What to do if the flash drive does not work. USB is disabled in BIOS. Reflashing a damaged flash drive

Almost everyone uses USB flash drives now. This is a simple and reliable way to transfer and store information. But the malfunction of these devices has become a common problem for many users. Below are all possible causes of problems and options for resolving them.

First, simpler and more effective ways to solve the problem will be described, so you should follow the recommendations in order. But do not forget that some problems, such as severe physical damage, cannot be eliminated.

Reasons why the system does not recognize the device

To operate a USB device, it has a built-in special controller. If there is a certain failure, it may become blocked, which will prevent the computer from recognizing the flash drive.

The reason for the failure may be a power surge, sudden removal of the flash drive, incorrect formatting, etc. Violations of this type can still be corrected, but in case of mechanical or thermal damage, it is impossible to restore the operation of the flash drive.

You can understand that the flash drive is not detected by the computer by the following factors:

The USB device is connected, but the computer says “insert disk”;
The message “Device connected, not detected” pops up;
issues a request to format the flash drive;
a data reading error message appears;
The indicator on the drive is on, but it is not displayed on the computer, etc.

The cause of the failure may also be:

non-working computer USB ports;
outdated drivers;
viruses on the device;
settings failures in BIOS;
different file systems of the USB device and computer;
assigning the letter of the connected hard drive to the flash drive, etc.

Driver check

First of all, you need to check whether the driver is installed correctly on your computer.

To do this, go to “Disk Management”:

Now try removing and inserting the USB device and see if it appears in this window. If the flash drive is visible and the status is indicated as “Good”, right-click on it and select “Make partition active”.

If there is a problem, the status will show “Not allocated”, “Not initialized” or “Unknown”, this means that the device is damaged.

The system may assign the wrong letter to the flash drive, which will also prevent it from being recognized. Right-click on the device and select "Change Drive Letter" and assign a different value:

The flash drive driver itself needs to be checked in Device Manager:

start;
control Panel;
device Manager.

If the driver for the flash drive is not installed, yellow question marks will appear next to one or more USB devices.

Computer hardware errors

When the PC does not detect a new flash drive, insert it into different USB ports. If all ports are operating normally except one, the cause of the problem is a problem in that port.

The same problem can arise when connecting a flash drive not directly, but through a USB hub or extension cable. Try connecting the device directly to the USB port. If everything works, then the adapter is the cause.

It happens that many devices are connected to the computer via USB, then the ports may not have enough power to operate the flash drive. Disconnect other devices from the ports one at a time, leaving only the mouse and keyboard. If the USB drive now works, then the problem is due to lack of power.

In this case, it is better to install a more powerful power supply or USB hub with a separate power source. But if the size of the flash device is very large, older laptop models simply will not handle its power. With this option, it is almost impossible to solve the problem.

Another problem is the heating of the connected USB device. The malfunction may be a short on the device board.

You can check this on another computer - if it continues to heat up, then the USB drive is faulty. And if everything is fine in other places, then the computer port itself may short out.

If the flash drive and USB port are working properly, the indicator on the device will light up. Then the cause of the problem is systemic, not hardware.

Video: Recovering a flash drive that is not recognized by the computer

Virus check

Then why is the flash card seen by the computer, but not read? One reason could be a virus that infects the boot file of the USB drive. Because of this, the device either does not boot at all or is immediately blocked by the antivirus. And if it is displayed, it displays a warning “Access denied” when you try to open it.

First of all, you should destroy the infected boot file “autorun.inf”. To do this, enter the address of the flash drive in Explorer (for example, G:/):

"Service";
"Folder properties";
"View";
“Hidden files and folders”;
"Show hidden files and folders."

The download file will now be displayed. It must be removed and data from the entire device scanned with an antivirus.

If the flash drive does not open through Explorer, use the command line:

Setting up USB in BIOS

The flash drive may not be recognized due to USB ports being disabled in the BIOS. This happens very rarely, but it's best to check your settings just in case. Please note that no device will be recognized in a disabled USB port, so if others work fine, then skip this step.

To enter the BIOS, restart the computer and press the Del or F2 button while turning it on. Different PCs may have different keys, so look at what is written on the screen (approximately “Press F2 to enter Setup”). If a blue table with settings opens, then everything is correct - you have entered the BIOS.

Now you should find the menu item in which the inclusion of USB is regulated. Its name may vary, but most often it is the Advanced (Peripherals, Integrated Peripherals) tab:

In it, look for the item USB Configuration/Controller, etc. There are a lot of BIOS menu options, so it’s quite difficult to specify the exact item. But the word USB must be present. Now make sure that USB support is “Enabled”, if not, then switch them:

Some BIOS versions not only regulate how the controller turns on, but also indicate its operating mode - V1.1 or V1.1+V2.0 (there is already 3.0). Choose the option that supports all directions (V1.1+V2.0). Save the settings and exit the BIOS (most often the F10 key).

USB drive is not detected by the system due to errors

After formatting, which may not have been entirely successful, the operating system may not see the flash drive due to errors. This can be checked in the “Disk Management” item, the entrance to which was described above. If the flash drive says “Good”, but it is still not visible in Explorer, the cause may be a formatting error.

This can be eliminated by new formatting. Right-click on the device and select “Format”. The flash drive should now display and work without errors.

