The flash drive does not see the size. The computer does not see the flash drive: causes and solving the problem. Insert the flash drive and nothing happens

And allows you to quickly save important files and text documents. However, sometimes users face that the flash drive is not displayed on the computer. What to do in this situation? What could be associated with problems of this kind?

It should be borne in mind that sometimes the computer stops seeing the removable media, even if before that there was no problem with him. In some situations, the PC does not display the contents of the folders, and sometimes at all "does not see" that the device is connected. Once in such a situation, each user sets himself a completely natural question: "Why doesn't the flash drive displays in my computer?" Some begin to panic, surviving that all saved data will now be lost. But it is not necessary to prematurely despair. First you need to calmly understand the causes of the problem. Such may be several.

Lack of power or society problems

Usually, in stationary system units there are several ports for connecting USB media. Some of them are located on the frontal part of the Sistemnik, and they are often stopped working correctly.

In this case, you need to try to insert a USB flash drive into the connector located on the back of the computer. If there are no appropriate ports, then you need to check the headphone outlet, which is usually also located on the front of the system unit. If the audio track is not reproduced, the problem is related to the mechanical malfunction of the connectors. Another explanation option - they were originally connected to the PC motherboard. Developers very often make this error in the production of "Systems".

In addition, if a computer via USB, this may indicate that too little diet is supplied to the connector, because of which the carrier is constantly turned on and turned off. This is due to the errors of developers who do not always make the cables most closely in the desired grooves.

If the flash drive is not displayed in the "My Computer" folder for these reasons, then it will be difficult to cope with the problem. It is much easier to contact the service center or return the faulty system unit to the seller.

If the problem is not related to the disadvantage of the power or incorrect operation of the connectors, then it is worth considering other reasons for the non-working removable media.

Drivers

In each flash drive, the default software is installed, which should be automatically activated when the device is connected to the PC. However, the Windows 7 system does not always correctly install the driver. From here and the most common reason why the flash drive is not displayed in "My Computer".

To resolve this malfunction, you need to go to "Device Manager". You can do this in two ways:

• Press the right mouse button on the inscription "My computer" and select the "Properties" string. On the left in the window that opens will be a list of available directory. From it you need to select "Device Manager".
• Press the left mouse button on the "Start" and drive in the search for the name of the desired directory.

If everything is done correctly, a new window will open with a list of all connected devices and a report on their work. In this list you need to find "USB controllers". Next to the inscription will stand the "+" icon. You need to click on it and see if there is no one from the devices of an exclamation mark.

If some of the drivers work incorrectly, you need to click on it with right mouse button and select "Update". After that, the system will try to independently find the desired software.

If this does not happen and the computer, the necessary drivers can be installed manually. In order to go to the site of the manufacturer of the removable drive and download the current version of the software. After that, you can either run the file directly from the download folder, or re-go to the Device Manager and specify the pathway there to the folder in which the necessary drivers are.

If the computer stopped seeing a flash drive, you can use other ways to solve this trouble.

Windows troubleshooting tools

This method is not suitable in cases where the device is not at all determined by the system. If the computer sees a flash drive, but does not open files stored on it, then in this case the problem will solve the problem.

To use the standard troubleshooting tools, you must pull out the USB flash drive and insert it again. After that, the system usually notifies that installing software for the device failed and proposes to try to solve the problem.

If there is no such function on the computer, you should not despair. To do this, go to the official site of Microsoft and download the necessary utility. After that, we run it and press the "Next" button. The program will independently begin diagnostics and correcting possible faults. As a result, the utility will inform the verdict and will offer several options to solve the problem to choose from. The user is just enough to follow the recommendations of the program.

In some cases, standard troubleshooting tools are issued a report indicating that there were no faults. This means that the functional utility is not enough to work. It may also be a sign that the problem lies in the removable drive.

Sometimes in the "My Computer" folder, the flash drive is not displayed for a number of other reasons.

Viruses

Viral and spy software can also affect the correct operation of the system. In this case, the Most often errors appear on the screen like "denied access". This means that viruses and trojans have damaged the device's source driver and replaced several files on it.

