The flash drive is stuck, what should I do? Why doesn’t the computer see a flash drive or external hard drive and what to do about it. What to do if the device is broken

More and more users use small and convenient flash drives to store and transfer information rather than CDs and DVDs. The advantages are obvious: compactness, reusable recording, scratch-resistant like optical media. But on the other hand, it’s just a device that cannot last forever.

So, if you have connected a flash drive to your computer and it is not readable, try using the following methods to revive it.

Check for integrity

First, check whether the USB interface is properly attached to the flash drive body. If it comes off more on one side than the other, it's likely a problem with the contacts. If you know how, you can solder them yourself, but it is better to take the flash drive for repair.

Also check the device for mechanical damage: cracks, deep scratches, dents. Because of them, the board elements could be damaged, then data recovery would be impossible. If water or moisture gets into the flash drive, wait until it dries and then connect it to the computer.

Choose a different port

Another reason why a flash drive does not open on a computer is the computer’s USB ports. It may simply be faulty - connect to another port. If you connect a flash drive to ports located on the front of the system unit, try doing it from the back. The fact is that when assembling the system unit, the front USB ports could simply not be connected to the motherboard.

Lack of nutrition

This option is also possible - the flash drive does not have enough power from the USB port to operate. Disconnect from the computer all connected USB devices that you are not using: web camera, printer, scanner, etc. This may be due to the fact that the system unit has a low-power power supply. For further use of the flash drive, it is better to purchase a USB splitter with additional power.

Changing the drive letter

If the flash drive is still not readable on the computer, then go to the Start menu. There, right-click on the “Computer” item and select “Management” from the context menu.

In the computer management window on the left side, click "Storage Devices" – "Disk Management". Here we are looking for a flash drive; if it is not identified, then you can throw it away.

If you have created virtual disks previously, then the flash drive may have been assigned a letter that is already in use. Right-click on the flash drive and select "Change drive letter or drive path", in the next window, click “Change” and select a letter that is not yet used.

Reinstall the drivers

Problems with opening a flash drive can also arise due to drivers. Go to the tab "Device Manager" and double click the mouse to expand the list "USB Controllers". Here, find the flash drive and right-click on it. You can select from the list or "Update drivers" or "Delete". Remove the flash drive and insert it back into the computer - the drivers will be installed automatically.

If automatic installation of drivers does not occur, you can find the drivers yourself using the device instance code. If you have the Windows 7 operating system installed, then look in the list "Equipment ID".

Format your device

Another method that can be used if the flash drive does not open on the computer is formatting. To do this, go to the “My Computer” folder and right-click on the flash drive. From the context menu select "Format…".

In the formatting window, click on the button "Restore default settings". Then check the "Quick" checkbox and click "Start". Please note that after this procedure all data from the flash drive will be erased. But after a quick format, you can try to restore them, for example, using the Recuva program.

If everything went well, then the flash drive should work. If the formatting was not completed, try low-level formatting the flash drive using the hard disk low level format tool.

Removing viruses

A flash drive can also be unreadable on a computer due to viruses. Check it with an antivirus program. If, after deleting all malicious files, the flash drive still does not open, go to “Start” - "Control Panel" – "Folders settings".

On the View tab, mark with a marker "Show hidden files, folders and drives", click "OK".

Now, in the “My Computer” folder, open the USB flash drive, find the “autorun.exe” file there and delete it.

These are all the methods known to me, which is why the flash drive may not open on the computer. I think at least one of them will help you.

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Hi all! In this article we will talk about cases when a flash drive is not detected on any computer at all. So this will be detailed instructions for recovery.

I must say that the experimental USB drive is already well known to you from previous publications, since not so long ago we recovered information from it and . For those who haven't read it yet, you can check it out.

The situation changed for the better only when a good old utility called Hard Disk Low Level Format Tool. It was she who helped solve the problem and save money by bringing the drive back to life.

