The PC does not see the windows 7 USB flash drive. What to do if the computer does not see the USB flash drive in Windows. Using Disk Management

There can be many reasons why a computer or laptop does not see a USB flash drive. And it is rather difficult to determine what is the matter. After all, the reason can be associated with both the PC and the USB device itself. There is only one way out in this case: try all possible options.

And to simplify this task for you, below are 8 recommendations on how to fix a similar problem. The tips are universal and suitable for all PCs and laptops running Windows XP, 7, 8, or 10.

Checking the functionality of a USB stick

If the USB flash drive is not recognized by the computer, then first of all check - does it work at all? The easiest way is to connect it to another laptop or PC.

Look at the LED on the USB device (found on all modern models). If it doesn't light up, then the flash drive is probably not working anymore. Although you could simply have removed it incorrectly. In this case, I recommend reading.

Checking USB ports

The second reason why the USB flash drive is not recognized by the computer is that you plug it into a non-working USB connector. Even if it worked yesterday, it still needs to be checked. To do this, connect another device to the same port - a mouse, printer, smartphone. Alternatively, you can connect a USB stick to the rear panel connector.

Configuration update

If the flash drive is not displayed on Windows 7, 8 or 10, go to the "Device Manager" (you can open it through Start - Control Panel).

Thereafter:

1. Find your USB stick. It is usually found under USB Controllers or Other Devices and may be referred to as mass storage or unknown device (or by a common name - Kingstone, Silicon Power, etc.).
   
2. Select it, right-click and click "Delete".
   
3. In the top menu, select Action - Update Configuration.
   

Installing a utility from Microsoft

After that, you need to open the settings ("USB Configuration"). Since there are so many BIOS versions, the path will be different in each case. For example, in the screenshot below, the required item is located in the "Advanced" section.

Open it up and check that the option “Enabled” is indicated next to “USB Controller”. If not, select the item you want.

Change device letter

To fix this error:

1. Go to Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools.
   
2. Select the "Computer Management" shortcut.
   
3. On the left go to the Disk Management tab.

   
   Disk Management Tab

4. Highlight the USB flash drive (it is signed as "Removable device"), right-click and select the line "Change drive letter". To check which letter is not occupied, look in My Computer.

   
   

Updating drivers

If the USB flash drive is not recognized on the laptop, perhaps the reason lies in outdated drivers. In this case, they need to be updated. The easiest to use (they will do everything automatically).

By the way, if you have an old PC, then flash drives with a volume of 32 GB or more are not displayed on it.

There are a lot of reasons why the computer does not see the USB flash drive, and if you went to this site, then you have such a problem. The error can appear, both on Windows XP, and on Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10. There are several options for the appearance of this error, when a USB flash drive is inserted:

1. The message is displayed "Insert disc"after connecting the flash drive.
2. The computer offers to format the USB flash drive.
3. A data error message has occurred.
4. Freezing the computer, after connecting the flash drive to it.
5. It is possible that the error appears "USB device not recognized"then read on.

In this article I will try to describe several effective ways that can solve this problem, let's start with the simple ones first, and then move on to the more complex ones. If it turns out that the first method did not help, move on to the next. If none of the methods helps at all, then there is a possibility of physical damage to the flash drive and then this instruction will not help you. But let's be optimistic and try to solve the problem. Go.

Checking a flash drive in "disk management"

We need to open the Disk Management utility. To do this, press the keys Win + R and enter the command diskmgmt.msc... Or, open "Control Panel" — "Administration" — "Computer Management" — "Disk Management".

And we see if the manager sees our flash drive. Try plugging it in and out. Ideally, if the flash drive partition is able to "Good", then you can simply activate this section by right-clicking on it, and, if necessary, set the drive letter. If everything was done correctly, then you should see the USB flash drive in "My Computer".

It is possible that you will see the inscription: "Not allocated", "Unknown" and another, then, it may mean that the flash drive is damaged, in this case, it is worth trying to carry out data recovery.

Solution one. Simple

When connecting a flash drive via a USB hub or extension cable, you should connect directly, if it doesn't work, then try connecting the flash drive to other ports, including those located on the back of the system unit. Also, try to start pulling out all the devices connected via USB, and then connect only the USB flash drive. If everything went well, then there is a likelihood of a power supply shortage. In this case, you will have to purchase a more powerful one. There is an easier option - there are USB hubs that have their own power supplies.

