• files were written with an error.

Let's consider ways to eliminate such causes.

Reason 1: Virus infection

A fairly popular problem, due to which files on a flash drive are not visible, may be infection with viruses. Therefore, you only need to connect the USB drive to computers with an antivirus program installed. Otherwise, the virus will be transmitted from the flash drive to the computer or vice versa.

Having an antivirus is the key to success in treating your flash drive if information is not displayed on it. There are paid and free antivirus programs for home use. Therefore, it is important that this program is installed.

By default, most antivirus programs automatically scan flash media when it is connected. But if antivirus program is not configured, you can do it manually. To do this, follow a series of simple steps:

Thus, you will not only check, but also, if possible, cure your flash drive of viruses.

Reason 2: There are errors

An issue that causes information to become invisible may indicate the presence of viruses on the drive.

If, after checking for the contents of hidden files, the contents from the flash drive are still not displayed, then you need to check for the presence possible errors. There are special utilities for this, but you can use in the usual way, which is provided by Windows OS.

When completed, a message will appear indicating that the device has been successfully verified. If errors were detected on the flash drive, then additional folder with files like "file0000.chk"

A compact USB drive, known to most users as a flash drive, is today considered the most common device for storing and exchanging various data. A frequently occurring problem: “No files are visible on the flash drive” can have quite disastrous consequences. After all, often transferred to Flash USB Drive device important documents confidential, unique photos and other types valuable information may be in a single copy. If you encounter similar problem for the first time, don't panic. There is a high probability that the missing data is still there - on the flash drive. You just don't see them because they are hidden. To solve the problem of “invisibility”, let’s turn to the practical experience of experienced ones and consider the main aspects of digital restoration.

Two main reasons: why did the information disappear?

So, when you inserted a USB drive into your computer, you discovered that there are no files visible on the flash drive. In the vast majority of cases, it is the user who is the culprit of this kind of trouble. And most often, it is as a result of improper operation that the Flash device begins to work in “magician” mode. Of course, one cannot discount manufacturing defects in the production of a product and unfavorable accidents of a metaphysical nature. However harsh reality indicates that the cause of the malfunction may be either hardware or software.

Files are not visible on the flash drive: ways to fix the problem

The first thing to do is to carry out visual inspection the subject of our attention. It is possible that the data transfer device is purely mechanically damaged. A once-spilled cup of coffee can also be directly related to the disappearance of files. Make sure that the contacts of the Flash drive are not oxidized. If the device is equipped with a signal LED, operability should be confirmed by the indicator lighting. However, if the computer detects a connected device, then, most likely, the “hero of the occasion” has software roots that could well be undermined by a malicious one. However, such “tricks” can be exposed as a result of using special software, but first...

Standard methods of combating “invisibility”

If you don't see any files on the flash drive, try the following:

• Connect the USB device to your computer.
• Use the key combination “Win+R” to open the “Run” window.
• Next, enter “cmd” in the checkbox.

• In the “Command Editor” write “Attrib -h -r -s / c /d k:\*.*”, where the Latin k should have the literal value of your removable storage device.
• Press "Enter" and hidden files will become apparent again.

Second Windows solution: Changing system settings

It is quite possible that the folders and files located on the flash drive have been assigned the “hide” attribute. In this case, the Flash drive connected to the PC will appear empty.

• Go to the "Control Panel" menu.
• Now go to the “Design and Personalization” section.
• In the “Folder Options” block, activate the “Show hidden files” link.
• The last item in the list must be activated. That is, the item “Show hidden files, folders...” must be marked with a marker.

If this method did not have the desired effect, and everything is also not visible, try the method described below.

Option three: checking the parameters of one of the registry branches

As a result viral infection malicious code can change entries in the system Windows log OS. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the integrity of the parameters involved. It is worth noting that when working with the registry, extreme caution should be taken, since incorrect actions and changes made can critically affect the full functionality of the Windows system as a whole.

• Using the "Run" menu, you need to open
• Enter the command "regedit".
• After the utility utility opens, follow the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL.
• The “CheckedValue” key entry (right area of ​​the editor working window) must correspond to the value “1”.
• There should be nothing in the “Type” column except “REG_DWORD”.

If the entry did not match the specified pattern, your PC is probably infected with a computer virus, which means you need to check the system for the presence of “destructive code”.

