Well, my 256 GB drive is almost full now. I went ahead and bought a Sandisk 512 GB dual drive USB flash drive (it has both the USB Type A and USB Type C ends). I cannot get my Malibu to recognize this drive. It just states 'no media found' no matter how many times I plug it in, turn the car off and on, and reset my system to factory settings.
USB flash drive not recognized or detected is an issue happens quite frequently to users. Serious file loss and other issues may result from the error. Take workable ways on this page to fix the USB flash drive that is not recognized error and bring all your files back with Easeus Data Recovery Wizard.
- So, I downloaded tails and used this flash drive like 3 times, then, I try just plugging it in my computer on its own to look at the files and the computer won't recognize the USB? Tried on multiple devices, even a damn chrome book, which happened to recognize but the USB itself wouldn't open, and I tried to re-write the USB to make it fresh.
- Mar 29, 2019 If your computer is not able to recognize the device, try plugging the USB flash disk into another computer to ensure the device is not corrupted. USB ports that are part of a group will share one power source.
- Tablet won't recognize OTG flash drive. Ask Question Asked 3 years, 3 months ago. Active 26 days ago. Viewed 10k times 0. I have an Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 It's up to date with everything. Up until just now, I've never had a problem connecting external storage devices to my tablet using an OTG cable. Earlier today, it worked fine.
Overview of USB Device Is Not Recognized Error
'My Sandisk USB flash drive is not recognized when I plug it into my laptop. Is there any way to fix USB flash drive not detected and restore the data. I have all my school work on it. Please help if you know any solutions.'
Like the user above, many users, including you now, have encountered the issue 'USB flash drive not recognized or detected' when they connect their USB device to a computer. Actually, many factors could trigger this issue, including:
- USB connection issue
- File system errors that make your USB become RAW
- Drive letter issues
- USB driver error
- Hardware damage
Although all the causes can lead to a USB flash drive not being detected by the computer, the USB will show varying status in Disk Management depending on the cause. Thus, to fix a USB flash drive that is not recognized by your computer, you first need to check the device in Disk Management and then repair it according to the reasons.
Check The Causes of USB Flash Drive Not Recognized
Keep your USB flash drive connected and check it in Disk Management.
Step 1. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage'.
Step 2. Go to 'Disk Management'.
Step 3. Then you will see your USB flash drive in one of the following situations:
- The USB shows as RAW
- The USB shows as unallocated space
- The USB shows without a drive letter
- The USB is not showing up in Disk Management
After identifying the specific situation, you can now apply the corresponding solutions to fix the USB flash drive that is not recognized.
Fixes for USB Flash Drive Not Recognized/Detected
If you're not in one of the scenarios above, you can also apply the tips detailed below to have a try.
Fix 1. Recover Files from RAW USB Drive before Formatting
Applies to: Fix USB becomes RAW.
There must be file system errors on your USB flash drive that make your USB device not recognized as RAW. It could be file system missing, corrupted, or not compatible with Windows.
To repair a RAW USB, all you need to do is to recover data from the USB that is not recognized and then convert RAW to NTFS or FAT32 file system by formatting. Formatting will erase the existing data on your USB stick. That's why you need to perform data recovery first.
To retrieve data from an inaccessible device, you can use the professional disk recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. It perfectly supports deleted file recovery, formatted data recovery, RAW partition recovery, and other data loss situations.
To recover data from the RAW USB:
Step 1. Choose the flash drive to scan.
Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and choose your flash drive where you lost important files. Click 'Scan' to start.
Step 2. Check and preview found flash drive data.
After the scanning is finished, you can quickly locate a specific type of file by using the Filter feature as well as the Search.
- Filter: A quick way to your wanted files.
- Search: e.g. File name/file extension.
Step 3. Restore flash drive data.
After checking and finding lost flash drive files, select them and click Recover to restore. https://koreadownload.mystrikingly.com/blog/mobile-casino-offers. You shall save the found files to a safe location on your PC rather than to your flash drive.