Different file systems of flash cards and computers

To restore the operation of a usb flash that is not detected on the PC, you need to change the file system, which may cause a conflict on the computer. The file system of the latter is most often NTFS, while the flash device is FAT32. In the Disk Management window, you can see the file system types of different PC media.

Correct formatting solves the problem. For this:

In the window that opens, check the compliance of the specified capacity and the parameters of the flash drive. Specify the file system NTFS and check the box next to “Fast (cleaning table of contents)”. Now click “Start”:

Confirm your actions:

After the process is completed, the system will notify you:

Required OS updates for operation

When Windows XP is installed, the flash drive may not be recognized due to outdated updates required for its operation. However, some flash drives can work in PC USB ports, while others cannot.

The main updates required for normal operation of USB devices:

KB925196 – incorrect recognition;
KB817900 – port operation stops after the device is removed and reloaded;
KB968132 – errors when connecting several flash drives;
KB88740 – Rundll32.exe error;
KB895962 – stops the USB device after turning off the printer;
KB871233 – the flash card does not work after the PC wakes from sleep or hibernation;
KB314634 – support only older USB devices;
KB312370 (2007) – USB 2.0 support.

Recovery methods

When no problems are found with the system, you can use special recovery programs:

ChipGenius – determines the manufacturer and other information about the device;

AlcorMP – reflashes usb flash controllers from most manufacturers;
JetFlash Recovery Tool – reflashes flash drives from Transcend.

If your computer says "Insert disk" when booting, the problem may be outdated drivers that should be removed.

For this:

When the computer is turned off, disconnect all USB devices (except the mouse and keyboard);
turn on the PC;
download the DriveCleanup program;
Depending on the OS version, copy the 32-bit or 64-bit “drivecleunup.exe” to the C:WindowsSystem32 folder;
go to the command line and write “drivecleunup.exe”;
drivers will begin to be uninstalled:

After this, restart your computer. Insert the flash drive and the system will find new drivers for it.

A flash drive may not be detected for many reasons, the main of which are a malfunction of the device or USB port, as well as system errors, most of which can be eliminated by correct formatting and installing drivers. Some programs can also help restore USB flash, so you should follow the instructions in order.

In contact with

Classmates

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

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

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

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

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

Flash drive malfunction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Computer USB port is disabled

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dirty USB port or USB flash drive connector

A flash drive is considered a mobile storage medium and is often stored in pockets, bags, or hung as a keychain on keys. Due to constant mechanical movements, debris and dust accumulate in the connector. It’s difficult to call this phenomenon frequent, but it can damage a flash drive. Dust settles on the connector pins and does not make a good connection to the port on the computer. This causes the flash drive to freeze, slow data transfer speeds, and the inability to read information.

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

Virus infection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing, crashed or outdated drivers

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

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

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

These steps will allow you to remove the drivers for the USB drive. After removing them, disconnect and reconnect the flash drive to the computer’s USB port to reinstall the driver and solve the problem.

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

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

File system

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

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

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

File system conflict

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faulty power supply

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

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

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

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

Windows XP does not see the flash drive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If, after disconnecting auxiliary USB devices, the problem could not be solved, then the power supply may still be the cause, as well as an outdated USB port. In other words, older laptops cannot open flash drives larger than 32 GB. The problem can only be solved by purchasing a modern computer or laptop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reinstalling drivers for USB devices on Windows XP

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

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

Using the DriveCleanup utility

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

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

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

Automatic installation of USB drivers

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

Installing USB drivers manually

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

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

%SystemRoot%\INF\usbstor.inf

%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\drivers\usbstor.sys

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

Other Possible Causes

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

System message "Insert disk"

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

System message about the need to format the disk

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

System data error message

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

System hangs when connecting a flash drive

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

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

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

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

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

Error 43

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

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

Conclusion

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

In contact with

In recent years, flash drives have become very popular and almost every PC user has one. It has become the norm that almost every second person constantly carries a flash drive with all the necessary information. And this is not surprising, because a memory card is much more convenient than a previous generation storage medium, for example, like a disk.

Compactness and accessibility are not the main advantages of flash media. Users appreciate it primarily because all files for work or study are always at hand and, if necessary, they can be erased or overwritten.

But no technology is absolutely perfect. Problems such as the inability to read or open files are becoming increasingly common. The reason may lie either in the storage media itself or in the computer. And this is deplorable because in an instant you can lose all files with important information. That’s why it’s worth knowing why a flash drive stops working and all possible methods to fix the problem.

Non-working flash drive

Let's start with the worst, namely that the problem lies in the fact that the media has failed. Indeed, in this situation, repairing it will be almost impossible or unreasonably expensive.

Mostly, flash drives break after rough impact on the controller or chip, as well as due to short circuits and failure of contacts on the board. It happens that after getting into the water the carrier remains working and users only breathe a sigh of relief. But in vain! After the flash drive gets into the water and turns out to be working, you should immediately rewrite all the files to another medium. After all, just because it works correctly does not mean that after a while it will be the same. Moisture and electronics, although very small, are completely incompatible things and almost never their contact goes unnoticed.

Also, if the computer does not see the media, you first need to determine the reason. You need to inspect the body of the device for cracks and dents. Naturally, if the flash drive is completely smashed, it is useless to do anything at all.