An obvious question: “How to open invisible files?” and an effective answer to it

Algorithm of actions:

• Download to PC antivirus utility Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free.
• Launch the installed software.
• Scan all sections hard drive PC and USB stick.
• If a “digital infection” is detected, remove the source of infection.

It is worth noting that in some cases, even after treating the hard drive and storage area of ​​the flash drive with antivirus software, the problem will not disappear. Because as a result of the destructive activity of unfavorable code, OS service files and even the disk structure could be changed. In such cases, the recovery process, and in the case of the system - complete reinstallation Windows simply cannot be avoided.

How to recover lost data

As a rule, as a result of incorrect manipulations with removable media, beginners have the question: “Why doesn’t the flash drive see the files?” To resolve this kind of problem, you need to download and install it on your PC. special program. Among the huge amount of similar software, the most attractive is free utility to recover Recuva information, which you will learn about in the section below, and also learn the basic techniques for working with it.

Recuva is a free data “reincarnator”

So what needs to be done?

• Download this software product from the official website.
• After installation, run the utility.
• Choose a type the information you are looking for. The most acceptable option is all files.
• In the next window, select “On the memory card”.
• Once you have confirmed your choice, the scanning process will begin.
• If the result turns out to be ineffective, go to the “Advanced Mode” tab in a special program window.
• Check all inactive items and repeat the startup process again.
• The files found in this way need to be restored. Click the button of the same name in the lower right corner of the program.
• Check the checkboxes next to the found files.
• After activating the “Recover” button, your data will be saved to the directory you specified.

As you understand, this program will also effectively cope with the possible difficulty when the memory card does not see files. However, with using Recuva can be restored deleted information from almost any type of media.

Instead of an afterword

So, you have learned what to do if the flash card does not see files. Nevertheless, do not forget about basic operating rules, the observance of which guarantees long-term operation of the storage device:

• Do not save information to a flash drive that has not previously been scanned by antivirus software.
• Remember that you need to disconnect the USB drive correctly, deactivating it using the Windows tool: “ Safe removal devices."
• You should not use the same flash drive in various systems. Especially relevant this warning in relation to mobile storage devices (for example, SD memory cards).
• Don't forget to make a copy of the data from the USB drive to the hard drive of your PC.
• In some cases, to recover lost files from a specific modification of a storage device, you may need specific specialized software.

All the best to you and your flawless Flash devices!

Often users of this service are faced with problems that are very difficult to solve on their own or at least find their cause. One of these troubles concerns video calls during which the interlocutor is not visible on Skype. In fact, everything is extremely simple: it is important to correctly configure the program not only for yourself, but also for your friend.

Reasons why video does not work on Skype

The option to enable automatic video broadcasting has been deactivated.

This is one of the first and most probable causes. The interlocutor could simply have forgotten to check the box next to the “Automatically start video broadcast” option. You can find the function in the main settings menu.

• If you can’t see your interlocutor on Skype, he might have forgotten to turn on the video camera. This is easy to fix - just click on the corresponding icon in the main conversation window.
• You should also check with the subscriber about the availability of drivers that match the brand of his webcam. After solving these problems, he should restart his PC and Skype.

These problems concern another user, and if everything is fine with him, you should recheck your PC.

Over the past few years, flash storage media have become very popular and are used by us literally every day, due to their advantages over disk media. It is hardly possible to overestimate the usefulness of flash media, because you can quickly write or read information on it, it does not take up much space in a briefcase or bag, and price segment pleasantly pleases.

Despite all positive points, sometimes there are situations when it is impossible to read the data due to the flash drive itself or the computer. After all, at the very important point you may lose access to stored files, and to quickly return everything to normal you need to have certain knowledge. In this article we will analyze all possible problematic situations and find ways to solve why the computer does not see the flash drive.

The most common problems why the computer does not see the flash drive:

The flash drive itself does not work

This is the worst situation for a person whose documents are stored on a flash drive, because it is almost impossible to bring it back to life. A flash drive can be damaged by mechanical impact on the device chip or its controller, by shorting electrical circuit, damage to contacts on USB board. This is what a flash drive looks like after the electrical circuit is closed or moisture gets inside the drive.