To solve such a problem, you need to go to the "computer" and in the address bar enter the name of the flash drive (usually this is some Latin letter), indicating the characters ": \\" after it. Next you need to press ENTER. At the next stage, the empty folder will most likely open. To make her files visible, just go to the autorun directory. To do this, select "Service" and go to "Properties", after which the new window opens.

It needs to find the "View" tab and scroll through the slider at the bottom. Having found "hide files", you need to remove the checkbox from the option and activate the visibility of hidden files. After that, it is sufficient to confirm the operation, and all the necessary files must be displayed in the Flash Drive folder. However, this is not all. The fact is that after these manipulations in the "My Computer" folder, the flash drive is not displayed anyway, this is due to the fact that the file affected by the virus has not yet been deleted.

To get rid of it, you need to find a document called Autorun.inf and delete it. After that, it will only remain scanning the system for the presence of possible malicious software. It is possible that there may be residual virus files on the computer.

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

You can also try to disable all devices from the computer and restart the PC. After that, you need to scan it to viruses, re-turn off and turn on the device and only after that connect the USB flash drive. The fact is that the virus may not be on the PC itself, but on any additionally connected to it, therefore they need to be disabled.

Formatting media

If the device is not visible not only on the PC, but also on the smartphone, then problems can be more serious. As a rule, in this case, a message appears on the monitor that the installed disk must format. Getting Started with the system requirements, you need to understand that this operation will destroy absolutely all data from removable media. But with the necessary documents, malicious or incorrect software will be removed.

To activate this process, it is enough to click on "format" and wait until the system clears the USB flash drive.

To start manually formatting process, it is sufficient to perform the following manipulations:

• Go to "Properties" by clicking the right mouse button on My Computer.
• In the drop-down menu, activate the formatting function.
• Select a file system that will fully match the PC.
• Install the ticks opposite the "fast". In this case, the files can be saved, but "broken" folders will not disappear with them.
• Click "Start."

There are other reasons for the fact that the flash drive is not displayed in the My Computer folder.

Conflict sections

This happens when for some reason the system cannot recognize the name of the flash drive. The fact is that several disks can be installed on the computer. If the user assigned the name "k" to one of them, and at the same time the same index is installed on the removable medium by default, it will cause a failure. Solve such a problem is very simple.

To do this, go to the "Control Panel" and make a sample by category (it will be more convenient). After that, you need to find the administration panel and select "Computer Management". In this case, all manipulations need to be carried out solely on behalf of the administrator. Otherwise, all operations will be vain, since the system will not make changes.

There are 3 categories in the administration panel. Of these, you need to choose "storage devices". After opening a new window on the right, a list of all disks registered in the system will appear. In this list there will be a non-name device - this is a flash drive, whose name "did not please" OS.

To fix this little oversight, it is enough to assign a new index to the drive. To do this, you need to click on the nameless flash drive of the right mouse button and select "Change Letter".

After that, a new window will appear on the portable computer monitor, and the system will propose to change the letter. For a flash drive, it is not recommended to use the letter "A", as it is applicable exclusively to floppy disks. For the same reason, you should not use the "B" symbol. The "C" index is usually assigned to the main system partition of the hard disk. The letter "D" is responsible for the second logical section, so it is also not suitable.

All other characters can be safely used for the drive.

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

Replacing the extension

For USB ports, all sorts of splitters are often used. Such wires often fail. With them, the same thing happens that he constantly happens to headphones - the contacts are departed or closed, because of which it is impossible to use the accessory correctly.

This may occur if too many devices were simultaneously connected to the PC. In this case, it is recommended to try to connect a flash drive directly to the computer. If it works correctly, then everything is in the extension. It is also worth trying to use a splitter with another device to check its performance.

However, sometimes it happens that even after all of these manipulations, the computer does not see USB flash drive. What to do in this situation? Do not despair. Perhaps connectors for interchangeable drives are simply disabled.

How to enable USB ports

Sometimes sellers for incomprehensible reasons turn off the connectors using "thin" system settings. Perhaps this is done so that buyers come to them for paying services. However, everything can be coped independently.