But if you still have doubts about the device’s inoperability, you need to move on. It's easy enough to check if it works. You just need to insert the flash drive into your computer. If the device lights up (there is an LED built into the case) and the computer beeps when the device is connected, then the flash drive is working. This means the problem can still be fixed.

But if the carrier itself did not react in any way, like the PC, then it is useless to do anything. You can, of course, contact an electronics repairman or service center. They will try to resolder the contacts and may even replace the broken case, but this will be very expensive. It is easier to buy a new flash drive, unless, of course, there are vital files on the old one.

Is the flash drive showing signs of life? So, we look for the problem further.

De-energized USB port on the front panel of the PC

The most common reason why a computer does not see a flash drive is a de-energized USB port on the front panel. Many users automatically connect the flash drive to the computer through the front panel. It's easy and convenient. And somehow we completely forget that these are not the only ports on the PC.

This problem is especially likely after the PC has been repaired or cleaned from dust, replaced thermal paste, or any other activity that includes disassembling the system unit. It’s just that at the time of its assembly, due to forgetfulness, you may not connect the front ports to power. The problem is simple and easy to solve.

If you need files right here and now, you can simply use other ports. They must be working if the problem really is hardening of the front ports. If the flash drive works and the rear ports too, then there will be access to files. This can be called the first way to solve this problem. But after that, it’s still better to spend a little time and connect them, because habit is a gainful thing.

But method 2 already takes time. You need to connect the motherboard power cable to the front panel of the PC. The connectors may be different, depending on the case model. But it’s practically impossible to get confused in them, since each cable has markings and the whole structure is designed, so you need to try hard to connect a “foreign” cable.

But still, in different models there are wires of such types as “VCC”, “D-”, “D+”, and also “GND”. Also, those who are afraid of messing things up and doing something wrong can look at the color coding. As a rule, wires and connectors have the same markings. But just in case, you need to pay attention to the inscriptions.

First you need to gain access to the motherboard itself. To do this, you need to carefully unscrew the bolts holding the cover in place and remove it. It is recommended to put the bolts in one place so as not to lose them. After this you need to find the cable leading to the front panel and find the connector on the motherboard. Their markings must match. And so you can work on the principle of exclusion. If only one power cable is not connected, then its connectors are free. But you still need to carefully look at the color and letter markings.

Once the connector of the desired color is found, you need to carefully insert the power cable into it. Then, without assembling the case, turn on the computer and check the functionality of the front panel. If everything works well, then great; if not, then you should check the labeling more carefully.

If you cannot connect the cable due to fear of burning the contacts, it is recommended to call a specialist. A qualified specialist will do this work once or twice, and your equipment will work as before.

Malfunctioning or disabled USB port

In some cases, the problem that the computer does not see the flash drive is not the storage media itself, but the connector where it is connected. For example, a port may simply not work due to damaged contacts in it. And this port will not see not only the flash drive, but also any other device connected through it.

The problem can be easily solved if you have a little knowledge of circuit design. You just need to patch up the soldering iron contacts. But if such knowledge is completely absent, then the computer must be taken to a service center. There, problems can be quickly resolved for a small fee.

But it’s worth noting that if not a single port is working, then the problem may lie much deeper. For example, this may happen because the ports are disabled in the BIOS.

To reconnect the ports in the BIOS settings, you must first go into it. To do this, you need to restart the computer and press the F2 key in the first three seconds of the reboot. After this, the BIOS window should open. On different models, the keys for calling up the BIOS may differ. As a rule, they are marked.

To connect ports you need to follow the instructions:

After the BIOS is opened, you need to go to the Advanced Settings menu and select the USB configuration.
Find the line “USB Controller” and set the value opposite it to “Enabled”. This will allow you to use the ports.
After all the above manipulations, you need to save the changes by pressing the F10 key. This will not only save the changes, but will also exit the BIOS.

Now that we can say with confidence that the ports are connected, we need to check them. To do this, you need to connect a flash drive through one of the ports and make sure that everything works as it should. If the computer still does not see the flash drive, then the problem lies elsewhere.

Dirt and dust in the flash drive connector

Due to the fact that the flash drive is very compact, you always carry it with you in your pocket or bag. Some even attach it as a squirrel to their apartment or car keys. In addition, quite often the lid from it is lost.

It is this attitude towards the device that leads to its contamination. Small debris and dust getting into the card connector can damage it. This occurs because the pins become dirty and no longer interact properly with the port pins on the PC.

Also a sign that the flash drive is dirty can be its freezing, slow file transfer and reading of information. To clean the media connector you need a match or a cotton swab. Use a match to shake out all the debris from the connector. Soak a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe everything inside. This will help eliminate debris and prevent contact oxidation.

Viruses on PC or storage media

You should be especially careful to ensure that no virus gets onto the flash drive. Even on a trusted site you can get infected. And many users do not think about information security at all and download files from unverified sources.

Inserting a flash drive into someone else's computer that has viruses is a sure sign of infecting files that were already on the drive. Viruses on a computer multiply quite quickly, infecting more and more files.

This is why quite often a flash drive does not work precisely because it is infected with a virus. As a rule, in this case, the computer recognizes the media and beeps when it is connected. But the files on it cannot be read, and the system tries to convince the user that the flash drive was not found.