It is quite easy to determine whether this happened to your drive. The very first thing you need to do is check the flash drive for mechanical damage, chips, cracks, etc. If it is completely broken, you can look for a replacement in the store. computer peripherals. If you doubt its inoperability, you can check it using a practical method.

Connect the flash drive to the USB connector of the computer, if the LED on it lights up and you hear a sound on the computer that is typical for connecting a new device, then everything is in order, it makes sense to look for the problem further. If this does not happen, the flash drive is most likely no longer suitable for use.

You can try to take the flash drive to service center, where the technician will try to resolder the contacts or replace the controller, but it will be very expensive, and this action will be justified only if you store important documents on it. If no fatal malfunction was detected and the flash drive shows signs of life, try the methods to restore its functionality, which will be described below.

The USB port on the front panel of the computer is de-energized

This problem is very common among desktop PC users. Most computer owners are accustomed to inserting a flash drive into the front USB ports, because it is fast and convenient.

But there is a situation when, during PC assembly, for some reason the front panel is not connected to the power system, usually this happens due to forgetfulness computer technician. Accordingly, your flash drive will not be displayed, despite its full serviceability.

This problem can be solved in two ways. If you urgently need to use information on removable media, you can connect it to the back panel of your computer. The front connectors will still remain inoperative, but you will have access to documents. Such manipulations cannot be called a full-fledged solution, so let’s consider the second option.

Method No. 2 involves connecting the power cable to motherboard to the front panel of the computer. Depending on the computer case model, the connection connectors may differ. But don’t be scared, they all have markings and you won’t be able to connect the wrong connector. design features. The most common wire types are “VCC”, “D-”, “D+” and “GND”. Moreover, color coding The cable and connector on the motherboard match, but it is better to keep a guide by the inscriptions.

The first step is to gain access to the motherboard; to do this, unscrew the mounting bolts on the case and remove the cover. Find the cable that leads to the front panel and find the same connector on the motherboard. In the image below you can see what the connector should look like.

It is not recommended to make the connection yourself; it is better to call a specialist. If you connect the cable and connector incorrectly, you can burn these contacts and even devices. If you decide to connect front USB connectors, then it is better to tell us the model of your case and motherboard, and we will tell you how to do it correctly and explain what the connector and cable look like.

The USB port on the computer is faulty or disabled

Sometimes the problem of unreadability of information on removable media is not related to the problem of the flash drive itself, but to the connector into which it is connected. A certain USB port may not be working, and this condition can be caused by simple damage to the connector contacts. Then not only the flash drive, but also others will not work in this port USB devices A.

Decide this problem you can, armed with a regular soldering iron and minimal knowledge of circuit design. If you don’t have such knowledge, skills and equipment, then it can be fixed at the nearest service center for a low fee.

However, if there is no reaction to USB connection device is not observed on all connectors, then the problem may lie deeper. Ports can be disabled in BIOS settings.

To connect ports to BIOS menu, you need to get there initially. To enter the BIOS in the first seconds of booting the computer, you need to press the corresponding key on the keyboard, which is responsible for calling up the menu. Most often, the default key is F2 or Del, but depending on the motherboard brand and BIOS version, it may be different. It is indicated in the first image that pops up when loading.

After you have entered the BIOS itself, we need to go through the following route: “”.

Find the line “USB Controller”, so that you are allowed to use the ports, the value opposite should be “Enabled”.

Once you have enabled the USB ports on your computer, press the F10 key. This will save your settings and exit the BIOS.

The USB flash drive connector is dirty

Flash drive is mobile device storing information and is therefore often carried in pockets, briefcases or as a keychain. Due to such operating conditions, dust and small debris may accumulate in the connector. This does not happen often, but it can cause the flash drive to malfunction. Dust and small debris accumulate on the contact and prevent connection from the contacts to the port on the computer. Such a flash drive may not only not be displayed at all, but also freeze, transfer or read information slowly and may not be detected the first time.

To clean the USB connector of a flash drive, arm yourself with a match and a cotton swab. Using a match, remove all debris from the connector, and then moisten a cotton swab with alcohol and wipe the contacts of the flash drive. This way you will rid it of debris and oxidation.

Virus infection

Nowadays, the issue of storage device security is becoming more and more urgent, because viruses are in full force. You can visit your usual site social network on the Internet and get infected, not to mention downloading files from unverified sources.