To do this, you will need to go to the BIOS. After that, you need to go to the section responsible for controllers and activate the connectors if they are actually disabled. As a rule, the desired settings are in the Advanced section. To enable controllers, it is enough to select Enable on the keypad on the keyboard in front of the USB Controllers string. Next, it is enough to press F10 to save the changes made. After that, it will only be downloaded to the computer in normal mode.

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

Mechanical damage

The miniature device could fall on the floor or into the water. From the blow, his fragile details are very easily damaged.

To check the working capacity of the flash drive, it is enough to insert it into the corresponding PC socket. If a light indicator does not light up on the drive and the computer does not make up the characteristic "you-so-hole", then perhaps the accessory is damaged.

In this case, it will be very difficult to reanimate the flash drive. Of course, you can try to attribute it to the service center, where a specialist will be able to restore the data. That is why it is better not to store information only on one miniature carrier. Also, experts recommend retaining important data not on flash drives, but on removable hard drives. They rose much less often and serve longer.

Specialized programs

If the user has purchased a flash drive from popular Kingston, Verbatium manufacturers and others, then you should become familiar with the software that these companies offer. If you look at their official sites, then there you can find specialized utilities that will help you quickly restore the work of the device. You can also search for anything else from other manufacturers.

However, download similar programs from sites that are not related to the company engaged in the manufacture of flash drives is not worth it. In this case, you can get dangerous malware on your computer.

Knowing why the computer does not see a flash drive, what to do and how to solve this problem, you can try to deal with it yourself. However, for the future it is worth the rule to use several drives at once. Only so you can be sure that important data and files will not be lost at the most unexpected moment. It is also advantageously recommended to clean the PC registry and check it for viruses. Some of them can be in system files. Therefore, do not forget about the security of the OS.

Sometimes at the most inopportune moment when it urgently needs to throw out information from a flash drive on a PC, the computer refuses see a new device. Between O. causes of occurrence We will try to tell this problem in our article in detail in our article.

Hardware fault

So if your the computer does not seeUSBflash driveThe first thing when the problem is detected should check the serviceability of the flash drive and the USB connector. A properly flashing light indicator will flash in a properly operating device in a working port. If the indicator flashes, and the computer does not recognize the flash drive anyway, then the problem is to search in the operating system.

Disadvantage

Frequently, the flash drive does not function when connecting to the port, which is located on front panel block. It happens that such connectors simply do not connect to the main power supply, and sometimes there is an insufficient nutrition. In this situation, you must try to connect the device to the free port on the back of the computer.

Flash drive may not work With a lack of power supply. This happens when there is excessive current overload in USB ports or a USB hub, as well as with faulty functioning of the power supply. In addition, it happens that the computer does not see the flash drive because it is too large, but as a rule it is rare.

Fault flash drive

If after performing all previous actions, the computer is still does not see a flash driveThen the reason may be in the device itself. Take a try connect it to another computer. If USB memory does not function on other PCs, then you can confidently say that it is faulty. It should be attributed to the diagnostics to a competent specialist.

Repair a flash drive is possibleHowever, very often repairs cost more costs. Therefore, it is necessary to repair the device at a strong need. In other cases, buy a new drive cheaper.

BIOS settings

The problem is sometimes hiding in the settings of the operating system. For example, the computer does not recognize the flash driveIf USB support is activated via BIOS. When the configuration in the BIOS is executed, a message may appear with the inscription " USB device is not recognized" This may be due to the following reasons.

Flashke is automatically assigned a busy letter

A very common problem is when the system assigns the device already occupied by the driver of the connected disk. To eliminate malfunctions in this way:

It happens that computer does not see a USB flash drivebecause there are no or outdated necessary. In this case, the update of the motherboard drivers will help. The name of its model can be viewed through the Everest program. Drivers follow download from the official website of the developer.

No USB Driver

Sometimes there is no special driver on the computer and it is for this reason. the computer does not see a flash drive Wherever we did not insert it. Check out such a gueside in this way:

1. Go through Control Panel on the menu Device Manager;
2. In the proposed list of devices it is necessary to find USB controllers. One or more USB devices, in the absence of a driver, will shine with a yellow question icon;
3. You should remove the incorrectly working device and set it again.