So what needs to be done. The first step is to install the above program from the official website of the developers. It is small and weighs very little. Launch it and select “Continue for free”:

Then, in general, our flash drive appears, which is not detected at all in the Windows 10 system itself. That is, it is nowhere and everything is here:

Select it and click the “Continue” button at the bottom to proceed to the formatting process. In this case, it is probably not worth warning that all data will be lost as a result of this process. 😉

In the next step, go to the “Low-Level Format” section and click the “Format This Device” button:

After this, the program will once again inquire about the seriousness of our intentions. Here, just like in a registry office, we say “Yes” once again:

That's all, friends, now all you have to do is wait for the low-level erasing process of the USB drive to complete. After this, the long-suffering flash drive was finally detected in the system, but when accessed for the first time, it “asked” to be formatted again. Well, let's not argue:

We start the repeated procedure using the standard means of the great and terrible Windows:

As a result, guys, the flash drive, which was not detected before, has successfully started working. Therefore, we can safely say that the detailed restoration instructions were still a success.

If you still have any questions, ask them in the comments to the publication. And that's all for now and see you again. In conclusion, as always, let's watch another interesting video.

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I’m sure you have documents, photographs or videos that should never be deleted. If this happens, they will help. But what to do if the flash drive literally breaks or stops working? Why did this happen? Today I will answer these questions.

First of all, let's define the terms. When they say “flash drive,” they mean a device with a USB connector:

And what is inserted into phones and cameras is called memory cards:

But this is unnecessary complexity and can be misleading. Both types of memory drives can be called flash drives. The cards have exactly the same parts (okay, a little more compact) as USB flash drives. This identical devices. Yes, they look different, the method of exchanging data between the device and the flash drive is different, but otherwise they are similar. The only difference is where they are connected.

And their problems are similar, and the treatment (data recovery) is the same. And it’s not always easy. Remember:

The success of data recovery depends on the severity of the situation, the model of the flash drive and the amount of money in the owner’s pocket.

You need to know that repairing and restoring data are two mutually exclusive situations. When pulling out information, you will have to gut the flash drive so that it will not be possible to put it back together. But you will have the data.

What can break? And if it breaks, will it be possible to restore the files?

1. Memory chips with cells in which data is stored.

Data cannot be written to memory cells forever. Their read-write cycle life is limited to hundreds of thousands of operations. Once the limit is exceeded, the cell will not be able to hold a charge. Files will become unreadable or their contents will be damaged. And if the loss of a couple of bytes in a text document threatens only the absence of a couple of letters, then for photographs, videos and archives any distortion is unacceptable.

The data is stored in such a chip. There may be several of them

To avoid data corruption, memory chips have cells that are not used during normal use. As soon as the memory begins to fail, the controller (more on it later) will prohibit work with the faulty cell and substitute a spare one in its place. Alas, there is not much spare memory; sooner or later the reserve area will be completely used up. Then plan “B” will come into effect: data recording will be prohibited. Reading will not be lost anywhere, so you can safely copy the files to your home computer or other safe place.

But this is ideal. I have only encountered a similar situation on memory cards. USB flash drives usually start to “glitch”: the saved files stop opening because they are damaged. What to do? Alas: no data recovery programs will help here!

So damage to the memory chip can result in permanent loss of data. Fortunately, the read-write resource is quite large (hundreds of thousands of cycles). Even if you completely fill up the flash drive every day and then delete everything, failure will not occur before a year of operation. And MicroSD in phones are more resistant to this, because, as I wrote above, protection is triggered and files can be copied to a safe place.

Much more often problems arise with the controller.

2. Controller(not a controller!) - a chip that takes care of data transfer between memory chips and a computer, phone or other external device.

Most often, problems arise with it. This is a complex component with its own memory and a set of electronic parts, in which anything can break. For example, the contents of the controller’s firmware are often damaged and the flash drive is simply not detected when connected to a computer or becomes visible as a disk with a size of 0 bytes. Many USB flash drives can be repaired at home using flashing programs (the data will be lost!), but this trick will not work with miniature memory cards - they have a monolithic body (to put it simply, everything is inside one chip), which cannot be disassembled.