Modern computer viruses They can also reproduce, no matter how strange it may sound. They infect files located on your flash drive or computer hard drive, and their number grows exponentially.

Very often, the problem of a flash drive not working is infection with viruses. The drive is detected by the system, you can hear the characteristic sound of connecting the device to the system, but when you try to read the information, you will see the message “” or “ Application not found».

Before solving this problem, you should install anti-virus software on your computer and full diagnostics files. To access the data on the drive, we need to delete the file with the virus and scan it. To do this, go to the “Start” menu and enter the following phrase “” in the search line.

Click on the found element with the left mouse button. It will appear in front of you open window with the name “Folder Options”, here you need to do the following:

• Uncheck the " Hide protected system files»
• Check the box ""

After this, be sure to press the “Apply” button and only after that “Ok”, otherwise the changes will not take effect. It should look like this.

After that, go to “My Computer” and go to the folder of the drive itself. There you will see the “Autorun” file, you need to delete it, and check the flash drive for viruses with one of free antiviruses, the Dr.WEB Cure It utility can handle this perfectly.

Now you can fully use the flash drive and no problems should arise. If nothing has changed, then the problem lies in the lack of drivers; we’ll look at it below.

Drivers failing or using outdated drivers

A very common problem is when the computer does not want to display the flash drive due to outdated drivers or their system failure. The failure may occur due to a jump electrical voltage or unexpected shutdown of the operating system. Or older computer models may not work with drives with a capacity of 32 GB or more. One thing can be said, the problem can only be solved by updating the drivers.

The first thing you need to do is go to "". You can do this in several ways, for example, through “ My Computer"Or find this section in system search, as we will do.

Let's go to this menu, after which we connect the flash drive to the computer, after which we open the “USB controllers” subtab. Select the line " Memory device", right-click to open system menu and click “Delete”.

Such manipulations allow you to remove the drivers installed on the system for your storage device. As soon as you remove it, feel free to remove the flash drive from your computer and connect it again. Then the driver for the flash drive will be installed again and the problem will be solved.

If the problem is not solved, you may need to update the drivers for all USB chipsets; this is quite easy to do. You can use special disk, which came with motherboard, everything is written on it necessary drivers. If you don't have it, download it DriverPack program, it will automatically select all drivers for which there is an update and carry out this procedure after your agreement.

Moreover, most users have doubts about the correctness of their actions when they learn about different formats USB. Don't be scared!

Drivers for USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are installed according to the same principle. And the only difference between the ports is maximum speed reading and writing information.

File system errors

The computer may also not recognize your flash device due to file system errors. Let’s check if this is true, go to “”, how to do this was described above. Now you need to open the subtab " Disk devices “If you see your flash drive there, it means it is working, and the file system does not perceive it as it should, and, accordingly, does not display it in Explorer. In my case, the flash drive was displayed, which means it is working.

To fix this problem, you must format your flash drive, but this action has several nuances, so we will consider this process in the next paragraph of the article.

If you don’t see your drive there, then the problem lies in the malfunction of the flash drive itself, which means either the controller is burned out or the contact has become unsoldered. Specialists at service centers can try to bring it back to life. However, this is an expensive exercise; it’s easier to buy a new one, of course, if the faulty one was not recorded important information and you need to recover the data on the flash drive.

File system conflict

Quite often, the contents of a flash drive are not displayed due to a conflict between the file systems on the computer and the removable media itself. For example, if the computer operates on a file NTFS system and the flash drive uses FAT32, a conflict situation is possible. Moreover, this problem is common not only in Windows environment, but also Mac OS. For example, if you format a flash drive on your Mac device V ExFAT system or the standard file system of a MacBook, the flash drive is unlikely to be readable on Windows devices.

The very first thing you need to do is find a computer that uses a different file system, open the flash drive and save the information that is important to you, because after formatting it will be lost.

To solve this problem, we need to carry out the process of formatting the flash drive. First you need to find out what file system is used on your computer. Go to “My Computer”, right-click on hard drive open the submenu and select “Properties” in it.

In the window that opens you will see information about free and occupied volume disk space, and also find out what file system is used. In my case, the NTFS system is used.

After you know the file system of the computer, we need to format the flash drive into the same system. To do this, click on the flash drive right key mouse and open the “Format” tab.