Viruses in the system

Sometimes the viruses in the operating system affect the correct functioning of the flash drive. In this case, you need to scan the computer with an antivirus program and.

File system incompatibility

Another reason why the computer does not see the flash drive can be the fact that the computer does not work read the file system. It most often occurs when the file is installed on the flash drive fAT system. You need to try to perform device devices NTFS or FAT32..

As you can see, the incorrect work of the flash drive can be caused by the problems of hardware or software. That is why in each case it is necessary to sort out different reasons.

USB flash drive - information drive connected to any PC via a USB interface. Quite often, this device stops working in normal mode. What should I do? Below will be considered the most effective methods of treating flash drives and fix typical errors when working with the device.

Perform all the steps sequentially - if the first method did not help, go to the next and so on.

What to do if the flash drive stopped working

In the modern IT industry, the Kiss-principle is relevant in a narrow circle meaning "do easier!". Without special needs there is no need to edit the registry, apply complex hardware techniques to eliminate problems or try to implement other procedures - it is worth starting with the most simple actions.

1. Try connecting a flash drive to another PC, a laptop or other device for communication via a USB interface. If the flash drive does not work, then with 100 percent probability it can be argued that the problem is in it - and it is necessary immediately switch to utilities for restoring and fixing flash drive.
2. If the flash drive works on another computer or at least the Windows is determined (but it does not appear "Explorer" and "this / My computer"), then it is necessary eliminate malfunctions or file system according to the instructions below.

1. Disconnect the drive, pulling it out of the USB connector.
2. Complete the PC, selecting the "Off" option.
3. Turn off the system unit from the power supply 220V, hold the power button for 5 seconds - it will remove the residual charge On separate motherboard modules.
4. Connect the computer to the power supply.
5. Turn it on, wait for the full download and insert the USB flash drive.
6. Try to connect it to another connector, especially if the front USB has previously used for this task. Optimal option - Ports from behind
7. Sometimes the cause of failures in the work of the flash drive is assigning it system identifier in the form of the letter, or the disappearance of this parameter in general, to eliminate the problem with, use the utility "Drives"

Utilities for recovery flash drive

Be sure to check the flash drive through utility "USB troubleshooting tool" from Microsoft - in the configuration with the OS it does not go, but is available for download from the official portal by reference at the same time free and only works with W7 and above.
Use it just - Run the program and click "Next".

After that, it will try to find and correct typical problems with the display of the flash drive in the system.

If a characteristic sound is heard when the device is connected, but it does not appear in the "Explorer", then open the Device Manager

Often problem with reading USB flash drives It appears after the operating system is updated - it provokes incorrect entries in the registry left after the connections of physical information carriers.

Search them manually for quite a long time and better Take advantage of a special program By searching and cleaning non-working keys in the registry.

Best for this suit utility Vit Registry Fix (Free and implements a general search and cleaning) and utility USBoblivion. (Free and cleaner from regedit all data on previously plugged flash drives).
Main advantages: The interface is intuitive and there is a Russian localization.
Download the program Run the automatic search, after completing it, run the cleaning (pre-put the checkboxes in the storage sections in the archive of all modified .Reg keys to "roll back" the operation, if necessary.

Sometimes the flash drive does not work due to the incompatibility of the drivers For USB 2 and 3 versions. In this case, you need to download updated versions on the official website of the manufacturer of the motherboard.

Why not sees a flash drive. If the PC does not perceive any flash drives, then you must fully reinstall all drivers for USB drives.

The easiest way to do this through the "Device Manager" (CLIN + R and enter Devmgmt.msc, click on ok). Find the "USB Controllers" section in the drop-down list and delete (right mouse click on the object, "Delete") subsections of the USBHOSTController, Genericusbhubs root USB hub, then update the current hardware configuration and restart the PC.

As a supplement, launch the full check of the entire system.

1. Run the registry (clamp Win + R, enter the regedit and confirm the action by clicking on "OK").
2. Right-click on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER section and select "Find", after which you enter in the Explorer search field. If there is a folder Nodrives.You must select and delete it (with the Delete button). In addition, in the same registry editor, search for the StorageDevicePolicies parameter (by section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) and delete it (if available).

Sometimes all the above methods do not give any tangible result.