The controller cannot be repaired, but data can be restored. Contact data recovery companies - they will be able to connect to the memory chip, bypassing the controller, or transfer the memory to exactly the same donor flash drive.

3. Electronic “harness”. These are various electronic components (resistors, diodes, power regulator) scattered across the board.

The parts are “on the front lines”, smoothing out voltage surges due to the unexpected removal of a flash drive from the port and other electronic interference, so very vulnerable. The situation is especially bad with memory cards and monolithic flash drives: due to the dense layout, the working parts are poorly cooled, and the risk of burnout increases. Memory cards, unlike monolithic USB flash drives, are even worse: they are located inside a working device, which also heats up.

Depending on the model of the flash drive, you can either replace the parts with new ones (and the flash drive will last for some time), or connect directly to the memory chip to get the data. Of course, this requires people with the right skills and technology.

Advice: in winter, when fluffy warm clothes become a trend, static electricity kills this very “harness” once or twice. If you are wearing something that causes sparks when you take it off, before working with the computer and/or picking up a flash drive, touch the unpainted part of the heating battery - the accumulated charge will go away and the equipment will be out of danger.

4. Connector and housing.

USB flash drives and memory cards have different connectors, but the problem is common: the contacts are damaged. Oxidation, erasure, simply insufficient pressure - and now the flash drive is no longer detected when connected, and the phone does not see the memory card. The problem can be solved by cleaning the contacts with an eraser or, if it is a full-size USB connector, by slightly squeezing it so that the flash drive sits tightly when connected to the computer.

For large memory cards, the latch may break or the casing may peel off; this can be repaired with ordinary tape (wrap the casing and you’re done). The contacts can also be wiped, but if the housing is cracked, it’s a lost cause. I had no idea how fragile they were until I accidentally knocked the MicroSD off the table and ruined it. Having fallen on its edge, the card simply cracked.

I have also often seen the consequences of finding a flash drive in the back pocket of jeans. The result is always the same:

Sometimes the expression “something bad happened” should be taken literally. Photo from dannydullin.com

Repairing broken connectors is a fairly simple procedure for service center workers. After repair, the flash drive can continue to be used.

About software glitches

In addition to hardware failures, software failures also occur. Files in case software Failures are fairly easy to recover from. Usually free programs are enough. Then format the flash drive and continue using it.

A simple way to determine the type of failure: if the flash drive does not show itself when connected to a PC or phone, the hardware is broken. And if it is recognized, but there is something wrong with the files, the problem is software. Usually the algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Retrieve information using data recovery programs.

2. Format the flash drive (right-click on the drive in the “This Computer” folder - Format - Start).

The only software problem that cannot be solved by formatting is changing the partition size. Appears after installing a large flash drive in old cameras. The camera, unaware that such capacious flash drives exist, creates a partition that is smaller than necessary. It will help you to work with disk partitions. You can use Windows tools: Control Panel - Computer Management - Disk Management - right-click on the partition on the flash drive - Delete volume, then Create volume, you need to select FAT32 instead of NTFS. This will rebuild the file system from scratch with the correct size.

Hardware failures

So, what to do if the controller burns out or the flash drive breaks in half, and there is important data there? How to restore them?

This is where the difficulties begin. Data mining methods can be divided into three conventional types. It all depends on what is broken and what type of flash drive - regular or monolithic.

1. Transfer memory to a working flash drive.

Specialists install a memory chip from a damaged flash drive onto a donor of exactly the same model.

Ideal option: after repair, the flash drive connected to the computer is recognized as a regular removable disk, documents are easily copied to a safe place. You can’t pull off this trick with memory cards; the components are too tightly packed and cannot be soldered, or the case is completely monolithic. But the following option is suitable.