If this happens, first of all you need to install an antivirus on your computer and scan it completely. And in order to be able to view files on the card, you need to gain access to them. But to do this, you need to delete the infected document from it. To do this, first of all you need to do the following:

Open "Start";
Find through the search bar “Show hidden folders”;
Right-click on the item requested and go to “Show hidden files and folders”;
Find the line “Hide system files” and uncheck it;
Find the line “Show hidden files” and tick it;
Click the “Apply” button;
Click "OK".

After all these steps, you need to go to the “My Computer” folder and go to the problematic device, in this case the drive. In its folder you will see a file called “Autorun”. This file must be deleted, and then scan the flash drive for viruses using any anti-virus software. This can be done by right-clicking on the drive folder and selecting “Scan for viruses”. Typically, this line will be marked with your antivirus icon.

Once the flash drive is completely safe for use, you can easily read information from it. But, for example, if there were no viruses on it or it still did not work after all the manipulations, then the problem may lie in the lack of drivers.

Outdated drivers or their failure

It also happens that the flash drive is not displayed by the computer due to the drivers being outdated or a system failure. A common cause of failure is a power surge or sudden shutdown of the system. Also, older computers may simply not work with cards larger than 32 GB. Both can be solved by simply updating the drivers.

To do this you need to go to “Device Manager”. You can get to it through the “My Computer” folder and simply find it by searching in the system. After the “Device Manager” folder is opened, you need to insert the problematic flash drive into the computer port and open the “USB Controllers” tab. In the tab we find the line called “Storage device”, select it and delete it through the right-click menu. This is to remove the driver from the system for the flash drive. After removal, you need to reconnect the flash drive. This will launch automatic driver installation and the computer will see it as usual.

Of course, if the problem persists, then you need to try something else. For example, reinstalling all USB drivers may help. This can be done using the disk that came with the motherboard. If it is not there, then you can download a driver update program. There are many such programs on the Internet. They work identically. They scan your computer and display all drivers that have updates. Also, such programs themselves update them after agreement from the user.

It is worth noting that you should not doubt your actions due to the difference in USB formats. Drivers for ports 2.0 and 3.0 are installed in the same way. Moreover, the ports differ only in the speed of writing and reading information.

There are errors in the file system

Due to the fact that there is an error in the file system on the computer, it cannot see the drive. You can check this through Device Manager.

To do this, you need to insert the drive into the PC and go to the “Disk devices” tab in the manager. If the device is displayed, then the drive itself is working, and the system simply does not perceive it as necessary. The problem can be corrected by simply formatting the memory card. But this is a very delicate action. It will be described in detail in the next paragraph.

If the drive is not displayed in this tab, then the flash drive itself is faulty. Its contacts could come loose or the controller could burn out. When it comes to repairing equipment, experts are quite capable of resurrecting it. But such minor work will be unreasonably expensive; it will be cheaper to buy a new device.

Conflict between file systems

It happens that files on the media are not displayed by the computer due to a conflict between the file systems on the connected device and the PC. For example, this often happens when the file system on the computer is NTFS and the drive is FAT32. This occurs not only in Windows operating systems, but also in Apple products. So, for example, if a flash drive was formatted on a MacBook, it will not be readable on a PC with the Windows operating system.

So, it turns out that the only way out is to format the device. But before doing this, it would be wise to copy the files to a computer with a different operating system. The last PC on which the drive was used is perfect. After formatting, the flash drive will be completely empty.

To properly format the drive you need to follow the instructions:

Open the “My Computer” folder;
Right-click on the connected device and select “Properties”;
In the window that appears, see what file system is used on the drive and remember. Close this window;
Right-click on the folder of the connected device and select the “Format” function;
In the window that appears, check the box that matches the file system of the drive. This will allow you to format it into the desired file system;
Check the “Quick” attribute and click “Start”.

After some time, the PC will report that formatting the drive is complete. The flash drive is formatted correctly and should now work correctly.

IMPORTANT! Quick formatting is chosen not only for the reason that files will be deleted faster. If suddenly there was something important on the flash drive, only in this deletion option can these files be returned using a special program. If you do not use quick formatting, the files will be lost forever.

Unformatted flash drive

Quite often, when a completely new flash drive is inserted into the port, the PC warns that the device needs to be formatted before use. That is, until formatting occurs, there is no access to the device. If the flash drive is new and there is no information on it, then you can safely format it of any type. The problem will go away after this.

But if the flash drive is not new and has been used before, that is, it has the necessary files or not, then you can try connecting it to the port of another PC. Then again to the computer, which does not provide access to the files. This simple action helps resolve the problem.

If the problem does not go away, then it is better to copy the necessary files to another PC and format the flash drive. Step-by-step instructions for correct formatting were provided just above.

The flash drive has been assigned a busy letter or there are problems with the partition

As already mentioned, technology is imperfect and even a computer can make mistakes. Thus, the PC may incorrectly determine the type of connected device. But you can’t tell by looking at it, because the computer signals the connection and the flash drive is displayed. But it cannot be used for its intended purpose.

Also, the problem itself may be that the system did not assign a letter to the partition, or did so, but it is already occupied. For this reason, a conflict between addresses arises.