In the tab that opens, select the file system into which we will format, check the box next to the “Fast” attribute and click “Start”.

A few words about why we use the “Fast” attribute. Firstly, formatting a flash drive will happen much faster. But there is another side to the coin. If there were any documents on the flash drive, then only with quick formatting will you be able to recover this data using special utilities. If you do not check the box, then the information that was on the flash drive will be lost forever.

The flash drive is not formatted

A fairly common problem is when you insert a flash drive into your computer (mostly a new flash drive and its first use), and the operating system gives you a warning that says that before using, removable drive needs to be formatted. And if the flash drive has been used before and there is data written on it, then there is no way to access it. Moreover, the volume of the flash drive becomes 0, i.e. as if there was nothing there at all, not even a storage device.

If you have already used a flash drive and this is not the first time you have connected it, then try connecting it to another computer, perhaps the problem will go away and you will be able to save the data. But in any case, the flash drive must be formatted. How to do this was discussed in detail in the “File system conflict” section.

But I want to draw your attention to two points. To avoid problems with the file system (FS) after formatting, find out what FS is used on the computer and install the same one for the drive. And second, if the flash drive had the information you needed, then be sure to use the “Quick” attribute, so the flash drive will be formatted only according to the table of contents, and the lost information can be returned using special utilities.

There is a problem with the partition or the flash drive is automatically assigned a busy letter

There are situations when the operating system incorrectly detects your removable media. Everything seems to be fine, the device connection is displayed and a flash drive icon appears in the tray, but there is no way to use it for its intended purpose.

The problem may be that the system has not assigned the letter to the section under which it will appear. removable storage or it has been assigned, but this letter is already taken, and this results in an address conflict.

The solution to this problem will be to force the assignment of the partition letter that we choose, everything happens in manual mode. So let's get started.

First of all, you need to hold down the key combination “Win ​​+ R", a window will open in front of you with the name “Run".

In the line we need to enter a simple command diskmgmt.msc, which will take us to the disk and storage management section.

In the storage media manager that opens, we need to identify our USB device. This can be done simply, disconnect the flash drive and connect it again, the partition that first disappears and then appears is what we need.

In my case, the flash drive is a drive with the name “20151114_17”, you can also identify it by special badge. Now you need to right-click on it and select “Change letter” in the menu that opens.

Now one more thing will open before us additional window, slightly less. In it you need to click on the button “Change” and “Ok”.

Now another auxiliary window will open, where you must select any letter of the English alphabet, and after clicking on the “Ok” button, the letter will be assigned to the section.

It is worth paying attention to one important point! When choosing a letter to assign to a partition of your flash drive, look at which letters are already in use by the system. This is very important, because we may not fix the problem, but leave it. This will happen if, for example, you designate a flash drive partition with the letter “D”, which is already assigned to the local disk.

Malfunction of the power supply or excessive current overload of the USB portal

This problem is very common these days. The fact is that the computer may simply not see the flash drive due to a faulty power supply. Let's figure it out in order, the power supply consumes electrical energy from the network, and then converts and distributes it across all nodes of the computer. It has a power limit, for example, a 400W power supply will not be able to give you 600W. This means that the consumption of the entire system must be balanced.

This problem may appear if you have recently replaced some important component in the system, let it be the processor. Now it consumes much more energy compared to the past, which means it simply does not reach somewhere, and in this case this “somewhere” is USB network computer. Accordingly, the energy consumption parameter must be calculated in advance, and if such a situation has already occurred, you will have to replace the power supply with a more powerful one.

Moreover, the problem may lie in a malfunction of the power supply; it may produce much less power potential than stated, and than it produced before. You will not be able to solve this problem, since you risk the performance of the entire computer. The only solution is to replace the power supply.

There is one more feature this issue. IN Lately USB devices for computers have become very common, let’s say the following devices are now powered: a mat for warming a cup, desk lamp, wireless mouse, removable hard disk, and in addition the smartphone is also charging. And you want to connect a flash drive, but bad luck, the computer sees it. The fact is that there was an overcurrent on USB ports. Those. all your devices are already consuming maximum amount current and you won’t be able to connect one more. Therefore, to use a flash drive, you need to disconnect several devices from the computer’s USB ports and then the problem will disappear.