2. Read memory directly.

To access memory, you can do without a controller. Specialists connect directly to the outputs of the memory chip and read its contents in “raw” form, then use specialized data recovery software to retrieve the files.

But this is not always the case. Sometimes there are several memory chips and/or the controller operates according to its own algorithms, which only the manufacturer knows about.

3. Data recovery from monolithic devices.

It is not possible to quickly connect to the memory of MicroSD cards and some models of SD and USB flash drives; you need to do difficult work at least to access the pins of the memory chip. Retrieving data requires expensive equipment that most laboratories do not have and a lot of time. That's why prices are high. The minimum price for restoring monolithic flash drives, which I found on the Internet, is 12 thousand rubles.

Connecting to a memory chip on a monolithic flash drive. Photo from gillware.com

Working with monolithic flash drives is a complex and painstaking process that does not always end in success.

Why are monolithic flash drives bad? The fact is that instead of the good old board, they use a thin substrate and parts soldered with wires less than a hair thick. All this stuff is covered in varnish. The result is a monolithic structure that cannot be disassembled. Specialists use a microscope to peel off layer by layer, and then, when the tracks become visible, they solder them to the desired contacts. This is a temporary measure; after removing the data, the flash drive goes to waste.

Photo from blog.acelaboratory.com

An important point: when restoring monolithic flash drives, a donor is often needed. To understand which contact is responsible for what, you need to use a logic analyzer and, possibly, an X-ray machine to see how exactly the same intact flash drive works.

Monolithic flash drive under x-ray. Photo from the site habrahabr.ru

Such work requires appropriate payment, so not everyone can afford to pay for data recovery from monolithic flash drives. If I were an employee of a laboratory with a similar service, I would insert an advertisement here, but I do not work in this area, so I will tell the victims one thing: I sincerely sympathize. It’s especially sad when a flash drive from an unnamed Chinese manufacturer breaks. Maybe I don’t know something and the nameless flash drives are as similar to each other as two peas in a pod, but something tells me that this is not so.

When a flash drive from the Chinese brand XEDIAN gave up life as a wife, I began to look at it (the flash drive, not my wife) in the hope that it had service contacts. These contacts simplify access to memory and, accordingly, reduce the cost of the recovery process. There were no contacts, but under the top layer of paint I found the inscription “SanDisk Extreme Plus 32 GB”. It was applied crookedly, which indicates a fake, and there are no memory cards similar in appearance on the SanDisk website. Rhetorical question: how much will it cost to recover data from a flash drive from a Chinese manufacturer that stamps its nameplate on counterfeit memory cards? It’s difficult to find a donor, because different models are hidden under the card with that name, judging by the photos and reviews on Aliexpress. This is a case where a recovery attempt can cost a pretty penny and is unlikely to be successful.

Why do flash drives break?

Have you inserted a flash drive into your computer, it is not detected and cleaning the contacts did not help? This does not mean, that you are unlucky. Any Technology tends to break down when used. Defects, power surges, temperature changes, hands from the wrong place - everything can cause a breakdown. You just have to accept it and move on with your life. Well, or look for service centers with data recovery services.

To avoid sadness, in advance make backups. Many have already forgotten about the existence of DVD, but this is a good way to store archival photographs, videos and other digital data dear to the heart. Or buy an external hard drive.

Phone owners: you can install Yandex.Disk, enable auto-uploading of photos to the cloud and you will never lose memorable entries. Only 10 GB is available for free, but until July 3

Which results in the USB drive not being recognized. From damaged USB ports to USB formatting issues, the list of possible scenarios is varied. It should also be noted that before applying any of the methods below, the user must ensure that the cause is analyzed and the problem is identified correctly.

The list of reasons that lead to a flash drive being unreadable and which users encounter most often includes the following 5 scenarios:

1. USB ports don't work.
2. You need to update your USB drivers.
3. The operating system (OS) is not updated.
4. The USB storage device is faulty.
5. The USB firmware is corrupted.