To fix this, you need to try assigning a letter to the partition. You need to do this manually according to the instructions:

Press “Win+R” simultaneously to open the “Run” window;
Enter the command diskmgmt.msc into the line of the window. It will redirect to the section we need for managing drives;
In the connected device manager you need to find the flash drive. You can simply turn it off and on and see what appears;
On the partition defined as a connected drive, you need to right-click and click on “Change letter”;
In the window that appears, click sequentially “Change” - “Ok”;

After this, an additional dialog box will open in which you can select the letter you like for the drive. After making your selection, just click on “Ok” and the selected letter will correspond to the device section.

ADVICE! Before choosing a drive letter, you should look at those that are already occupied. Otherwise, the problem will remain if you unknowingly assign a busy letter to the device.

Power supply is faulty or portal overcurrent

Many users noted that the computer did not see the drive because the power supply was faulty. Its job is to consume and distribute energy. Like any device, it has a limit on power values. That is why the distribution across nodes is balanced.

For example, such a situation may arise after replacing one node. And the new element requires more energy than the others. Because of this, the balance in the distribution of energy is upset, and since the power supply cannot supply more energy to the replaced node, it simply does not reach other points.

Such an imbalance in energy distribution can literally cut off power to the PC's USB network. It is correct to calculate in advance the energy consumption of a particular component when replacing it. But if an important element was replaced without this calculation, then all that remains is to buy a more powerful power supply.

But if the unit has not been replaced, then most likely the power supply is faulty and incorrectly produces the potential for power. For example, after a breakdown, it began to produce less power than declared by the manufacturers. In this case, you should not even try to fix the problem, since the fate of the entire PC is at stake. It's better to replace the power supply.

There is another explanation for the fact that the PC does not see the flash drive. Look at your computer, what is connected to it? A computer mouse, a keyboard lamp, a smartphone on charge and maybe some other device? And all this overloads the USB ports. Simply connecting multiple devices already consumes the maximum current distributed to them. And there's an extra flash drive there. In order for the PC to start seeing the map, you need to disconnect a couple of devices and the problem will be solved.

What to do if a PC running Windows XP does not recognize the flash drive

There are a large number of reasons why a memory card is not recognized by a PC running the Windows XP operating system. The problem may be either in the storage medium itself or in the operating system. But the computer hardware itself may also be to blame.

If the operating system is the reason that the computer does not see the connected device, then it is necessary to make changes in the OS settings. This can be done using special utilities, but it is recommended to do everything yourself.

A faulty flash drive is not worth the money that can be spent on repairing it at a service center. The only thing worth doing is keeping this one and buying a new drive. You should choose a good quality flash drive with a casing made of durable material. This will help protect the new drive from mechanical damage.

As a rule, if the PC cannot detect the drive, the OS informs the user about this with the following messages:

The drive is inserted into the computer port and when you try to read information from it, a message like “Insert disk drive” pops up.
When you try to read information from the card, the OS reports that the drive must be formatted before use and does not allow you to read data without this. It turns out that it is not possible to view the files, since after formatting they will be deleted.
After the user attempts to access files on a connected device, the OS reports that access to files on the drive is impossible.
Immediately after connecting the device through the port, the OS freezes. It is noteworthy that when the drive is removed, everything returns to normal.

When solving the problem that the PC does not see or read files from the drive, it is necessary to solve it sequentially, strictly following the points:

The first thing you should pay attention to when connecting a drive is the indicator on the card body. It is built in there in order to determine the performance of the device itself. If the LED blinks, but the flash drive is not read by the computer, this means that the problem is in the OS itself or the PC hardware.
The flash drive looks fine, but still doesn't work? It is recommended to change the port. There is a possibility that the one in which the flash drive is inserted is not working properly. Quite often, when connecting a drive through an incorrectly working port, the computer freezes. This is easy to check, since there are other ports on the computer. If everything works as it should when you reconnect the device, then you need to either stop using the broken port or have it repaired at a service center. It is also recommended to check whether it is dirty. Dirt and dust can interfere with the connection of the contacts and cleaning usually eliminates the problem.
When using hubs or extension cables to connect a USB device, it may not be recognized by the computer due to a malfunction of the additional equipment. It can be easily repaired with minimal knowledge. Upon inspection, you can easily notice contacts that have come loose and a soldering iron can easily fix this. You can also solve everything without personal intervention and simply take the hub for repair.
There is a possibility that not enough current is supplied to the USB ports. This happens due to their overload with various devices. This can be easily checked by turning off all extraneous devices, leaving only the essentials, namely the keyboard and computer mouse. After this, you need to connect the drive and make sure that it works. If this is the case, then the power supply is too weak and needs to be replaced. But buying a cheaper hub for USB devices can help, since it has its own power source.
If the previous steps did not help resolve the problem, then there is a possibility that the power supply does not have enough power or the USB port is out of date for your drive. In a word, old computers and laptops cannot read drives larger than 32 GB. Nothing can be done here. Either use a smaller drive, or replace the computer with a more modern model.
Well, the last possibility of a faulty flash drive is that it is connected out of habit to the front port. It may be de-energized due to the fact that the port is not connected to the motherboard. Also, the ports may not be working due to lack of power. You can connect them to the motherboard yourself. Detailed instructions for connecting them are located in the section above.

Errors in Windows XP prevent you from seeing your drive

The device may not be detected due to errors in the operating system itself. For example, the OS may simply not have the necessary update software packages needed for the correct operation of devices connected via USB ports. It is also possible that only some devices can be read on a certain port.

