What to do if the computer does not see the flash drive? Removable drives and HDDs should be extremely easy to use. But sometimes it happens that after connecting an external USB device to a personal computer with the Windows operating system, it is categorically not recognized. If the computer does not see the flash drive, then this may be due to problems with partitions on the removable drive, using the wrong file system, faulty connectors, outdated drivers, or other reasons.

Below in the text, as well as at the end of the article, you can watch a video why the computer does not see a removable drive. Perhaps from it you will learn or understand more than from the article.

If the PC does not see the flash drive through "My Computer", then, in the worst case, this may mean that the removable drive is out of order and can no longer be restored. Pocket flash drives and large external HDDs work on the same principle, so the tips below are relevant for both types of devices.

What to do if the laptop does not see the flash drive? First of all, you need to find out if the drive is displayed in the disk management manager. Windows Explorer should automatically detect a removable device when it's connected via a USB port. Insert a disc into the slot. In some cases, to activate an external device, you must press a special button or lever on it. Heavy removable HDDs, unlike flash drives, can even be connected to the mains using a separate power cable, so the computer may not see the external drive if it is turned off.

Now you need to open the disk management tool. To do this, press the key combination Win + R, enter diskmgmt.msc in the line that appears and confirm with Enter. Now we can see the external drive in the control window. It should appear here even if it doesn't have sections.

If you see a device here that is not readable, then you can immediately start formatting it so that Windows Explorer and various devices can access it. If the netbook did not detect the flash drive, then go to the next section, in which we will try to determine why the drive is not recognized.

Now we need to somehow get Windows Explorer to recognize the external drive. It may not be recognized due to a hardware issue with the computer's USB port. Other possible causes may be incorrectly installed drivers or physical damage to the flash drive.

What to do when the computer does not see the flash drive? First, you need to disconnect the drive from one USB port and try connecting it to another. If the removable drive worked in the new slot, it means that the problem was in the failure of the previous one. In case you are using a USB extension cable, try unplugging it and connecting the flash drive to your computer directly. Similar cables sometimes cannot provide a removable device enough electricity to work.

Driver Issues

If Windows 7 does not see the flash drive in the disk management tool, even after you have connected it to another connector on the laptop, then the malfunction may be both in the flash drive itself and in the PC. If there is another computer nearby, then you need to try connecting the drive to it to see if it detects it. If the flash drive refused to work on several computers, then it most likely has outlived its usefulness and must be disposed of. But before making such a sad conclusion, you should definitely check if the removable device appears in the disk management window on other computers.

If the drive works on other PCs, or you don't have additional PCs handy that you can use, you need to check that the installed drivers are up to date. This is done using Device Manager. To open it, press the key combination Win + R, enter devmgmt.msc in the opened line and confirm with Enter.

In the list of devices that appears, you need to carefully check all disks for the presence of an icon in the form of a yellow exclamation mark. If such a symbol was found, then the problem lies in the drivers. We right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark, select "Properties" and look at the error message. It should help you solve the problem, since it can be copied into the Google search bar to find reviews from other users who have experienced a similar problem.

Problems like this can be difficult to fix. If the computer does not see the drive relatively recently, then you can try running System Restore. But it's best to use the "Update Driver" button to install latest version necessary software. You can try clicking "Roll back driver", in the hope that its previous version will be workable. You can also use the "Delete" button to make the external device disappear from the system's field of vision until the computer is restarted. It also happens that when you restart Windows, the flash drive suddenly becomes working.

Partitioning and Formatting

If the computer does not see the USB flash drive, then the Disk Management tool can be used to fix partition and file system problems. If you see that the disk is partitioned and full of unallocated space, then you can create a new partition on it. Thanks to this, Windows and other operating systems will be able to work with a flash drive.

We right-click inside the unallocated space, select "New Simple Partition" and follow the program's further instructions. If the disk is divided into parts, but still not displayed, you need to check if it is assigned a specific letter. Usually this should happen automatically, but in some cases manual input may be required. We right-click on the partition of the removable disk, select "Change letter" and enter any free letter. For example, you can write "G:", and in the future the drive on the computer will be called that way.