You can find more than one USB recognition program on the Internet that will ensure that the data is retrieved, but it is better not to use these programs as they can pose security risks, possibly compromising the data.

Below are some of the factors that can lead to flash drive recognition problems. It should be noted that these problems need to be resolved as soon as possible:

1. Problem with USB formatting. This is the most common type of problem where the user fails to format the drive before first use. The error message states that formatting could not be completed.
2. Driver problem. USB drivers are not available or need to be updated.
3. Hard drive problems. If the hard drive of the OS and its associated system is not working properly, it is most likely a problem with the hard drive.
4. OS related problems: OS if not updated on time also leads to these problems. The only solution is to update the components.
5. Port related problems. This can be either hardware or software. If the ports do not recognize USB, professional help is recommended.

USB formatting problem is the most common type of problem

4 Ways to Fix Problem with Flash Drive Not Recognized by Windows

Method 1: Scan for USB problems

Step 1. Insert the flash drive into the USB port.

Step 2. Make sure that the flash drive appears in the “My Computer” section. Then, right-click to open the “Properties” section.

Step 3. Enter the "Service" section.

Step 4. Then you need to click on the “Check Now” button for a new menu to appear. Here, both options should be selected and the run button should be clicked to scan the device and fix the problem (some may just say "Check", then you need to click "Check" and then "Check and repair disk").

Method 2: Reformatting USB

Follow this process:

Step 1. Right-click on the flash drive under My Computer to select the Format option.

Step 2. Now, to solve the problem, you need to format the flash drive using NTFS instead of FAT32 or vice versa:

On a note! All information from the flash drive will be deleted!

Method 3: Update drivers

The process looks like this:

Step 1. You need to open the Run window (Win+R), and then enter devmgmt.msc as in the screenshot below:

Step 2. This will take you to the Device Manager (you can also open it through the built-in Windows search, you just need to type “Device Manager” in the search box and Windows will return the desired result).

Step 3. You need to find “Universal Serial Bus controllers” as in the picture below:

Step 4. When you have found the controllers you need, you need to right-click on them and select the option to update drivers, then “Automatically search for updated drivers.”

Method 4. OS update

To update your OS, follow these steps:

Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security.

Step 2. Now you need to make sure that the “Check for updates” option is selected.

The OS will be updated.

Then you need to restart the system to ensure that the problem is resolved.

Software to recover lost data on hard drive

Once the USB recognition problem is resolved, it is recommended that you save all important data to ensure that the problem never happens again. You should also check that all folders are saved and that nothing is missing. Wondershare Data Recovery tool is the most advanced and modern tool designed specifically to solve the problem of file loss. It is better to download it from the official website.

Note! Only 100 megabytes of lost data are free.

Recovering files with Wondershare Data Recovery occurs in 3 steps:

Step 1. First you need to select what types of files you want to recover.

Step 2. Then you need to select the device from which you want to recover these same files.

Step 3. You also need to select the location where these files will be restored.

It won’t be difficult, and the intuitive and simple interface will only help with this.

Video - Flash drive not detected - solution to the problem

In this manual I will describe all the ways I know to solve this problem. First, the simplest and, at the same time, the most effective methods will be used in most situations when the computer does not see the flash drive, reports that the disk is not formatted, or produces other errors. There are also separate instructions on how to.

There are many reasons why you may encounter the fact that your computer does not see the flash drive. The problem can appear in any version of the Microsoft operating system - Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 or XP. If the computer does not recognize the connected flash drive, this can manifest itself in several variations.

Start Disk Management using one of the following methods:

• Start - Run (Win + R), enter the command diskmgmt.msc, press Enter
• Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management

In the disk management window, pay attention to whether the flash drive appears and disappears when you connect and disconnect it from the computer.