If the computer does not see the flash drive in Windows XP

There are many reasons why a flash drive may not be detected in Windows system XP. Moreover, the problem may lie in the operating system, and in a faulty flash drive, and even in the computer hardware.

If the problem is related to the operating system, then it can only be eliminated by making additional changes in the settings, it is best to do this manually, despite the abundance of special utilities that can help in this matter.

However, if the drive itself is faulty, then the only thing you can do is try to save the data recorded on it. And after that, purchase a new and more reliable device.

If your computer cannot detect the flash drive, it notifies the user with the following signals:

• Your flash drive is inserted and you try to access the data on it, the message “Insert disk” pops up.
• The system notifies you that the drive must be formatted for further use.
• Errors appear about the impossibility of gaining access to data.
• The system may freeze as soon as you plug the USB flash drive into the computer's USB port.

In this section we will look at all the most common reasons for the non-functionality of a flash drive in Windows XP and give practical recommendations by their decision. Carefully read the description of the problem, if it is not similar to yours or its solution did not help you, move on to the next point until the problem goes away. The first thing you need to do is try to determine whether the flash drive is working. This is indicated by a light indicator located on it. If you connect the drive and it blinks or lights up, then the flash drive is working and the problem lies either in the system or hardware of the computer.

Try changing the port into which you connect the flash drive or even the computer; perhaps only the port or the entire system is faulty, but on another PC the flash drive will work properly. For example, if, when connecting a flash drive to a port, you observe complete freeze system, this means that this port is faulty and it is better not to use it.

If you are using USB hubs or extenders and the flash drive is not displayed, perhaps the problem lies in the device itself, and not the flash drive. If this turns out to be the case, you can take the hub to a service center or try to repair it yourself. To do this you will need a soldering iron, solder and a little experience, because most often you just need to solder one or two contacts and everything will work as expected.

Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of electric current in USB system ports. To check this, you need to disconnect all USB devices on the computer (camera, printer, lamp, etc.), leaving only the keyboard and mouse. If after such manipulations the flash drive appears in the system and you can access it, then the problem lies in weak block nutrition. This problem can only be solved by replacing the power supply with a more powerful one, but delaying the purchase of a power supply will help using USB hub with its own energy source.

However, if the problem is not resolved after disconnecting all other devices, it may still be actual problem with insufficient power supply and an outdated USB port. In other words, on older laptops you will not be able to open a flash drive with a capacity of 36 GB or larger. There is no way to solve the problem, you can only buy more modern laptop or computer.

A very common situation occurs when a user connects a flash drive to front port PC, but the system does not see it. This means that the ports are not connected to the power supply on the motherboard, or too little power is allocated to them. You can connect the front panel yourself using the instructions located above in the section of the same name.

Can't see the flash drive due to Windows XP errors. Troubleshooting

The flash drive may also not be detected due to operating system errors. For example, Windows XP SP2 lacks updates and software packages, which provide normal USB operation devices. Moreover, it is possible that only several USB devices can work in one port.

The solution to this issue will be to update the system to SP3 and install necessary updates. Even a new user can do this, since we only need a couple of clicks, and the system will automatically download, install and launch the update. So, let's get started, we can move in two ways - this is the official download from Windows Update or installing SP3 from a disk or flash drive. The first step is to check which package you already have installed.

Click on the “My Computer” icon with the right mouse button and select “Properties”. The following window will open in front of you, where information about your system will be indicated.

To install SP3, we need to allow the operating system to search and update the computer system. To do this, just go from the Control Panel to Windows Update.

As soon as you do this, the system will begin searching for updates, after which it will offer you to update everything at once or select only the ones you need. If you don't understand what update changes what, then it's better to let the system update completely.

After downloading all the updates, the operating system will require you to restart your computer to apply the new settings. Click “Ok” and wait patiently. That's all, now you can connect the flash drive and use it.

If you decide to choose which updates to install rather than download them all into automatic mode, then here is a guideline that will help improve your perception USB drives system.

Driver conflicts in Windows XP

There is also the problem of driver conflict. The fact is that some have already outdated drivers may cause errors at the system level, moreover, they may prevent normal operation new drivers. A striking example of such a problem is a situation when a user inserts a flash drive into a computer, tries to access the data on it, and the system immediately displays an error message asking to insert the disk. Or, the system simply freezes, and even the assignment is already existing letter partition of the flash drive really.