If the disk is partitioned, but XP does not see the flash drive, then it is not certain that the partitioning was done using the correct file system. For example, a flash drive can be formatted with ext4 for Linux (Linux) or HFS Plus for Mac (Mac). In this case, Windows 10 does not see the flash drive, because such a system is not familiar to it. You need to reformat the drive with NTFS or FAT32. Thanks to this, Windows will be able to recognize the flash memory. To reconfigure a partition, right-click on it, click "Format" and select the desired file system.

Note that this will delete all files on the drive. It makes sense to first connect the USB flash drive to a Linux or Mac device in order to copy the data. If you cannot connect a removable drive to devices such as a DVD player or TV, then the reason may be in the NTFS file system. The above technique only works with FAT32.

Each person has encountered an unpleasant situation when the PC does not see the USB flash drive. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very different, but in the most common cases, special knowledge or skills are not required to eliminate this problem, it is enough just to have an elementary idea of \u200b\u200bthe operation of the device.

If you do not know anything about the desktop, and the standard methods for solving this issue do not help, then this article will help you. It will discuss the main reasons why the PC does not see the connected device and methods for solving this problem.

Device failure

The most banal, but at the same time, the most unpleasant option is a drive failure. To check this, you need to try using the flash drive on another computer. If he also does not see the device, then the diagnosis is obvious. Unfortunately, nothing can be done in this case. Your only option is to buy a new drive.

USB port problem

It is not uncommon for the drive to not be visible to the computer due to problems with the USB port. If we are talking about the rear port, then most likely the problem lies in its breakdown. In this case, it is recommended to call a wizard who can fix it. But if the drive was inserted into the front USB port, then more rosy scenarios are possible.

One option is a low power front port. In this case, it is recommended to simply insert the drive into the rear port.
The front USB port may not be connected to the motherboard. In this case, you just need to connect it to the motherboard. But if you do not understand computers at all and cannot do this, then you should call the wizard. If you do not want to use the services of a wizard, then you can simply insert the drive into the rear USB port.
If the previous tips did not help, then you should look into the BIOS. The fact is that sometimes the manufacturer disables USB ports. This happens quite rarely, but still do not forget about this possibility. In this case, you need to enter the BIOS (when Windows starts, press Del, F2, or another key, which depends on the PC manufacturer). In bios, you need to find the Configuration USB-> Advanced-> USB configuration section and enable USB ports there (there should be a USB Controller).
As in the case of the rear port, the most common failure is also possible. Again, it is worth calling the master.

Virus on computer/flash drive

The probable reason why Windows does not detect a USB flash drive may be a virus. Therefore, if your desktop suddenly stopped seeing the connected device, then it is worth checking both the computer and the drive for a virus. If a virus is found after the scan, the antivirus will fix the problem and your PC will safely see the device.

Driver failure

The PC may not be able to detect the USB drive due to a problem with the specific device's drivers. In order to check this, you should go to the device manager (My computer-> *Right-click*-> Properties-> Hardware-> Device Manager). Next, you need to click on the black plus, which is located next to the "USB Controllers" section.

Then you need to insert the drive and pay attention to which driver has changed. It needs to be removed. Immediately after that, we take out the flash drive and immediately insert it back. If you uninstalled that driver, the installation of the new driver will begin. After that, the PC will be able to see the connected device without any problems.

File system incompatibilities

To solve this type of problem, you need to format the drive with the correct file system. If you need to find out the file system on your PC, you should go to My Computer-> *Right Click*-> Properties. In this section, you will learn which file system you need to format the drive with. This can be done using a special program that will see the USB flash drive if your problem is really an incompatibility of file systems. In the program settings, specify the required file system and after a couple of minutes enjoy the fact that the desktop sees your device.

Problem with recognized drive partitions

If your USB drive is found, but it is not in the device partitions, then this means that it has been assigned the letter of an existing partition. This problem is quite common, but it is very easy to fix. To solve it, you need to go to Control Panel-> Administrative Tools-> Computer Management-> Disk Management. The central part of the screen will contain all the drives that are connected to the system in this moment. You need to click on the "removable disk" (this is how your Flash card will be recognized) and then select the "replace drive letter" item. Here you change the assigned letter to any other free one, after which it will definitely be visible to the PC.

USB port dirty

Perhaps this is one of the most commonplace reasons why the PC does not see the flash drive. If the connector is dirty, you just need to clean it. As a result, your drive will become visible to the computer (of course, in the absence of other problems).
In this article, all possible reasons why a computer may not see a flash drive have been sorted out. If suddenly you could not solve your problem, then you should double-check each of the possible causes. And then your flash drive will definitely be recognized by the computer.