The ideal option is if the computer sees the connected flash drive and all partitions on it (usually one) are in the “Good” state. In this case, just right-click on it, select “Make partition active” in the context menu, and perhaps assign a letter to the flash drive - this will be enough for the computer to “see” the USB drive. If the partition is faulty or deleted, then you will see “Not distributed” in the status. Try right-clicking on it and, if such an item appears in the menu, select “Create a simple volume” to create a partition and format the flash drive (the data will be deleted).

Further simple steps

Try going to Device Manager and see if your device is listed as unknown, or in the “Other devices” section (as in the screenshot) - the drive may be called there by its real name or as a USB mass storage device.

Right-click on the device, select Delete, and after deleting it, in the Device Manager menu, select Action - Update hardware configuration.

Perhaps this action will be enough for your flash drive to appear in Windows Explorer and be accessible.

Among other things, the following options are possible. If you connect the flash drive to the computer via an extension cable or USB hub, try connecting directly. Try connecting to all available USB ports. Try turning off the computer, disconnecting all extraneous devices from USB (Web cameras, external hard drives, card readers, printer), leaving only the keyboard, mouse and flash drive, then turning on the computer. If after this the flash drive works, then the problem is in the power supply to the USB ports of the computer - perhaps the power supply of the PC is not enough. A possible solution is to replace the power supply or purchase a USB hub with its own power supply.

Windows 10 does not see the flash drive after updating or installation (suitable for Windows 7, 8 and Windows 10)

Many users have encountered the problem of USB drives not being displayed after upgrading to Windows 10 from previous OSs, or after simply installing updates on an already installed Windows 10. It often happens that flash drives are not visible only via USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 - i.e. It can be assumed that USB drivers are required. However, in fact, this behavior is often caused not by drivers, but by incorrect registry entries about previously connected USB drives.

In this case, the free USBOblivion utility can help, removing from the Windows registry all information about previously connected flash drives and external hard drives. Before using the program, I recommend.

Disconnect all flash drives and other USB storage devices from the computer, run the program, check the Perform real cleanup and Save undo reg file checkboxes, then click the “Cleanup” button.

After cleaning is completed, restart your computer and connect the flash drive - most likely, it will be detected and become accessible. If not, then also try going to the device manager (by right-clicking on the Start button) and follow the steps to remove the USB drive from the Other devices section and then update the hardware configuration (described above). You can download the USBOblivion program from the official developer page: www.cherubicsoft.com/projects/usboblivion

But, in relation to Windows 10, another option is possible - actual incompatibility of USB 2.0 or 3.0 drivers (as a rule, then they are displayed with an exclamation mark in the device manager). In this case, the recommendation is to check the availability of the necessary USB and chipset drivers on the official website of the laptop or PC motherboard manufacturer. At the same time, I recommend using the official websites of the device manufacturers themselves, and not the Intel or AMD websites, to search for such drivers, especially when it comes to laptops. Also, sometimes updating the motherboard BIOS helps solve the problem.

If the flash drive is not seen by Windows XP

The most common situation I encountered when calling to set up and repair computers, when a computer with the Windows XP operating system installed on it did not see a flash drive (even if it sees other flash drives), was caused by the fact that the necessary updates for working with USB drives were not installed . The fact is that many organizations use Windows XP, often in the SP2 version. Updates were not installed due to restrictions on Internet access or poor performance of the system administrator.

So, if you have Windows XP and the computer does not see the flash drive:

• If SP2 is installed, update to version SP3 (when performing the update, if you have Internet Explorer 8 installed, remove it).
• Install all Windows XP updates, regardless of which Service Pack you are using.