You can solve this problem by updating the system to SP3 and making all the updates that are available. This does not require any special knowledge. A couple of clicks and the system will do everything automatically.

Updates can be downloaded either from Windows Update or from media (flash drive, disk). But first of all, you need to check which package is installed on the system. To do this you need to do the following:

Right-click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”.
In the window that opens, view the necessary information.

In order to install updates, you need to let the system search for and install them on its own. This can be done in the Windows Update panel. After the system gains control, it will independently find the necessary updates and ask the user for permission to install them. The installation can be done either selectively of all found ones, or as a whole package. It is recommended to perform a custom installation only if you have an idea of what the selected update does. If there is no such knowledge, then it is better to let the system install all the updates found.

After the system has installed all the necessary OS updates, it will ask you to restart the computer. This is necessary for the changes to take effect. It does not take a lot of time. After the reboot, you can safely plug in the USB flash drive and get on with your business.

For those who want to install only some updates, you need to know which one does what. Here's the information you need to get started:

There is a conflict between drivers in Windows XP

It also happens that due to conflicting drivers, the computer cannot recognize the connected device. Thus, old drivers can cause errors in the system and prevent new ones from working correctly. The problem can be expressed as an error message popping up when a flash drive is inserted. The system does not see it and requires you to insert a disk to start working. Sometimes the OS freezes.

This happens because the drivers conflict. For example, a user has two drives. After he inserts drive No. 1 into the PC, the system automatically installs drivers for this type of device. After finishing working with this device, the user removes it and begins working with drive No. 2. As a rule, the second flash drive is working, but the system still reports an error. This happens because the OS uses the installed driver after using drive #1 to start the second one. But they are incompatible with each other.

Reinstalling drive drivers on Windows XP

Since the drivers are incompatible with each other, they need to be reinstalled. This can be done either automatically or independently.

Due to the fact that the system uses drivers from one device to another connected via a port, you must first remove all drivers for this type of drive. Then perform a clean installation.

Typically, if there is such a conflict, the OS displays a message stating that the inserted device cannot be recognized. Also, the system may completely freeze, making it impossible to perform work on the PC.

Removing drivers using the DRIVECLEANUP utility

The special DRIVECLEANUP utility will help you remove drivers simply and effectively. This utility is good because before uninstalling it searches for drivers in the system. After which they are deleted.

To start fixing the problem, you need to turn on the PC and disconnect all unnecessary devices from it, leaving only the keyboard and computer mouse. This will help avoid various conflict situations during the process.

Then you need to download the driver removal utility. It is advisable to do this through a trusted resource, or better yet, from the official website of the program. The program itself is compatible with all versions of the OS. When the utility is downloaded, you need to open it using administrator rights. This can be done by right-clicking on the program icon and selecting “Open as administrator.” Then the utility will do everything on its own.

Place the utility file for updating drivers in a system folder called System.
Open the command line and write the command drivecleanup.exe and execute it by pressing the Enter key.
This command will launch the utility, and the command line will display information about all drivers on the PC.

This will also remove them.

Automatic installation

Since in the previous paragraph all drivers were removed from the computer, you need to reinstall them. This is necessary for normal operation of the system. Fortunately, they can be installed automatically. It's very easy to do.

The only thing you need is a flash drive. You just need to insert it into the USB port of your computer. After the PC recognizes the device, automatic installation of drivers for it will begin.

Quite often this will be evident from the pop-up dialog box. But in some systems, the process of automatically installing drivers for a new device occurs unnoticed by the user.

This process is short-lived. This can take a maximum of 2-3 minutes, no more. After installing the drivers, the device will start working correctly. This means that now the computer will not only recognize the card, but also read information from it.

Manual installation

You can also install the drivers yourself without using a flash card. To do this, you need to download drivers from the Internet. But in this case, a conflict with the system may arise. That is why it is recommended to install using another PC.

To do this, you need to take the flash drive that had problems and insert it into the computer where it is recognized. There is a small condition for manually installing drivers, namely that the version of the operating system on the PC where the flash drive is not recognized and the one from which the installation will be carried out must completely match.

Now you need to search through the system to find two files with paths: %SystemRoot%\INF\usbstor.inf and %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\drivers\usbstor.sys

In any convenient way, you need to move these files to a PC that does not recognize the flash drive. This can be done, for example, using another flash drive or sent via Kidney or via Contact. On a computer that has a problem recognizing the drive, the files need to be placed in a folder with the same path where they were located on the working PC. After moving them to the required folder, the system will ask the user to confirm the replacement of files. When everything is ready you need to restart the system. And you can safely use an already working flash drive, as the problem will be resolved.

Here we have discussed the most common reasons why a flash drive is not recognized by a computer. But as you might guess, there are many other reasons for its inoperability. This error may also be accompanied by other messages from the system.

"Insert disc" message

This message may appear when a disc is inserted. First of all, it is recommended to check how the flash drive is inserted and whether the device itself reacts (flashing LED). It happens that over time the flash drive bends, and in order for contact to occur, you need to insert it into the port slowly until a sound signal is heard.

This may also occur due to the overlap of drivers from the previous media. Because of their incompatibility, it turns out that the flash drive doesn’t seem to exist. To correct the situation, you need to remove all drivers and install (simply reconnect the flash drive after removing the drivers).