If the flash drive is not visible on Windows XP

Frequent problems of not detecting a USB drive are that the necessary updates are not installed to work with them. In particular, many organizations are still running Windows XP. Since there may be a restriction on the Internet, such updates are not installed.

So, if you have Windows XP installed on which the flash drive is not visible:

• Install the SP3 version if you had SP, also uninstall Internet Explorer 8.
• All updates should be installed on Windows XP.

Updates that fix some bugs related to USB sticks:

KB925196, KB817900, KB968132, KB895962, KB88740, KB314634, KB871233, KB312370.

I will not describe them, perhaps you yourself will find information about these updates, if you are interested.

And if you have Windows Vista and have the same problem, then you should start by installing updates. Although, this OS is almost never used.

Second way. Removing USB Drivers

Sometimes, errors occur, such as "Insert disc"related to corrupted or outdated drivers. Also, because of this, the computer may freeze, or restart.

So what's the reason? After we first connect the flash drive to the computer, the drivers are installed, when the flash drive is disconnected, the driver accordingly remains in the system. Next, we connect another flash drive that we have never connected, in which case Windows will try to use the drivers of the previous flash drive, which is why conflicts arise. Now, let's try to remove drivers that are not located in the device manager, as you probably thought.

Remove drivers for USB devices

Let's write down everything point by point to make it clearer.

• We turn off the computer and pull out all USB devices (flash drives, memory cards, mice, keyboards, hard drives, etc.).
• Turn on the computer
• Download DriveCleanup (compatible with all OS)
• Copy the file drivecleanup.exe and move it to C: \\ Windows \\ System32 folder. Choose either 32 or 64.
• Run Command Prompt as administrator and enter the following command: drivecleanup.exe
• It will now begin to remove all USB drivers, as well as registry entries.

After the operation is over, restart your computer and insert the flash drive. She must work in a new way.

Additional way

This method consists in the simplest scan of the computer for viruses, because they can cause the USB to work incorrectly. You check your computer with an antivirus and in case of viruses, clean it.

Another method. You need to go to the registry and follow this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER \\ Software \\ Microsoft \\ Windows \\ CurrentVersion \\ Policies \\ Explorer

If the parameter is present there NoDrives, then delete it, and then restart the computer.

Well, the last thing on this point. We go to the registry and go along the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\ System \\ CurrentControlSet \\ Control

If there is a parameter named StorageDevicePolicies, then delete it and restart the computer again.

If the above methods did not work, try data recovery. And even if this did not help, then the flash drive will have to be taken to a service center, only to a good and proven one.

A USB stick is a compact and convenient file storage device. Like any equipment, it is susceptible to failures and breakdowns - both hardware and software. If the computer does not see the USB flash drive, you can usually cope with the problem yourself. Let's list the possible reasons why the USB drive is not displayed or not readable, and the ways to solve them as soon as possible.

When the flash drive is not detected, it is convenient to carry out the initial diagnostics using a utility from Microsoft. It will not solve all possible problems, but it can eliminate common mistakes.

Download from the official site and run if your drive is not recognized. The utility is suitable for Windows 7 - 10.

USB ports

If the utility has not found out why the computer does not see the inserted USB flash drive, proceed to self-check. Start with the USB ports - they may be faulty or not enabled. If you inserted a drive into the port on the front of the system unit, move it back or try an adjacent slot. Along the way, check the contacts of the USB connector of the flash drive - the code gets small debris on them, the device cannot be read on the computer. Clean the dust with a toothpick, wipe the contacts with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

If the laptop does not see the USB flash drive, the reason may be insufficient power supply. When too much equipment is connected via USB to the PC - a mouse, keyboard, removable hard drive, smartphone on recharging - there is not enough power for everything, and the system does not recognize the next device. In this case, just disconnect unnecessary devices and reinsert the drive.

If the computer does not recognize the USB flash drive and other USB devices in any of the ports, USB is disabled in the BIOS settings. To access their change, restart the PC, at the beginning of the boot press the keys to enter the BIOS.

The required combination will be written on the screen, usually F2. In the BIOS go to the "Advanced" tab, click on "USB Configuration". In the item "USB Controller" set the value "Enables". Press F10 to save settings and exit.

Viruses

When the flash drive is detected, but not readable, it is worth checking it for viruses. If you recently inserted the drive into someone else's computer or laptop, a virus could host it. Then the system will connect your USB-device, and when you try to copy files, it will display an error "Application not found" or "Access denied."