The reason for such errors is as follows. Let's say you have two flash drives, you connected one of them to the system. In automatic mode, all necessary drivers for this device are immediately installed. You have made the necessary manipulations to write or read files and removed the drive. After that, you insert a second flash drive, which is completely working, and one of the above errors pops up. This means that the system is trying to use the already installed driver from the first flash drive to launch the second, but they are not compatible.

Reinstalling Windows XP drivers for USB devices

This problem can be easily resolved in several ways. Reinstalling drivers automatically or manually. Let's look at a little theory: a driver from one USB device can be mistakenly used by the system to launch another USB device. To eliminate these problems, we need to first remove all existing drivers for USB drives, and then reinstall them.

Such a problem may display the message “USB device not recognized,” or unexplained processes occur at the system level that block access to data or cause the system to freeze.

Remove via DriveCleanup

You can effectively remove all existing drivers for USB devices using DriveCleanup utilities. Its advantage is that it searches the entire system for installed drivers and only after that deletes them.

First of all, turn off the computer, disconnect all USB devices from it in order to avoid conflict situations while the program is running. Turn on the PC, go to the official website of the program and download the executable file. The utility is compatible with any version of Windows, including different bitmaps. When downloading, pay attention to the file version.

Automatic installation

You have removed all drivers from your computer. In order for a device to function normally, the operating system must have drivers for it. The automatic driver installation process is incredibly simple, you just need to plug the USB flash drive into the USB port, after which the installation will begin immediately. A window will pop up that will display the installation progress; on some systems this may occur in a mode invisible to the user. Within one to two minutes, the installation will be completed and you will be able to use the device.

Manual installation

Under manual installation This means installing drivers not directly from the storage medium itself. We can also install drivers for a flash drive from third-party Internet resources, but to avoid conflict situations, we will install drivers for a flash drive using another computer.

So, we take our problematic flash drive and insert it into another computer, where it is recognized. A necessary condition for this process is coincidence Windows versions on both computers. We use the system search and find two files.

By any means we transfer them to problem computer, whether by mail or using other removable media. You need to place these files in a folder with the same path that was on the first computer and confirm the replacement when the corresponding window pops up. We reboot the computer and enjoy its performance with FLASH disks.

We looked at only the most common reasons why a flash drive is not visible on the computer. In fact, there are many more of them. Moreover, there are problems that are expressed by others system messages, and their solution is already described in the paragraphs of the article.

The “Insert disk” message appears even if the flash drive is already connected to the USB port

This system error occurs if the drivers overlap each other and interfere normal functioning USB devices. In order to fix this error, you need to remove all drivers for USB devices and install them again. This process described step by step in this article.

Message about the need to format the disk

This message appears if you are using a flash drive for the first time or if there is a problem with it. system failure. In addition to the message, you can make sure that it is not suitable for use, because it does not display either free space or occupied space. The solution to this issue is described in detail in paragraphs 8 and 9.

Data error message

This problem occurs in 3 cases. This is a driver conflict, a file system conflict, and a failure of the flash drive itself. Solved by reinstalling the drivers, if that doesn’t help, then quick formatting to preserve the ability to recover data on a flash drive. Step-by-step instructions are above.

Complete system freeze immediately after connecting the flash drive to the computer

This issue has already been discussed in the article, but I would like to point out that this error can occur for two reasons:

1. Driver conflict.
2. Faulty port.

It’s easy to check what problem you have, insert the flash drive into another port, if the freeze continues, it means there’s a problem with the drivers. Instructions and tips for reinstalling them were given as part of this article.

Why does the computer not see the flash drive when the indicator on it is lit?

The contact on the flash drive, which is responsible for transmitting information, may be damaged. A driver conflict and the assignment of a busy letter to a partition cannot be ruled out. If the problem does not go away after connecting the flash drive to another computer, try checking the availability of the partition. If everything is fine here, then reinstall the drivers and the flash drive will work.

Error 43 / Error 43

This error immediately stops reading information from a removable device, which means we won’t be able to immediately access the data. There are several problems that can cause Error 43.