If the flash drive is identified in the system (at the level of defining an unknown connected device), you can try to restore the normal operation of the device, formatting it in a special wayUsing third-party hDD LOW LEVEL FORMAT TOOL utility .

Working with the device in this case occurs at the level of the physical sectors, and not the file system (as under normal formatting) that guarantees:

1. Stripping BAD sectors
2. Elimination of any software problems
3. Non-reflective deletion of all data from the media.

The program is free and available for download from the official site. After installing and running, select the desired drive, click CONTINUE.

Find the Low-LevelFormat tab and accept the operation by clicking on FormatthisDevice.
The duration of the procedure depends on the type of flash drive and its containers, on modern PC the process takes an average of 30-60 minutes. After completion, it is necessary to safely remove the device and restart the computer.

We often use flash media to quickly transmit information between computers. There are situations when the computer does not see USB flash drive, which creates a lot of problems. Consider why your PC does not recognize the connected device, how to fix it and how to restore data from a broken flash drive.

How the problem is manifested

The problem may arise in any of the versions of Windows. An error is manifested by one of the following images:

• You have connected the drive, but the computer does not submit any signs of the appearance of a new device. This happens after the multiple reboot of the PC;
• The sound of the connected drive appeared, but the desired folder is not visible to the PC;
• The computer requires;
• A window appears with a message on the error of reading information;
• PC freezes immediately after connecting the flash drive;
• The problem with the text "The device is not identical."

Note that only the options are considered above when the flash drive itself is proper, but is not recognized by the computer. Connect the drive with another PC or smartphone. If the problem lies in the flash drive, it is necessary to carry out its repair.

Causes why the computer does not see a flash drive

Among the causes of the emergence of the problem, there may be both malfunctions in the operation of the OS and hardware breakdowns. First we recommend trying to correct the problem using software methods. Then it is necessary to check the health of the hardware components of the PC and the operation of the flash drive on other computers.

Software reasons:

• Overheating system.

The simplest and most common cause of flash drive errors is a computer that is greatly heated. If the USB port is located near the cooling system, the temperature rise may cause forced to turn off the operation of this port. Thus, the OS automatically protects the port from damage;

• Unsuitable drivers.

The computer does not see the USB flash drive if there is no drive for a USB or the program is incorrect. With such a situation, users are mainly encountered, which recently reinstalled the OS and have not yet configured her work;

• The drive is not formatted.

The first connection of the flash drive to the computer may be accompanied by the message about the need to format the storage. It will erase all data and files. Without formatting, you will not be able to use a USB flash drive in this system, since its parameters are not compatible with the OS settings. To save the data you need, connect the disk to another PC.

• Incorrect definition of the device.

When you hear the sound of the connected device, but do not see it in the conductor, we can say that an error occurred in the system sections and the name of the drive. This is the reason why the flash drive is not visible on the computer. The system simply assigned it the letter of an existing disk;

• Conflict File System PC and Flashki.

In this case, you can open the drive folder, but it will be empty. For example, if NTFS is configured on your computer, and on the FAT 32 flash drive, two devices will be able to configure the connection, but the user cannot view files nor add them to the drive folder;

• Flash drive infection with viruses.

According to statistics, more than 70% of all malicious programs are written precisely for installation and distribution through external USB -Gadgets. Perhaps the built-in defender OS simply "does not miss" a flash drive so that the virus does not spread.

• USB port is disabled in the BIOS settings.

In this case, the user needs to enter the system menu and activate the port operation.

Hardware reasons:

• The storage connector is dirty.

We often wear flash drives in bags, pockets. So the device may be damaged by third-party objects. Be sure to check if the USB connector is not docked on the flash drive. If necessary, it can be cleaned with a dry cotton wand.

• USB port is de-energized.

If you use a desktop PC, ports on the front of the case can be de-energized. This happens when at the assembly stage the front panel of the PC did not connect with the general power system. You can correct the problem in any service center.

We note and cases when the computer does not see the micro SD flash drive. This happens when the connector is defective (adapter that connects the memory card and the USB port on the computer). Also, the cause of the problem can be different file systems.