In order for the antivirus to gain full access to the drive, check if there is an autorun file replaced by a virus. To do this, open the flash drive in "Explorer", the option to show "Hidden items" must be enabled for all items to be visible.

The option is enabled on the top panel of the "Explorer" or in the folder options. If you find a viral autorun.inf file, delete it immediately, then run an antivirus scan.

Drivers

If your computer has stopped seeing the USB flash drive, but in other PCs it is perfectly detected - deal with the drivers. Open the "Device Manager" through the properties of the "My Computer" shortcut. In the list of USB controllers, find the USB flash drive - if there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark next to it, right-click on the name and select "Remove device". Remove the drive from the computer connector and insert, the drivers will be reinstalled.

If this could not, download and install new USB drivers from the website of the computer or laptop motherboard manufacturer. If you do not see a USB device in the manager, take it out and reinsert it, while the list will disappear and the desired line will appear.

Sometimes there is a driver conflict - when the system tries to use a driver for another similar storage device for your drive, so the computer does not see the USB flash drive in any way. What can you do in such a situation? Remove information about previously connected USB devices from the OS. Programs and DriveCleanup that are compatible with Windows 7 - 10 can do this.

USBOblivion will clean the registry and remove the USB mount points. After it finishes its work, restart your computer and check if the system can recognize the flash drive.

Section conflict

Sometimes the computer detects the USB flash drive, but incorrectly. At the same time, you hear the usual sound of turning on the USB drive, an alert pops up and an icon appears in the tray, but you cannot use the device. The computer does not recognize removable media because the OS assigned it the wrong partition letter, already occupied by other hardware. There is an address conflict and the flash drive does not work.

What to do in such a situation? If the computer does not see the USB flash drive, open the Disk Management utility. To quickly find it, hold down Win + R and type diskmgmt.msc. In the list of disks, pay attention to the "Status" parameter for the required device. If there is "Good", right-click on it, in the menu click on "Make the partition active" - \u200b\u200bif the item is available.

To give the partition the correct character, select Change Drive Letter .... In a new window, allow access to the device and click "Change". From the list of letters of the English alphabet, specify any to assign to a section. Just make sure what letters are already used for naming devices and do not use the first A, B, C, D, by default they are for floppy disks and hard disk partitions.

If the "Status" field reads "Unknown", then the flash drive stopped working due to damage. Try to recover your data to save it.

Formatting

When you turn on a new removable media in your PC, the system will prompt you to format it. At the same time, the volume of the device is displayed as 0 MB, as if Windows 10 or 7 does not see the USB flash drive.

The formatting procedure comes in handy in case of file system conflicts. If the computer is using FAT32 and the USB device is NTFS, it will be difficult to read the files. If the drive already contains data, find a PC with a similar file system and copy all the information to it.

Open File Explorer on your computer. Right-click on the flash drive, in the menu go to "Format". In the new window, set the desired file system, check the "Fast" checkbox below - this will not only speed up the process, but also help then restore data if you could not copy it. Reconnect and test the device after formatting.

Features of Windows XP

If Windows XP is installed on the PC, sometimes the flash drive is not recognized due to the lack of updates. SP2 lacks components for USB devices to work properly, so please upgrade to SP3 and install the latest patches from Microsoft.

Open the properties of the "My Computer" icon, if you see Service Pack 2 in the information about the OS - enable automatic updates. Run Windows Update, wait for the installation of new system components.

Conclusion

We figured out what to do if your computer or laptop does not see the USB flash drive. There may be several reasons for the problem, sequentially check the most common ones from our list in order to eliminate them and use the drive.

There are two main reasons why a computer may not see a USB flash drive: hardware and software. In the first case, the problem is in the equipment, i.e. physical. In the second case, setting up the Windows operating system will help. Everything described also applies to memory cards, external hard drives and any other USB storage devices. Next, select your version of the malfunction.

I insert a USB flash drive and nothing happens

Usually, flash drives have an LED that signals that it is working. If the LED was on before, but now it is not, then this means that the device is not receiving power. In any case, if nothing happens at all, there is no specific sound when connecting a flash drive, you have several options:

• Move the flash drive to a different USB port;
• Move the USB stick to the USB port behind system unit;
• Plug the drive directly into your computer or laptop, without using any extension cords or USB hubs.

Determine if the reason is in the USB ports or in the flash drive itself:

• Insert the drive into another computer or smartphone via an OTG adapter (the phone must support OTG);
• Plug in any other USB device to make sure the ports are working.