Your computer does not see the flash drive, what should I do? First of all, you need to find out if this is due to hardware problems - a malfunction of the USB port or the drive itself. How to do it? When a good drive is connected to a working port, its LED should start flashing. This indicates that both the flash drive and the port are in perfect order, and the source of the problem is of a software nature and is located in the operating system itself. Otherwise, the malfunction has a hardware cause. Let's look at the options in more detail.

Hardware reasons

It often happens that the computer does not see the USB flash drive connected to the USB port located on the front panel of the system unit. The main reason for this failure is that these ports are simply not connected to the power supply or insufficient voltage is supplied to them. To solve this problem, try connecting your drive to one of the ports located with reverse side system block. Most likely, the flash drive will be easily determined.
It is possible for a USB device not to receive enough power due to overcurrent in the ports or the hub, or due to a problem with the power supply. Owners of older laptops may also experience this problem due to the large size of the USB drive. In such a situation, nothing can be done. Another reason is too a large number of simultaneously used USB ports. Disconnect devices that are not currently needed and try reconnecting your drive.
If after that the computer does not see the USB flash drive, then most likely the problem is not in the ports. Connect it to another PC, or better - to several. If the situation has not changed, the flash drive is definitely faulty. You can try to repair it by giving it to the appropriate specialist. Most often, this will cost more than the cost of the drive itself. Therefore, you need to resort to this option only if the information contained on the flash drive is important, and you just need to restore it. In other cases, it is easier and cheaper to purchase a new one.

Software reasons

If the USB device turned out to be working, then the problem lies in the settings of the operating system. For example, often the computer does not see a USB flash drive when USB ports are disabled in the BIOS. If this interface is enabled in the settings, then when you connect the drive, you may see a message that says "USB device not recognized" and the safe removal icon will change to an exclamation mark. What could be the reason for this, we will consider further.

One of the most common problems is that when you connect a USB device, it is assigned a drive letter that is already present in the operating system, so the computer does not see the USB flash drive. Most often this happens when there are network drives. To fix this, you need to go to the "Control Panel" menu, then to the "Administrative Tools" section, then "Computer Management". In the window that opens, select the "Disk Management" line on the left. A list of disks visible to the system will open on the right, among which your USB drive should be. Select it and go to the context menu, find "Change drive letter or drive path". Assign any free letter to the flash drive.
Another reason may be outdated versions or no motherboard drivers at all. In order to determine its model, we recommend using the Everest program. Next, download the most up-to-date versions of the drivers from the official website of the manufacturer. We do not recommend installing software from other sources - this can cause irreparable harm to your PC.
It happens that everything is checked and in order, but the system does not see correct driver. To check this setting, you should use the "Device Manager", which can be accessed through the same "Control Panel". In the list that opens, pay attention to "USB Controllers": if at least one USB device has a yellow question mark next to it, remove it and install the driver again. The last resort is to uninstall all USB controller drivers. After a reboot, the operating system will automatically install them again. It is important to note that it is better not to use this method without special need.
Sometimes viruses can be the reason for the "invisibility" of a flash drive. In this case, be sure to scan your PC for malware and get rid of the infected files. If you can't afford a paid antivirus program, it doesn't matter. There are now a large number free apps, or you can temporarily use the trial version of some well-known antivirus.
Also, do not discount the possibility of a conflict between the file systems of the USB drive and the PC. The most common option is when the computer file system is NTFS, and flash drives are FAT. In this case, just reformat it to NTFS as well, that should help.

In recent years, flash drives have become very popular and almost every PC user has them. 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 a flash drive. Users appreciate it primarily for the fact that 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. Increasingly, there are problems such as the inability to read or open files. The reason may lie both in the media itself and in the computer. And this is deplorable because in an instant you can lose all files from important information. That is why it is worth knowing for what reasons the flash drive stops working and all possible methods to fix the problem.

Non-working flash drive

Let's start with the worst, namely the fact that the problem lies in the fact that the media is out of order. Indeed, in this situation, it will be almost impossible or unreasonably expensive to repair it.