After retrieving all the files, you can now format the USB flash drive and assign a new file system to the device, which will make it usable again.
Fix 2. Update Unallocated USB Driver and Create New Partition
Applies to: Fix USB shows as unallocated space.
If your USB is not recognized by the computer and becomes unallocated space, it probably results from outdated USB driver. Thus, you should try to reinstall the USB device driver.
Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to the PC
Step 2. Navigate to 'Control Panel' > 'System' > ‘'Device Manager' > 'Disk drivers'.
Step 3. Find and select your USB device, right-click and first choose 'Uninstall' and then choose 'Scan for hardware changes' to refresh the drivers.
Pc Won't Recognize Flash Drive
Step 4. Restart your computer.
After all the operations, you may find USB not recognized issue is fixed and the flash drive is detected. If reinstalling the USB driver doesn't help, you can recover data from the unallocated space with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard introduced above and then create a new volume to make it ready for data storage. (The unallocated space will show up as 'lost partition' in EaseUS data recovery software. Choose the right partition to scan and then recover your data.)
To create a new volume on unallocated space:
Step 1. Go to 'This PC', right-click it and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.
Step 2. Right-click the unallocated space and choose 'New Simple Volume'.
Step 3. Follow the wizard to finish the remaining process.
Fix 3. Change USB Driver Letter to Make It Detectable
Applies to fix: USB shows without driver letter.
Another reason for USB flash drive not detected issue is that the drive letter assigned to the USB drive is occupied by another drive on the computer (or the drive letter on the USB is missing). To solve this problem, you just need to try EaseUS free partition software to assign an unused drive letter to the USB flash drive. It will help you fix the 'USB flash drive not recognized' issue and recover all the inaccessible data with ease.
You can also assign a drive letter to your USB in Disk Management.
Step 1. Keep your USB connected. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.
Step 2. Right-click the volume on your USB flash drive and select 'Change Drive Letter and Paths'.
Step 3. In the new window, click 'Change'.
Step 4. Assign a new drive letter to your USB and click 'OK'.
Won T Recognize Flash Drive Windows 10
Fix 4. Check USB Port and Change Connection to Make USB Recognized
Applies to: Fix USB isn't showing up in Disk Management
If your USB flash drive is not detected by Disk Management at all, it's likely that:
- The USB is not connected properly
- There are driver issues
- Your USB device is physically damaged
Therefore, you can first connect your USB connection including:
- Change the USB port/cable
- Connect your external hard drive or other storage devices to another computer and check whether the problem remains
- Connect your USB drives to the rear port which provides a more stable power supply compared to the front ones
Then reinstall drivers (detailed above). If these tips don't help, you should consider sending the USB flash drive for repair.
The Bottom Line
When a USB flash drive is not recognized by the computer, there are varying causes. Once you can find the reason, you can easily make the decision on how to fix it. Besides, this issue also reminds you of the importance of growing a good habit of using your USB stick, like ejecting the device before disconnecting it and backing the device up regularly. I hope one of the solutions above could help to fix your USB flash drive that is not recognized or detected.
FAQs About USB Flash Drive Not Recognized or Detected
Besides fixing USB flash drive is not recognized error and bring lost files back, some users may also want to know the causes of USB flash drive not showing up, and how to repair the USB drive, etc.
If you are interested in these questions, follow on and you will find a satisfying answer below: 2018 premier pro.
1. Why is my USB flash drive not showing up?
If a driver is missing, outdated, or corrupted, your computer won't be able to load your USB drive. USB driver issue, drive letter conflicts, and file system errors, etc. may all cause your USB flash drive not showing up on Windows PC.
You can update USB driver, reinstall the disk driver, recover USB data, change USB drive letter, and format USB to reset its file system. For a detailed guide, you can refer to USB Not Showing Up in Windows 10/8/7 for help.
2. How can I repair my USB flash drive?
USB flash drives can become corrupt or damaged for a variety of reasons. Luckily you can fix your USB for free. https://torrentpatch.mystrikingly.com/blog/xbox-store-app-download.