Here are some of the fixes for working with USB flash drives that were released in Windows XP updates:

• KB925196 - fixed errors that appear in the fact that the computer does not detect the connected flash drive or iPod.
• KB968132 - fixed errors where when connecting multiple USB devices in Windows XP they stopped functioning normally
• KB817900 - The USB port stopped working after removing and reinserting the flash drive
• KB895962 - USB flash drive stops working when the printer is turned off
• KB314634 - the computer sees only old flash drives that were connected before and does not see new ones
• KB88740 - Rundll32.exe error when inserting or removing a USB flash drive
• KB871233 - the computer does not see the flash drive if it has just been in sleep or hibernation mode
• KB312370 (2007) - USB 2.0 support in Windows XP

By the way, despite the fact that Windows Vista is almost never used anywhere, it should be noted that installing all updates should also be the first step if a similar problem occurs.

Completely remove old USB drivers

This option is suitable if the computer says “Insert disk” when you insert a USB flash drive. Old USB drivers available in Windows can cause this problem, as well as errors associated with assigning a letter to the flash drive. In addition, this may also be the reason why the computer restarts or freezes when you insert a flash drive into a USB port.

The fact is that by default, Windows installs drivers for USB drives the moment you connect them to the corresponding port on your computer for the first time. At the same time, when the flash drive is disconnected from the port, the driver does not go anywhere and remains in the system. When connecting a new flash drive, conflicts may arise due to the fact that Windows will try to use previously installed drivers corresponding to this USB port, but to a different USB drive. I won’t go into detail, but will simply describe the steps required to remove these drivers (you won’t see them in Windows Device Manager).

How to remove drivers for all USB devices

1. Turn off the computer and disconnect all USB storage devices (and not only) (flash drives, external hard drives, card readers, web cameras, etc. You can leave the mouse and keyboard provided that they do not have a built-in card reader.
2. Turn on your computer again.
3. Download the DriveCleanup utility http://uwe-sieber.de/files/drivecleanup.zip (compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8)
4. Copy the 32-bit or 64-bit version of drivecleanup.exe (depending on your version of Windows) to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
5. Launch Command Prompt as Administrator and enter drivecleanup.exe
6. You will see the process of removing all drivers and their entries in the Windows registry.

When the program finishes running, restart your computer. Now, when you insert the USB flash drive, Windows will install new drivers for it.

Update 2016: It is easier to perform the operation of deleting mount points of USB drives using the free USBOblivion program, as described above in the section about non-working flash drives in Windows 10 (the program will work for other versions of Windows).

Reinstalling USB devices in Windows Device Manager

If none of the above has helped so far, and the computer does not see any flash drives at all, and not just one specific one, you can try the following method:

1. Go to Device Manager by pressing Win+R and typing devmgmt.msc
2. In Device Manager, open USB Controllers
3. Delete (via right click) all devices called USB Root Hub, USB Host Controller or Generic USB Hub.
4. In Device Manager, select Actions - Update hardware configuration.

After reinstalling USB devices, check if the USB drives work on your computer or laptop.

Additional actions

• Check your computer for viruses - they may cause inappropriate behavior of USB devices
• Check the Windows registry, namely the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Explorer. If you see an option named NoDrives in this section, remove it and restart your computer.
• Go to the Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\ CurrentControlSet\ Control. If the StorageDevicePolicies parameter is there, remove it.
• In some cases, completely de-energizing the computer helps. You can do this this way: unplug the flash drives, turn off the computer or laptop, unplug it (or remove the battery if it’s a laptop), and then, with the computer turned off, press and hold the power button for a few seconds. After that, release it, reconnect the power supply and turn it on. Oddly enough, this can sometimes help.

Recovering data from a flash drive that the computer cannot see

If in Windows Disk Management the computer displays the flash drive, but in the status “Not recognized”, “Not initialized”, and the partition on the flash drive is “Not distributed”, then most likely the data on the flash drive is damaged and you will need to use data recovery.

There are a few things to keep in mind that will increase the likelihood of successful data recovery:

• Do not write anything to the flash drive you want to recover.
• Do not try to save recovered files to the same media from which they are recovered

If nothing helps, and your computer still does not see the flash drive, and the files and data stored on it are very important, then the last recommendation would be to contact a company professionally engaged in file and data recovery.