Basically, flash drives break after a rough impact on the controller or chip, as well as due to the short circuit and failure of the contacts on the board. It happens that after getting into the water, the carrier remains working and users only sigh with relief. But in vain! After the flash drive got into the water and turned out to be working, it is worth immediately rewriting all the files to another medium. After all, the fact that 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, first of all, you need to establish the cause. It is necessary to inspect the body of the device for cracks and dents. Naturally, if the flash drive is broken into a cake, it is useless to do anything at all.

But if you still have doubts about the inoperability of the device, you need to go further. Checking if it works is easy enough. You just need to insert the flash drive into the computer. If the device lights up (it is available in the form of an LED built into the case) and the computer beeps about connecting the device, then the flash drive is working. So 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 a service center. They will try to solder the contacts and even replace the broken case, but it will be very expensive. It's 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 are looking for a problem further.

Powerless USB port on the front of the PC

The most common reason why the computer does not see the USB flash drive is a dead USB port on the front panel. For many users, it comes to automatism to connect a USB flash drive to a computer through the front panel. It's easy and convenient. And somehow it is completely forgotten that these are not the only ports on the PC.

This problem is especially likely after the PC has been repaired or dusted, replaced with thermal paste, or any other activity that involves parsing the system unit. Just at the time of its assembly, due to forgetfulness, you can not connect the front ports to the power supply. The problem is simple and easily solved.

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

But method 2 already takes time. You need to connect the power cable of the motherboard to the front panel of the PC. Connectors can be different, it all depends on the case model. But it’s almost impossible to get confused in them, since each cable has a marking and the whole structure is arranged, so you need to try hard to connect a “foreign” cable.

But still in different models there are wires of this type, such as "VCC", "D-", "D +", and also "GND". Also, those who are afraid to confuse everything and do something wrong can look at the color coding. As a rule, this marking is the same for wires and connectors. But just in case, you need to pay attention to the inscriptions.

First you need to access the motherboard itself. To do this, carefully unscrew the bolts holding the cover 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 free connectors. But still, you need to carefully look at the color and letter marking.

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

In the event that it is not possible to connect the cable due to fear of burning the contacts, it is recommended to call the wizard. A qualified specialist will do such work for one or two, and your equipment will begin to work in the same mode.

Incorrect or disabled USB port

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

The problem is easily solved if there is a little knowledge in circuitry. 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 are quickly solved for a small fee.

But it is worth noting that if not a single port works, then the problem may be hiding much deeper. For example, this may be due to the fact that 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 in the first three seconds of the reboot, press the F2 key. After that, the BIOS window should open. On different models, the keys for calling the BIOS may differ. As a rule, they are marked.

To connect ports, follow the instructions:

After the BIOS is open, you need to go to the Advanced Settings menu and select the USB configuration.
Find the line "USB Controller" and set the value "Enabled" in front of it. 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 also exit the BIOS.

Now that we can say with confidence that the ports are connected, you need to check them. To do this, you need to connect a USB flash drive through one of the ports and make sure that everything works as it should. If the computer still does not see the USB 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, it is always carried with you in your pocket or bag. Some even cling to it as a squirrel on the keys to an apartment or car. In addition, quite often the lid from it is lost.

It is this attitude towards the device that leads to its contamination. Small litter and dust, getting into the card slot, can disable it. This happens because the pins get dirty and don't 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 information. In order to clean the media connector, you need a match or a cotton swab. With a match, you need to shake out all the rubbish 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 media

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

By inserting a USB flash drive into someone else's computer, where there are viruses - this sure sign infect files that were already on the media. Viruses on the computer multiply quite quickly, infecting more and more files.

That is why quite often a flash drive does not work just 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 it is not possible to read the files on it, 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 check it completely. And in order to be able to view the files on the map, you need to access them. But for this you need to delete the infected document from it. To do this, you first need to do the following:

Open "Start";
Find through the search bar "Show hidden folders";
On the item issued on request, right-click on the computer mouse 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;
Press the "Apply" button;
Press OK.

After all these steps, you need to go to the "My Computer" folder and go to the problem device, in this case drive. In its folder, a file called "Autorun" will be visible. This file must be deleted, and then scan the flash drive for viruses using any antivirus software. This can be done by right-clicking on the drive's folder and selecting "Scan for viruses". As a rule, this line will be marked with the icon of your antivirus.

After the flash drive is completely safe for use, it will be easy to read information from it. But, for example, if there were no viruses on it or it didn’t work after all the manipulations, then the problem may be 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 fact that the drivers are outdated or a failure in the system. 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 are solved by simply updating the drivers.