The system requires you to format the disk before use.

This may happen because the flash drive is new and has never been used. In this case, you can format it without consequences, since there are no files on it.

But this may indicate a system failure in the flash drive itself or its damage. The solution to this problem is described above, and the principle of correct disk formatting is also given there.

A message appears indicating that there is a data error

This message appears when:

There are incompatible drivers on the computer. Solution: uninstall and reinstall drivers.
A conflict has occurred in the file systems. Solution: format the flash drive in the desired system with preliminary saving of the data.
There is a failure in the media itself.

The system hangs after connecting the device

This PC behavior may indicate that:

The port through which the media was connected is faulty.
Presence of incompatible drivers.

To eliminate one of the problems, you need to connect the flash drive through a different port. If everything works, then that's it. No, it's the drivers' fault.

The computer does not see the flash drive, but it signals the connection

When the media is connected, an indicator on it lights up, indicating that contact has been established. If in this case the computer does not see the flash drive, a faulty contact in the media itself, which is directly responsible for transmitting information, may be to blame.

Also, a conflict between drivers or an already occupied partition letter can also cause such a reaction.

Error 43 / Error 43

If the OS produces this error, then it is useless to even try to access the files on the media, since it automatically stops the process of reading information on the device. The following reasons may cause this error:

Media failure. It is recommended to check its functionality on a third-party PC.
Presence of incompatible drivers in the system.
The equipment configuration has been updated. Solution6: Roll back the driver in the Manager.

Conclusion

The article described all types of the most common reasons why a computer does not see a flash drive, and also described ways to solve them. It is recommended that if there is such a problem, solve it sequentially, following the points of the article. This will help correct the situation only if the flash drive is not mechanically damaged irreversibly.

And allows you to quickly save important files and text documents. However, sometimes users are faced with the fact that the flash drive does not appear on the computer. What to do in this situation? What could cause problems of this kind?

It is worth considering 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 folders, and sometimes it does not even “see” that the device is connected. Finding yourself in such a situation, every user asks himself a completely logical question: “Why is the flash drive not displayed on my computer?” Some begin to panic, worrying that all saved data will now be lost. But don't despair prematurely. First you need to calmly deal with the causes of the problem. There may be several of these.

Lack of power or socket problems

Typically, stationary system units have several ports for connecting USB storage devices. Some of them are located on the front part of the system unit, and they quite often stop working correctly.

In this case, you need to try inserting the flash drive into the slot located on the back of the computer. If there are no corresponding ports there, then you need to check the headphone output hole, which is usually also located on the front of the system unit. If the audio track does not play, then the problem is due to a mechanical failure of the connectors. Another possible explanation is that they were not originally connected to the PC motherboard. Developers very often make this mistake when producing systems systems.

In addition, if the computer is via USB, this may indicate that too little power is being supplied to the connector, which is why the media is constantly turning on and off. This happens due to errors by developers who do not always fit the cables as tightly as possible into the required 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. It is much easier to contact a 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 reasons for the non-functioning removable media.

Drivers

Each flash drive has software installed by default, which should be automatically activated when the device is connected to the 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 Device Manager. You can do this in two ways:

Right-click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. On the left in the window that opens there will be a list of available directories. From it you need to select “Device Manager”.
Left-click on “Start” and enter the name of the required directory in the search.

If everything is done correctly, a new window will open with a list of all connected devices and a report on their operation. In this list you need to find “USB controllers”. There will be a “+” icon next to the inscription. You need to click on it and see if there is an exclamation mark next to any of the devices.

If one of the drivers does not work correctly, then you need to right-click on it and select “Update”. After this, the system will try to independently find the required software.

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 the current version of the software. After this, 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 no longer sees the flash drive, you can use other ways to solve this problem.

Windows Troubleshooters

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 standard troubleshooting tools, you need to unplug the flash drive and reinsert it. After this, the system usually notifies you 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, launch it and click the “Next” button. The program will automatically begin diagnosing and correcting possible faults. As a result, the utility will report a verdict and offer several options to choose from to solve the problem. The user only needs to follow the program's recommendations.

In some cases, standard troubleshooting tools will produce a report indicating that no problems were found. This means that the functionality of the utility was not enough to work. This 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.

Viruses

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 “Computer” and enter the name of the flash drive (usually some Latin letter) in the address bar, 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 startup directory. To do this, select “Tools” 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. Having found “Hide files”, you need to uncheck that option and activate the visibility of hidden files. After this, 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 the flash drive still does not appear in the “My Computer” folder, 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 this, all that remains is to scan the system for possible malware. It is possible that there may be residual virus files on your computer.

If nothing helps and the flash drive is not visible to the phone and computer, then you can try more complex manipulations.

You can also try disconnecting all devices from the computer and restarting the PC. After this, you need to scan it for viruses, turn the device off and on again, and only then connect the 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.

Formatting media

If the device is not visible not only on the PC, but also on the smartphone, then the problems may be more serious. As a rule, in this case, a message appears on the monitor stating that the installed disk needs to be formatted. When starting to fulfill the system requirement, you need to understand that this operation will destroy absolutely all data from the removable media. But along with the necessary documents, malicious or incorrect software will also be removed.