Windows chkdsk and Windows disk error checking are able to repair errors on your disk from the command line. Afterward, with EaseUS data recovery software, you can get your data back from a failed pen drive without losing files.
For a detailed guide, you may refer to USB Flash Drive Repair Tool for help.
3. How can I recover my USB flash drive that is not recognized?
As recommended on this page, when your USB flash drive, pen drive or external hard drive becomes unrecognized, you can get rid of this issue with the following steps:
Step 1. Check USB status in Disk Management:
- The USB shows as RAW
- The USB shows as unallocated space
- The USB shows without a drive letter
- The USB is not showing up in Disk Management
Step 2. Fix related error on the USB drive and make it recognized:
- 1. Recover files and format RAW USB.
- 2. Update unallocated USB drivers and create a new volume.
- 3. Change the USB drive letter.
- 4. Check USB port, change USB connection
- 5. If none of the above fixes work, take USB to a local device repair center for manual repair.
Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions
Why is my USB not recognized?
How do I fix USB Flash Drive not recognized?
You may confuse about the USB not showing up and got the error of 'USB Device Not Recognized' when you connect a USB drive to the Windows computer. Why and how to fix USB drive is not working in Windows? On this, you can learn what is the reason caused your USB drive not recognized, and learn how to access the drive and get your data back with Recoverit USB Data Recovery software.
Why Windows Won't Recognize USB Device
There can be many reasons why Windows did not detect your flash drive. When users face problems with USB drive not showing up, most people believe that their drive is dead. However, this is only the worst-case scenario.
There may be a problem with your computer hardware or with Windows itself which may cause a flash drive not detected an error. For instance, if your USB ports are dead, if there are partition issues on your external drive, if you have been using the wrong file system, or if there are driver issues in Windows, a USB drive won't show up.
Well, my 256 GB drive is almost full now. I went ahead and bought a Sandisk 512 GB dual drive USB flash drive (it has both the USB Type A and USB Type C ends). I cannot get my Malibu to recognize this drive. It just states 'no media found' no matter how many times I plug it in, turn the car off and on, and reset my system to factory settings.
USB flash drive not recognized or detected is an issue happens quite frequently to users. Serious file loss and other issues may result from the error. Take workable ways on this page to fix the USB flash drive that is not recognized error and bring all your files back with Easeus Data Recovery Wizard.
- So, I downloaded tails and used this flash drive like 3 times, then, I try just plugging it in my computer on its own to look at the files and the computer won't recognize the USB? Tried on multiple devices, even a damn chrome book, which happened to recognize but the USB itself wouldn't open, and I tried to re-write the USB to make it fresh.
- Mar 29, 2019 If your computer is not able to recognize the device, try plugging the USB flash disk into another computer to ensure the device is not corrupted. USB ports that are part of a group will share one power source.
- Tablet won't recognize OTG flash drive. Ask Question Asked 3 years, 3 months ago. Active 26 days ago. Viewed 10k times 0. I have an Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 It's up to date with everything. Up until just now, I've never had a problem connecting external storage devices to my tablet using an OTG cable. Earlier today, it worked fine.
Overview of USB Device Is Not Recognized Error
'My Sandisk USB flash drive is not recognized when I plug it into my laptop. Is there any way to fix USB flash drive not detected and restore the data. I have all my school work on it. Please help if you know any solutions.'
Like the user above, many users, including you now, have encountered the issue 'USB flash drive not recognized or detected' when they connect their USB device to a computer. Actually, many factors could trigger this issue, including:
- USB connection issue
- File system errors that make your USB become RAW
- Drive letter issues
- USB driver error
- Hardware damage
Although all the causes can lead to a USB flash drive not being detected by the computer, the USB will show varying status in Disk Management depending on the cause. Thus, to fix a USB flash drive that is not recognized by your computer, you first need to check the device in Disk Management and then repair it according to the reasons.