To do this, go to the "Device Manager". You can get into it through the "My Computer" folder and simply find it by searching the system. After the "Device Manager" folder is opened, you need to insert the problematic USB flash drive into the computer port and open the "USB Controllers" tab. In the tab we find the line with the name "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 start the automatic installation of drivers and the computer will see it as usual.

Of course, if the problem persists, then you need to try to do 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, then you can download the program to update the drivers. There are many such programs on the web. They work identically. They scan the computer and issue all drivers that have updates. Also, such programs themselves update them after agreement by 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.

Errors in the file system

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

To do this, you need to insert a 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 is fixed by simply formatting the memory card. But this is a very delicate move. 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. Her contacts could move away or the controller could burn out. In the repair of equipment, the masters will quite cope with its resurrection. But such a small job will be unreasonably expensive, it will be cheaper to buy a new device.

Conflict between file systems

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

So, it turns out that the only way out is to format the device. But before that, it would be wise to copy the files on a computer with a different operating system. The last PC where 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 which 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 format it to the desired file system;
Check the "Quick" attribute and click "Start".

After a while, the PC will report that the formatting of 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, these files can be returned using a special program. If you do not use a quick format, then the files will be lost forever.

Unformatted flash drive

Quite often, when a brand new flash drive is inserted into the port, the PC warns that the device needs to be formatted before use. That is, until there is formatting, 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 any type. The problem will go away after that.

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 give access to files. Such a simple action helps to fix the problem.

If the problem persists, then it is better to copy the necessary files to another PC and format the USB flash drive. Step-by-step instruction on the product of the correct formatting was provided a little higher.

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

As already mentioned, the technique is imperfect and even a computer can make mistakes. So, the PC may incorrectly determine the type of connected device. But in appearance you can’t tell because the computer signals the connection and the flash drive is being 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 it, but it is already busy. For this reason, there is a conflict between addresses.

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

Press "Win + R" at the same time in order to call the "Run" window;
In the line of the window, enter the command diskmgmt.msc. It will redirect to the drive management section we need;
In the manager for connected devices, you need to find the USB flash drive. You can just disable and enable it 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 that, an additional dialog box will open, in which you can select the letter you like for the drive. After selecting, just click on "OK" and the selected letter will correspond to the device section.

ADVICE! Before choosing a letter for a drive, you should look at the ones already taken. Otherwise, the problem will remain if, out of ignorance, you assign an occupied letter to the device.

Power supply is defective or portal overcurrent

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

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

Such an imbalance in power distribution can literally de-energize a PC's USB network. It is correct to pre-calculate the energy consumption of a particular node when replacing it. But if an important element was replaced without this calculation, then it remains only to buy a more powerful power supply.

But if there was no replacement of the node, then most likely the power supply is faulty and incorrectly gives out the potential for power. For example, after a breakdown, it began to produce power less than that 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 is better to replace the power supply.

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

What to do if a Windows XP PC does not recognize flash media

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

If the operating system is the reason that the computer does not see the connected device, then you need 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 you can spend on its repair in the service. The only thing worth it is to save this one and buy a new drive. A flash drive should be chosen of good quality in a case made of strong material. This will help protect the new drive from mechanical damage.

As a rule, if the PC cannot determine the drive, then the OS informs the user about it with the following messages:

The drive is inserted into the port of the computer and when you try to read information from it, a message like "Insert a disk drive" pops up.
When trying to read information from the card, the OS reports that the drive should be formatted before use and does not allow reading data without it. 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 the connected device, the OS reports that access to the files on the drive is not possible.
Immediately after connecting the device through the port, the OS hangs. It is noteworthy that when the drive is removed, everything returns to normal.

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

The first thing you should pay attention to when connecting the drive is the indicator on the card body. It is built in there in order to determine the health 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.
Flash drive looks ok 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 malfunctioning. Quite often, when a drive is connected 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 if 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 cords to connect USB devices and it may not be recognized by the computer due to a malfunction of additional equipment. It can be easily repaired with minimal knowledge. On examination, you can easily notice the contacts that have moved away and the 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 is due to their overload with various devices. This is easy to check by turning off all extraneous devices, leaving only the most necessary, namely the keyboard and computer mouse. After that, you need to connect the drive and make sure that it works. If so, the power supply is too weak and needs to be replaced. But buying a cheaper USB hub can help, as it has its own power source.
If the previous points did not solve the problem, then there is a possibility that the power supply does not have enough power or the USB port is outdated 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 upgrade your computer to a more modern model.
Well, the last possibility of a malfunctioning flash drive is that it is plugged out of habit into 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 on their connection is located in the section above.