• Malfunction of the device itself is the first of them. Check on another computer to see if this situation happens again.
• Driver conflict - solution described above.
• Updating the hardware configuration - simply roll back the driver version in the Task Manager.

conclusions

We have reviewed in detail the reasons that may prevent a computer from reading a flash drive and the information on it. Described solutions with step by step instructions They will definitely help you get rid of this problem. An unreadable flash drive can be a death sentence only if the flash drive is faulty. In other situations, this is an easily reversible process. If you have any questions or couldn’t find a solution to your problem in the article, leave a comment and we’ll try to clarify the situation together.

Good afternoon.

External hard disks(HDDs) are becoming more popular day by day, sometimes it seems that very soon they will be more popular than flash drives. And it’s not surprising, because modern models are some kind of box, the size of cellular telephone and contain 1-2 TB of information!

Many users are faced with the fact that the computer does not see external hard disk. Most often, this happens immediately after purchasing a new device. Let's try to figure out in order what's going on here...

If the new external HDD is not visible

Here, new means the disk that you connected to your computer (laptop) for the first time.

1) First what are you doing - go to computer control .

To do this, go to control Panel , then in system and security settings -> administration -> computer control . See screenshots below.

2) Please note to the column on the left. It has a menu - disk management . Let's move on.

All drives (including external ones) connected to the system should be displayed in front of you. Very often, the computer does not see the connected external hard drive due to the incorrect drive letter assignment. That's what you need to change!

To do this, click on external drive right click and select " change drive letter... ". Next, assign the one that is not yet in your OS.

3) If the disk is new, and you connected it to your computer for the first time - it may not be formatted! Therefore, it will not appear in “my computer”.

If this is the case, then you will not be able to change the letter (you simply will not have such a menu). You just need to right click on the external drive and select " create a simple volume... «.

Attention! During this process, all data on the disk (HDD) will be deleted! Be careful.

4) Lack of drivers... (Update from 04/05/2015)

If external HDD new and you don’t see it in “my computer” or “ disk management“, and it works on other devices (for example, a TV or another laptop sees and detects it) - then 99% of the problems are related to the Windows OS and drivers.

Despite the fact that modern Windows 7, 8 operating systems are quite “smart” and when a new device is detected, they automatically search for a driver for it - this does not always happen... The fact is that the Windows 7, 8 OS versions (including all kinds of assemblies from " craftsmen") great amount, yes and various errors no one canceled. Therefore, I don’t recommend excluding this option right away...

1. Check the USB port to see if it is working. For example, connect a phone or camera, even just a regular flash drive. If the device works, then the USB port has nothing to do with it...

2. Go to Device Manager (In Windows 7/8: Control Panel/System and Security/Device Manager) and look at two tabs: Other devices And disk devices.

Windows 7: Device Manager reports that there are no drivers for the “My Passport ULTRA WD” disk in the system.

The screenshot above shows that Windows does not have drivers for an external hard drive, so the computer does not see it. Typically, Windows 7, 8, when you connect a new device, automatically installs a driver for it. If this does not happen for you, you have three options:

a) Click the “Update hardware configuration” command in the device manager. This is usually followed by automatic installation drivers.

b) Search for drivers using special. programs: ;

c) Reinstall Windows (to install, select “clean” licensing system, without any assembly).

Windows 7 - Device Manager: drivers for the external HDD Samsung M3 Portable are installed correctly.

If you can't see your old external hard drive

Old here refers to a hard drive that previously worked on your computer and then stopped working.

1. First, go to the disk management menu (see above) and change the drive letter. This is definitely worth doing if you have created new partitions on your hard drive.

2. Secondly, check external HDD for viruses. Many viruses disable the ability to see disks or block them ().

3. Go to Device Manager and see if the devices are detected correctly. There should be no yellow exclamation marks (or red ones) that indicate errors. It is also recommended to reinstall the drivers to USB controller.

4. Sometimes reinstalling Windows OS helps. Anyway, first check performance of hard disk on another computer/laptop/netbook, and then try reinstalling.

It’s also useful to try cleaning your computer from unnecessary junk files and optimize the operation of the registry and programs (here is an article with all the utilities: use a couple...).

5. Try connecting an external HDD to another USB port. It happened that for unknown reasons after connecting to another port, the disk worked perfectly as if nothing had happened. I noticed this several times on Acer laptops.

6. Check the cords.

Once external hard did not work because the cord was damaged. I didn’t notice it from the very beginning and spent 5-10 minutes looking for the cause...