What to do: Diagnosis and correction

The solution to the problem must be started with work with the standard diagnostic utility. This utility is installed by default. Its main advantage - the ability to accurately determine why the computer does not see the USB flash drive or another connected device.

Follow the instructions:

• Open the notification center and click on the "Parameters" tile;

• Next, click on "Update and Security", and in the new tab, go to "Troubleshooting";
• On the right side of the screen, find the item "Equipment ..." and select it. The diagnostic utility will open, which in automatic mode will determine the problem and decides it.

To run the recovery tool in Windows 7, you must click on the Win + R keys and in the "Run" window that opens, enter the command specified in the figure. Click "OK" and the diagnostic utility will open in the new window.

Check using Disk Management

Disk Management is a standard utility for analyzing the work and management of all discs in the system. If the diagnostic tool does not help, we recommend checking whether the connected flash drive recognizes the system at all.

The lack of a drive in the list of disks suggests that it is faulty. Follow the instructions:

• Connect the drive to the laptop;
• Next, click on Win + R and enter "diskmgmt.msc" to the text field;
• In the "Disk Management" window, look at each list item. Also, it is recommended to reconnect the drive. Watch if it does not appear in the list. It may be that the computer recognizes a flash drive, but due to the similarity in the names of the sections it disappears.

To forcibly open the folder with the contents of the drive, select it in the list and click on the disk section at the bottom of the window. Also check if the section is working. Its status is displayed at the bottom of the window. To troubleshoot problems, click on the disk of the right mouse button and select "Fix".

Forced Rename of the Flash USB section

If you saw that the letter of the flash drive coincides with the already installed disc, you can be sure that the computer will not see the USB flash drive via USB.

The user can independently assign the device to another free letter. To do this, in the Disk Management window, click PCM on the drive name and click on "change the letter or path ...".

In the window that opens, click on the letter, and then to "change". Enter any other letter of the Latin alphabet that is not used by existing devices. Save the changes and reconnect the USB flash drive to the computer. Everything should work fine.

If the computer does not see the micro SD (Micro SD) even after changing the parameters of the "disks" parameters, we recommend to restart the computer and move on to the following solutions.

The flash drive is not recognized after the update

If the system of problems with connected USB devices started after switching to the new version of Windows or after installing the next update package, we recommend removing all drivers for USB and re-install them through the Device Manager.

If the computer does not see the SD flash drive, a microflease connected via a USB smartphone, you must use the command prompt to remove USB porter drivers. This will allow you to erase from the system even those drivers that were installed manually from unreliable sources. Follow the instructions:

• Disconnect all storage devices from PCs that are connected via USB (including webcam, flash drives, smartphone, card readers). Mouse and keyboard can not be disabled;
• Restart the computer;
• Download the DriveCleanUp program (utility that is capable of executing the search and delete all USB drivers-equipment). Link: http://driveclleanup.ru.uptodown.com/windows/download;
• Install the utility;
• Run the command line on your computer. To do this, press Win + R and enter the CMD command;

• In a new window, enter the DriveCleanup.exe command and click on ENTER to perform it;
• Next, the removal of absolutely all drivers and related entries in the registry will begin. Wait for the process to complete and close the command lines window.

Notice, the driver is deleted immediately for all USB devices, so the connected mouse or keyboard can stop after performing the operation. To further manage the computer, use a touchpad or reconnect USB. Its drivers will be installed automatically.

Now go to the Device Manager. To do this, right-click on the Start menu icon and select the appropriate item:

In a new window, locate the field with the name of your computer (usually, the top line of the list). Click on it right key and in the list of actions that select "Update the configuration". Thus, at once for all types of devices, new "correct" drivers will be installed. To perform this action requires an Internet connection.

Now restart the computer and check if the flash drive is visible on the computer until now. In 95% of cases, this solution solution helps to correct all types of software errors.

Correction of registry entries

Another solution is to use a USBoblivion third-party program to automatically search and edit erroneous registry entries that are associated with USB operation. These errors sometimes occur during the transition to the new version of the OS.

Follow the instructions:

• Download the USBOBLIVION utility from the developer site https://www.cherubicsoft.com/projects/usboblivion and install it on your computer;
• Disable all previously connected flash drives;
• Run the application and check the "Real Clearing" and "Save Cancel File" checkboxes;
• Press the "Clear" key.