Errors in Windows XP make it difficult to see the 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 software packages for updating that are necessary for the correct operation of devices connected via USB ports. It is also possible that only some devices can be read on a particular 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, 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 must let the system search for and install them on its own. This can be done in the Windows Update panel. After the system takes control, it will automatically find the necessary updates and ask the user for permission to install them. Installation can be done either selectively from all of them found, or as a whole package. Custom installation is recommended 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 it finds.

After the system has installed all the necessary updates, the OS will ask you to restart the computer. This is necessary for the changes to take effect. It does not take much time. After the reboot, you can safely connect the USB flash drive and go about your business.

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

Conflict between drivers in Windows XP

It also happens that due to conflicting drivers, the computer cannot recognize the connected device. So, 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 disc to start working. Sometimes the OS freezes.

This is due to driver conflicts. 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 work with this device, the user removes it and starts working with drive No. 2. As a rule, the second flash drive is working, but still the system reports an error. This is because the OS is using 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 both automatically and independently.

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

As a rule, the OS, in the presence of such a conflict, issues a message stating that the inserted device cannot be recognized. Also, the system may completely freeze that it is impossible to do work on the PC.

Uninstalling Drivers Using the DRIVECLEANUP Utility

The special DRIVECLEANUP utility will help you remove drivers simply and effectively. This utility is good because before deleting it, it searches for drivers in the system. Then it deletes them.

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 to avoid various conflict situations during the process.

Then you need to download the utility to remove the drivers. It is advisable to do this through a proven resource, and preferably from the official website of the program. The program itself is compatible with all OS versions. 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 the system folder called System.
Open a command prompt and write the command drivecleanup.exe and execute it by pressing the Enter key.
This command will run the utility, and the command line will display information about all the drivers on the PC.

It will also delete them.

Automatic installation

Since in the previous paragraph all drivers were removed from the computer, you need to reinstall them. This is necessary for the 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. It just needs to be inserted into the USB port of the computer. After the PC recognizes the device, the automatic installation of drivers for it will begin.

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

This process is short. This can take 2-3 minutes maximum, no more. After installing the drivers, the device will start working correctly. So 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 a USB flash drive with which there were problems and insert it into a 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 was not recognized and the one from which the installation will be performed must completely match.

Now you need to find two files with paths through the system search: %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 the Kidney or via Contact. On a computer that has a problem recognizing the drive, the files must be placed in a folder with the same path as they were on a working PC. After moving them to the desired 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 eliminated.

Here we have analyzed 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. Also, this error may 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 is responding (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 you hear a beep.

It may also be due to the overlap of drivers from the previous media. Due to their incompatibility, it turns out that the flash drive does not seem to exist. To fix the situation, you need to remove all drivers and install (simple reconnecting the flash drive after removing the drivers).

The system requires you to format the disk before use

This may be due to the fact that 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 signal a system failure in the flash drive itself or its damage. The solution to this problem is described above, and the principle of correctly formatting the disk is also given there.

A data error message pops up

This message appears when:

Your computer has incompatible drivers. Solution: Remove and reinstall drivers.
A file system conflict has occurred. Solution: formatting the flash drive in the desired system with preliminary data saving.
Failure in the media itself.

System hangs after connecting device

This behavior of the PC may indicate that:

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

To eliminate one of the problems, it is tedious to connect the USB flash drive through a different port. If everything works, then it's in it. No, the drivers are to blame.

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

When the carrier is connected, an indicator lights up on it, which signals an established contact. If in this case the computer does not see the flash drive, a faulty contact in the media itself, which is directly responsible for the transfer of 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 gives this error, then it is useless to even try to get through to the files on the media, since it automatically stops the process of reading information on the device. This error can be caused by the following reasons:

Media failure. It is recommended to check its performance on a third-party PC.
The presence of incompatible drivers in the system.
The hardware configuration has been updated. Solution 6 roll back the driver in the Manager.

Conclusion

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

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