Check The Causes of USB Flash Drive Not Recognized
Keep your USB flash drive connected and check it in Disk Management.
Step 1. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage'.
Step 2. Go to 'Disk Management'.
Step 3. Then you will see your USB flash drive in one of the following situations:
- The USB shows as RAW
- The USB shows as unallocated space
- The USB shows without a drive letter
- The USB is not showing up in Disk Management
After identifying the specific situation, you can now apply the corresponding solutions to fix the USB flash drive that is not recognized.
Fixes for USB Flash Drive Not Recognized/Detected
If you're not in one of the scenarios above, you can also apply the tips detailed below to have a try.
Fix 1. Recover Files from RAW USB Drive before Formatting
Applies to: Fix USB becomes RAW.
There must be file system errors on your USB flash drive that make your USB device not recognized as RAW. It could be file system missing, corrupted, or not compatible with Windows.
To repair a RAW USB, all you need to do is to recover data from the USB that is not recognized and then convert RAW to NTFS or FAT32 file system by formatting. Formatting will erase the existing data on your USB stick. That's why you need to perform data recovery first.
To retrieve data from an inaccessible device, you can use the professional disk recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. It perfectly supports deleted file recovery, formatted data recovery, RAW partition recovery, and other data loss situations.
To recover data from the RAW USB:
Step 1. Choose the flash drive to scan.
Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and choose your flash drive where you lost important files. Click 'Scan' to start.
Step 2. Check and preview found flash drive data.
After the scanning is finished, you can quickly locate a specific type of file by using the Filter feature as well as the Search.
- Filter: A quick way to your wanted files.
- Search: e.g. File name/file extension.
Step 3. Restore flash drive data.
After checking and finding lost flash drive files, select them and click Recover to restore. https://koreadownload.mystrikingly.com/blog/mobile-casino-offers. You shall save the found files to a safe location on your PC rather than to your flash drive.
After retrieving all the files, you can now format the USB flash drive and assign a new file system to the device, which will make it usable again.
Fix 2. Update Unallocated USB Driver and Create New Partition
Applies to: Fix USB shows as unallocated space.
If your USB is not recognized by the computer and becomes unallocated space, it probably results from outdated USB driver. Thus, you should try to reinstall the USB device driver.
Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to the PC
Step 2. Navigate to 'Control Panel' > 'System' > ‘'Device Manager' > 'Disk drivers'.
Step 3. Find and select your USB device, right-click and first choose 'Uninstall' and then choose 'Scan for hardware changes' to refresh the drivers.
Pc Won't Recognize Flash Drive
Step 4. Restart your computer.
After all the operations, you may find USB not recognized issue is fixed and the flash drive is detected. If reinstalling the USB driver doesn't help, you can recover data from the unallocated space with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard introduced above and then create a new volume to make it ready for data storage. (The unallocated space will show up as 'lost partition' in EaseUS data recovery software. Choose the right partition to scan and then recover your data.)
To create a new volume on unallocated space:
Step 1. Go to 'This PC', right-click it and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.
Step 2. Right-click the unallocated space and choose 'New Simple Volume'.
Step 3. Follow the wizard to finish the remaining process.
Fix 3. Change USB Driver Letter to Make It Detectable
Applies to fix: USB shows without driver letter.
Another reason for USB flash drive not detected issue is that the drive letter assigned to the USB drive is occupied by another drive on the computer (or the drive letter on the USB is missing). To solve this problem, you just need to try EaseUS free partition software to assign an unused drive letter to the USB flash drive. It will help you fix the 'USB flash drive not recognized' issue and recover all the inaccessible data with ease.
You can also assign a drive letter to your USB in Disk Management.
Step 1. Keep your USB connected. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.
Step 2. Right-click the volume on your USB flash drive and select 'Change Drive Letter and Paths'.
Step 3. In the new window, click 'Change'.
Step 4. Assign a new drive letter to your USB and click 'OK'.