Now I will explain that some ports may not work, simply because they were burned earlier or contacts were damaged there. Look into them, if you can see dirt and debris, then blow well. Then, if there is a power overload on the USB port, it will not work. Moreover, to "put it in order" you need to completely de-energize the computer by removing the cable from the socket for 1 minute. The laptop must be turned off and the battery removed for 1 minute.

Overcurrent occurs when many devices are connected via USB or one, but consumes a lot of energy, for example a smartphone on charging, a fan, a humidifier, a heating device or a table lamp.

Further, the USB jacks on the front panel of the system unit may not be connected to the motherboard. To make them work, you need to open the cover of the system unit and connect the wires from the front panel to the corresponding pins on the motherboard. You can follow the tips on the motherboard itself or download instructions for your model on the Internet.

Your USB flash drive may not work specifically with hubs and USB extenders, but more often such confusion happens with external hard drives. They are very demanding on the quality of the cable and power supply. Bad cables conduct a weak current, voltage dips occur.

If the USB ports do not work in principle, then check if they are enabled there. In different BIOS and UEFI versions, the setting for enabling / disabling YUSB ports will be in different places, you need to walk through the menu, usually this is the item "Advanced -\u003e USB Configuration"... It is necessary to switch the property "USB 2.0 Controller" and "USB 3.0 Controller" (if any) to the state " Enabled»:

Controller driver problem

If the indicator on the flash drive is on, but the computer does not see it, then the problem may be in the drivers, or rather in their absence. Despite the fact that many write about this problem as a blueprint, the problem with the drivers happens only on old computers with Windows XP, or vice versa, on new hardware on which an old version of Windows 7 was installed. Basically, USB drivers are standard and work out of the box by default. However, the drivers could break due to a system failure or virus attack. Let's check:

• We open "Device Manager" (we write in the search bar of the Start menu);
• We reveal "USB Controllers" and remove all "USB Mass Storage Device";
• We reveal "Disk devices" or "Other devices" and remove the drive by the name of the flash drive or "USB Mass Storage Device"
• Menu "Actions -\u003e Update hardware configuration".

These steps will not update, but will help resolve the driver failure. It is important that the "USB Controllers" branch should not contain devices with a yellow exclamation mark or with the name "Unknown device". In this case, you need to, automatically. DriverHub can install missing drivers and update existing ones. This resolves the driver conflict for the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. Let me remind you that USB 3.0 ports are distinguished by increased current, speed, and they are blue.

The flash drive is detected, but it is not visible in the explorer

This means that the sound of connecting a flash drive was heard, an icon of a removable medium appeared in the system tray (near the clock), but the Flash drive was not found in "My Computer". In the simplest case, the drive letter for the flash drive was not assigned. Press "Win + R" and write:

Find the USB stick in the window "Disk Management", the easiest way to determine it is by size. Mine is 8GB, this is a little less real - 7.46 GB. My disk is called "SMBB", you can see that there is no drive letter next to the name. All other disks with letters, so they are visible in "My Computer", but the USB flash drive is not. At the same time, the file system was determined, here it is "FAT32".

To assign a drive letter:

• Right-click and select "Change drive letter or drive path";
• Press the "Add" button;
• We select any drive letter, for example " E»;
• Check that your flash drive should now display normally in Explorer.

If the file system is not FAT32 or NTFS, then your version of Windows cannot work with it. To save the data, you need to copy it to the computer where the flash drive is working normally, then you can format the disk on the new computer. If this is not possible, then for any case there is a solution on the Internet.

It is bad if the file system is not detected in any way, the label "Unknown" is displayed or "Not initialized" or one section in the state "Not allocated"... This means that the media will have to be formatted. This happens in case of system failures during data recording, unsafe removal of the flash drive from a laptop, incorrect or incomplete formatting, during virus attacks, on a faulty flash memory. To safely remove removable media, click on the device icon in the system tray and select Eject Mass Storage Device (device name):

If the information that should be on the drive is important, then formatting will not work, you need to first. For a new flash drive, Windows itself will offer to format it, then you will see the message "You need to format the disk in the drive ... before using it."

FORMATTING DESTROY ALL DATA!

To format the disk in the Disk Management window, right-click on the flash drive and select "Format":

• We write any name (volume label);
• I recommend setting the file system NTFS, it is a more reliable system than FAT32;
• Cluster size, Quick formatting, Compression of files and folders - leave by default.