• All the keys with USB devices will be deleted. Now you can re-connect drives. They will work in standard mode, and new correct records will be created in the registry.

Checking BIOS.

It happens that the computer does not see any

If in one of the rows named "USB Controller" is the value of Disabled, change it to Enabled. Save the settings, close the system menu and restart the computer. Now the port will work.

Now you know what to do if the computer does not see a flash drive. Write what method helped you solve the problem and whether the files on the drive managed to restore.

Read, what to do if Windows does not display the connected device. How to return the performance to such a device if the reason is in it. A flash drive or any other USB drive must be automatically determined by the computer and displayed in the Explorer and the "Computer" folder after connecting to the USB port.

Diagnostics of the problem

The first thing to be done if the connected USB disk is not displayed in the Windows file manager, you must check the tool Disc management.

In order to open Disc management In Windows 8/10, right-click on the menu Start and select "Disk management". In Windows 7, press the Windows + R key combination to open the dialog box. "Run" and enter the command in it diskmgmt.msc..

Check the list of disks in the window Disc management And find a USB disk that is not defined. It should be displayed here, even in the case of its absence in the folder "This computer", and coincide in size. Sometimes it is defined as "Removable device"But not always.

If you do not see your disk or flash drive, even in drive control, then try to do the following:

• Turn on the disc if there is such a function. Some external hard drives have a separate power cord or turn on using a separate key, intended for this key.
• Connect the device to another USB port. Turn off the USB flash drive from the port USB and connect to another. Perhaps one of the USB ports of your computer has failed.
• Connect the device to a computer without a USB hub. If a flash drive is connected to a computer via an extension cord or a USB hub, try to turn it off from it and connect to a computer directly. Perhaps the reason is in the hub.
• Try another computer. Connect the USB flash drive to the USB port of another computer, and see if it is determined. If the device is also not determined by another computer, then most likely the problem is in it.

Solution to the problem

If problems described above do not touch your case, then your problem is most likely to be solved by one of the ways described below. Depending on what you found in Drive controlThere are variants of solutions that have arisen with the definition of external information carrier.

If Windows sees the disk, but cannot read it, it means that it does not support the file system. In this case, the operating system will propose to format the disc before its use. But do not rush to do it! It will destroy all your data.

If other computers see a USB flash drive, and yours is not

In the event that other computers define your USB disk, and yours is not, then the problem with the device drivers is most likely.

To check this, open the Device Manager and find items. Disk devices and USB controllers. Look, whether there are no devices in these sections marked with a yellow exclamation mark. If this device is there, click on it with the right mouse button and select Properties. The properties will indicate information about the error and the status of the drivers.

To correct the problem with the driver, right-click on the device, select Properties / Driver / Refresh.

Disc is visible in drive management

If the disc is visible in Drive controlBut it does not have the letters, it is for this reason that it may not be displayed in Windows Explorer. To start it to be displayed in the conductor, such a disk must be assigned a letter.

To do this, right-click on it and select "Change the letter of the disk or the path to the disk". If there is no such item in the pop-up menu, this may be due to the lack of or unsupported by the type of information media file system.

In the menu that opens, you will see that the disc is not appointed - assign it. To do this, select Add / / OK..

If the disc is visible in drive control, but it is not distributed

If the disc is visible in Drive controlBut it is not distributed, it means that it is not formatted. In order for such a disk to be operational, click on it with the right mouse button and select "Create a simple volume".

Select the maximum proposed partition size and assign the disk letter offered by the system. After that, the disk will be normally determined by the system and is ready to use.

If the disc is visible in drive control, but it cannot be formatted

If for some reason the disk fails to format, then to return its performance, it can be completely cleaned, then re-create a section.

Note. As a result of this manipulation, all this from the disk (as well as flash drives or memory cards) will be permanently removed. Therefore, fight in advance about their safety - scan the disk or flash drive using the Hetman Partition Recovery, and save your data at a convenient place.

To cleanse the disc Open Command line on behalf of the administrator and clean it using the DiskPart command - "Clean".