Won T Recognize Flash Drive Windows 10
Fix 4. Check USB Port and Change Connection to Make USB Recognized
Applies to: Fix USB isn't showing up in Disk Management
If your USB flash drive is not detected by Disk Management at all, it's likely that:
- The USB is not connected properly
- There are driver issues
- Your USB device is physically damaged
Therefore, you can first connect your USB connection including:
- Change the USB port/cable
- Connect your external hard drive or other storage devices to another computer and check whether the problem remains
- Connect your USB drives to the rear port which provides a more stable power supply compared to the front ones
Then reinstall drivers (detailed above). If these tips don't help, you should consider sending the USB flash drive for repair.
The Bottom Line
When a USB flash drive is not recognized by the computer, there are varying causes. Once you can find the reason, you can easily make the decision on how to fix it. Besides, this issue also reminds you of the importance of growing a good habit of using your USB stick, like ejecting the device before disconnecting it and backing the device up regularly. I hope one of the solutions above could help to fix your USB flash drive that is not recognized or detected.
FAQs About USB Flash Drive Not Recognized or Detected
Besides fixing USB flash drive is not recognized error and bring lost files back, some users may also want to know the causes of USB flash drive not showing up, and how to repair the USB drive, etc.
If you are interested in these questions, follow on and you will find a satisfying answer below: 2018 premier pro.
1. Why is my USB flash drive not showing up?
If a driver is missing, outdated, or corrupted, your computer won't be able to load your USB drive. USB driver issue, drive letter conflicts, and file system errors, etc. may all cause your USB flash drive not showing up on Windows PC.
You can update USB driver, reinstall the disk driver, recover USB data, change USB drive letter, and format USB to reset its file system. For a detailed guide, you can refer to USB Not Showing Up in Windows 10/8/7 for help.
2. How can I repair my USB flash drive?
USB flash drives can become corrupt or damaged for a variety of reasons. Luckily you can fix your USB for free. https://torrentpatch.mystrikingly.com/blog/xbox-store-app-download.
Windows chkdsk and Windows disk error checking are able to repair errors on your disk from the command line. Afterward, with EaseUS data recovery software, you can get your data back from a failed pen drive without losing files.
For a detailed guide, you may refer to USB Flash Drive Repair Tool for help.
3. How can I recover my USB flash drive that is not recognized?
As recommended on this page, when your USB flash drive, pen drive or external hard drive becomes unrecognized, you can get rid of this issue with the following steps:
Step 1. Check USB status in Disk Management:
- The USB shows as RAW
- The USB shows as unallocated space
- The USB shows without a drive letter
- The USB is not showing up in Disk Management
Step 2. Fix related error on the USB drive and make it recognized:
- 1. Recover files and format RAW USB.
- 2. Update unallocated USB drivers and create a new volume.
- 3. Change the USB drive letter.
- 4. Check USB port, change USB connection
- 5. If none of the above fixes work, take USB to a local device repair center for manual repair.
Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions
Why is my USB not recognized?
How do I fix USB Flash Drive not recognized?
You may confuse about the USB not showing up and got the error of 'USB Device Not Recognized' when you connect a USB drive to the Windows computer. Why and how to fix USB drive is not working in Windows? On this, you can learn what is the reason caused your USB drive not recognized, and learn how to access the drive and get your data back with Recoverit USB Data Recovery software.
Why Windows Won't Recognize USB Device
There can be many reasons why Windows did not detect your flash drive. When users face problems with USB drive not showing up, most people believe that their drive is dead. However, this is only the worst-case scenario.
There may be a problem with your computer hardware or with Windows itself which may cause a flash drive not detected an error. For instance, if your USB ports are dead, if there are partition issues on your external drive, if you have been using the wrong file system, or if there are driver issues in Windows, a USB drive won't show up.