If you see the notification "This is the active partition of this disk ... data will be deleted ...", it means that your flash drive was bootable, just agree. After formatting, check if a drive letter has been assigned.

Other errors, freezes, "Insert disc"

The following steps will help the computer see the USB flash drive if one of the items is correct:

• Drivers are installed and working;
• A new device is detected, but the USB flash drive is not displayed in My Computer;
• A message like "USB device not recognized", "Insert disc", "Error 43 / Error 43" or "Access is denied"especially in Windows XP;
• When connecting a USB flash drive, Windows freezes, especially in Windows XP 😊.

This is a sign of system clogging, many USB devices were connected before, and a driver is installed every time a device is connected. Even when you insert the same USB flash drive, but into a different USB port, another instance of the driver is installed and entries are created in the Windows registry. This problem is especially manifested when updating old operating systems to Windows 10 and Windows XP. It is necessary to clear all records about previously installed devices, for this there is a USB Oblivion program.

The program does not require installation, run from the archive:

• USBOblivion32.exe - if you have 32-bit Windows ();
• USBOblivion64.exe - for x64 version of Windows.

Next, you need to remove all flash drives, memory cards and external hard drives from the computer, then right-click on the executable file and select "Run as Administrator"... Check the boxes in the program:

• Perform real cleaning (otherwise it will only show what it would be);
• Save the undo .reg file;
• "Restart Windows" or "Restart Explorer" (if it does not help, then reboot yourself).

Click "Cleanup" and wait for the process of removing old drivers to finish. During the cleaning process, a Windows restore checkpoint will be created, thanks to which you can just as before starting USB Oblivion. The "reg file" will also be saved, i.e. remote registry branches. To restore the previous state of the registry, you just need to run the ".reg" file and agree to make changes to the Windows registry.

There is a simpler program, just download and run the ".exe" file on behalf of the Administrator, in accordance with the bitness of your operating system:

After cleaning the registry from old copies of drivers in any way, just insert the USB flash drive and see how it is now detected.

Error when entering a USB flash drive, viruses

Let's say there is a drive letter, you try to open the drive in explorer, but you get an error Removable media not found, "Application not found" or "Access denied"... This is a symptom of a virus infection. The virus writes the "autorun.inf" file to the root of the disk, which is automatically executed by Windows when the root folder is opened, and there is a virus.

However, you can open such a medium in Explorer. Just in "My Computer" do not double-click with the left mouse button, but right-click and select "Open". This will show the files, but now you definitely need.

Checking for errors in the file system

If Explorer cannot open the disk, or the root folder opens, but the data cannot be read, then check the integrity of the file system. This is especially true for FAT, FAT32 file systems. All Windows versions have a built-in disk scanning utility:

• In “my computer”, right-click on the flash drive and select “Properties”;
• On the "Service" tab, click the "Check" button;
• If a warning appears about the safety of data, in response, click "Restore".

In Windows XP and Windows 7 there are such checkboxes:

• Automatically fix errors;
• Checking and recovering bad sectors is a long time, a full check of memory cells, you can skip.

I recommend checking for errors, even if the program says that checking is not required, it will not take long. Before starting the scan, you must save and close the open files, otherwise the changes will be lost.

If all else fails

It will be useful to know that older laptops cannot see flash drives larger than 32 GB, google your model. Also, problems with the “key fob” contacts are not excluded, even if the indicator is on. Bad contact, responsible for data transfer, prevents reading information from the flash drive. A defective drive can be taken to a service center, provided the information is valuable, but it's easier to buy a new one.

Install the latest Windows updates. For Windows XP, it is very important to install the Service Pack 3. Here are some of the fixes for working with USB flash drives that were released in the Windows XP updates:

1. KB925196 - fixed errors in the fact that the computer does not detect the connected USB flash drive or iPod;
2. KB968132 - fixed bugs when, when several USB devices were connected in Windows XP, they ceased to function normally;
3. KB817900 - USB port stopped working after removing and re-inserting the USB flash drive;
4. KB895962 - USB flash drive stops working when the printer is turned off;
5. KB314634 - the computer sees only old flash drives that were connected before and does not see new ones;
6. KB88740 - Rundll32.exe error when inserting or removing a USB flash drive;
7. KB871233 - the computer does not see the USB flash drive if it has just been in sleep or hibernation mode;
8. KB312370 (2007) - USB 2.0 support in Windows XP.

In this article, I analyzed the real reasons for unreadable flash drives, memory cards, external hard drives and other USB devices. Describe your problem in the comments, I will try to help.