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:

Go to “Properties” by right-clicking on “My Computer”.
In the drop-down menu, activate the formatting function.
Choose a file system that will fully match your PC.
Check the box next to “Quick”. In this case, the files may be saved, but the “broken” folders will not disappear along with them.
Click "Start".

There are other reasons why the flash drive does not appear in the My Computer folder.

Partition conflict

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 assigned the name “K” to one of them, and at the same time the same index is set on the removable media by default, this will lead to a failure. Solving this problem is very simple.

To do this, you need to go to the “Control Panel” and make a selection by category (this will be more convenient). After this, 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 “Storage 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 “does not please” the OS.

To correct this small oversight, just assign a new index to the drive. To do this, you need to right-click on the nameless flash drive and select “Change letter”.

After this, a new window will appear on the laptop computer monitor, and the system will offer to change the letter. It is not recommended to use the letter “A” for a flash drive, as it only applies to floppy disks. For the same reason, you should not use the symbol "B". The "C" index is usually assigned to the main system partition of the hard drive. The letter "D" is responsible for the second logical partition, so it is also not suitable.

All other symbols can be safely used for the drive.

Continuing to understand why the flash drive is not visible on the computer and how to solve this problem, it is worth considering several more options.

Replacing an extension cord

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 come off or break, making it impossible to use the accessory correctly.

This can happen if too many devices are 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 it's all about the extension cord. It's also worth trying to use the splitter with another device to check its functionality.

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. It is possible that the connectors for removable drives are simply disabled.

How to enable USB ports

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 will need to go into the BIOS. After this, you need to go to the section responsible for controllers and activate the connectors if they are actually disabled. As a rule, the necessary settings are located in the Advanced section. To enable controllers, just use the arrows on your keyboard to select Enable next to the USB Controllers line. Next, just press F10 to save your changes. After this, all that remains is to boot the computer in normal mode.

There is also a simpler explanation why a Windows computer does not see a USB flash drive.

Mechanical damage

The miniature device could fall on the floor or into the water. Its fragile parts are very easily damaged by impact.

To check the functionality of the flash drive, just insert it into the appropriate slot on your PC. If the indicator light on the drive does not light up and the computer does not make the characteristic “duck-duck” sound, then the accessory may be damaged.

In this case, it will be very difficult to “reanimate” the flash drive yourself. 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. Experts also recommend saving important data not on flash drives, but on removable hard drives. They break much less often and last longer.

Specialized programs

If the user purchased a flash drive from popular manufacturers Kingston, Verbatium and others, then it is worth familiarizing yourself with the software that these companies offer. If you look at their official websites, you can find specialized utilities there that will help you quickly restore the operation of your 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 produces 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 you should make 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 at the most unexpected moment. It is also recommended to promptly clean your PC registry and check it for viruses. Some of them may be located in system files. Therefore, do not forget about OS security.

Computer technology changes quickly. Recently, several types of storage media have changed: floppy disks, CDs, flash cards. Flash drives are so easy to use that they have become commonplace for students, office workers and simply users of personal computers. Like any device, sometimes they are prone to malfunctions, and then a problem appears. What to do if the flash drive doesn't work? What should be done to get it back working?

The most common problems associated with these information media are: The computer displays it as a removable disk with a capacity of 0 MB, or the PC sees it as a removable disk, but does not allow access to it. At the same time, the message appears: “Insert a disc into the drive.”

To find out why a flash drive does not work, you first need to determine what controller and memory chip it has. If a controller or memory chip fails, Windows cannot recognize it and identify it as a connected device, and cannot install the necessary driver. An error in device recognition appears due to the program that controls the controller, which does not read the memory chip. In this case, you need to disassemble the flash drive and run the controller in test mode. To do this, you need to close two special areas in the device’s memory chips. The reason why the flash drive does not work and the computer does not see it may be that the USB device controller is not connected in the BIOS. You need to find the Integrated Peripherals parameter in the Award BIOS, and find the Advanced parameter in the Ami BIOS. They contain an item called USB Configuration. You need to go into it and press Enter, after which the USB controller should be in the “On” position.

In cases where the flash drive does not work, you can use special programs. For example, AlcorMP.ini will do. True, this program does not involve saving information on a flash drive, since it formats the device when launched. The initial program configuration file must be saved, as it will undergo changes in accordance with the flash drive.

After restoring the device's functionality using the AlcorMP.ini program, the safe removal icon may disappear. To prevent this from happening, just check the Uninstall Driver When Close MP box in Setup-BadBlock. You must follow the rules: first launch the AlcorMP.ini program, and only then insert the flash drive, and vice versa - close the program and then remove the flash drive.

If the flash drive does not work, then the reason may lie in the number of devices connected to the computer and their power, as well as their electricity consumption. If there is a shortage of power for them (scanner, printer), then Windows turns off some devices and, as a result, does not see the flash drive. You can find out the power of the USB controller in the “Properties” - “Power” tab in the device manager. The reasons why a flash card malfunctions may lie in its incorrect removal from the computer’s USB port or in virus attacks.

Flash drives are not only convenient, removable devices for storing information, but thanks to their interesting design, they turn into collectibles. For example, there is a transformable flash drive released by Ravage. Your collection of original gizmos can be replenished with a robot cat, which turns into a flash drive with a memory capacity of two gigabytes, compatible with Windows OS.