- The unknown device, descriptor request failed, error code 43
- One of the devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance in solving this problem, click this message
- Drive did not load successfully
- The device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it
- USB device did not recognize Windows 10/7
- Unknown drive, port reset failed
How to Fix USB Flash Drive Not Working in Windows
To computer not recognizing USB error in Windows, you must first determine the cause of the problem. Here are some solutions you can try out:
The most first solution to fix the error, you can restart your PC and reconnect it to the PC. Second, you should plug the USB drive into another computer, if the error still happened again, the drive is broken and need to repair. Last, what if you connect many USB devices to the same computer, you should try to plug out other UBS devices and check, if the drive doesn't work, you may follow the next solutions to fix windows not recognizing USB.
1. Check your USB Ports
If your USB ports are not functioning properly, Windows won't detect your USB flash drive. To check your USB ports,
- Navigate to Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus
- Click on Uninstall
- Click on Scan for Hardware Changes
If Windows still doesn't recognize your device after these steps, your USB ports are faulty.
2. Update your Device Drivers
If your device drivers are outdated, Windows computers won't recognize USB. To update the drivers manually as follow:
For Windows 7:
- Navigate to Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus
- Check to see if any device is listed as 'Unknown Device'
- If yes, right-click on the Unknown Device > Properties > Driver
- Click on Update Drivers
For Windows 10:
- Go to Settings, and click on Update & Security.
- By clicking on Windows Update and click the Check for updates button.
You can get more specific steps to update drives on Windows 10.
These steps will update your device drivers. If your error was caused due to outdated drivers, it would be fixed.
3. Change Power Management Settings
The power management settings in Windows 10 can also cause a flash drive not showing up the problem. To solve this issue,
- Navigate to Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus
- Double click on the first 'USB Root Hub' that you see
- Navigate to the Power Management tab
- Uncheck the option 'Allow this computer to turn off this device to save power.' Click on OK.
- Please repeat these steps above mentioned for each USB Root Hub device in your list of Universal Serial Bus controllers
This will solve the power management issue that may cause Windows not to recognize a flash drive.
4. Updating Windows System
To update the Windows system on Windows 7 would help the computer to recognize a USB device, follow these steps:
- Go to Control Panel > System and Security;
- Next, users need to make sure that the 'Check for updates' option is selected;
- The Windows system will be updated.
Mac Won't Recognize Flash Drive
- Then, users need to restart the system and connect the flash drive to make sure that the issue is solved.
This will fix issues with your USB root hub, and hopefully, Windows will recognize your flash drive.
5. Format your USB Drive
If you've tried all the above and nothing works, then your USB drive may be faulty. Free online blackjack no download. You'll need to format the USB drive to get it to work again. To format USB drive,
- Navigate to the Windows Disk Management tool
- Right-click on your USB device on the list of all disks and click on the format
Important: Formatting will erase all data from your USB drive. Make sure to restore and backup your data before you try formatting your USB device. If you can't access your USB drive data and backup data files, you still can restore your data as the following solution:
Windows 10 Won't Recognize Flash Drive
Video Tutorial on How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized
Recover Data after Fixing a USB Flash Drive Not Working Error
Adobe 10 download. After fixing the USB device malfunctioned and not recognized the error in Windows, if the above-mentioned solution can help you and work, you can get a USB drive data recovery program to help you access the drive and get your data back.
Recoverit Data Recovery can help you recover data from a USB flash drive, even the device got corrupted or damaged, or formatted. The software can access the drive and recover data back.
Steps on How to Recover Data from Not Working USB Drive
Step 1. Launch Recoverit USB Flash Drive Recovery program, select the USB drive which detected on the software to get started.
Play free slot games win real money. Step 2. The USB recovery software will start scanning the device, it will take a while to search the lost data.
Step 3. In the end, you can check all recovered data and files. Preview recovered photos, videos, audios, Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files. Select your USB files and click the 'Recover' button save them to a safety device path.
There are many reasons why Windows may fail to recognize a USB device. It can be because of problems with computer hardware, with Windows, or with the flash drive itself. Make sure to determine the cause of the USB not recognized issue before you format your drive.
USB Solution
- Recover USB Drive
- Format USB Drive
- Fix/Repair USB Drive
- Know USB Drive
