What to do if the flash drive is not visible?

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What to do if the flash drive is not visible?
What to do if the flash drive is not visible?
Anonim

Absolutely every user may encounter a situation in which "Windows" does not see the flash drive. This is a fairly common problem. In most cases, you can find a way out without contacting the workshop. To do this, you need to understand the causes of the problem. Further actions to eliminate the appeared defect depend on them.

Flash drive or computer… Who is to blame?

The first step is to figure out what is the cause of the malfunction. The problem may be in the device or software of the computer. The flash drive itself may be faulty. When using it, you should use not only the front USB ports, but also try to plug the flash drive into the ports located at the back of the system unit.

flash drive not visible
flash drive not visible

Front ports can be disabled. This often happens, for example, when buying a used computer, when they are simply not connected to the motherboard during assembly. You can also check the performance of the flash drive on another computer. If it functions normally there, then the problem lies in the ports or software. When other computersthey do not react in any way to the USB drive, and even the card reader does not see the USB flash drive, the reason is in it itself. Most likely, incorrect operation of the controller led to a malfunction. It is better to take such a device in for repair. If it does not contain important information, replace it with a new one.

Drive Format

There are situations when a message about connecting a flash drive is displayed on the screen, but its file system and volume are not displayed. In the explorer or in the "My Computer" tab, it is not visible at all. The flash drive in this case must be formatted. Keep in mind that mismatch between the file systems of the USB device and the computer can lead to malfunctions. Most hard drives operate in NTFS, while flash drives operate in FAT32 and FAT.

Windows does not see flash drive
Windows does not see flash drive

If after formatting the flash drive is still not visible, it makes sense to repeat the process for another file system.

Check BIOS

Maybe the use of USB devices does not allow the BIOS. Sometimes this feature is used to protect the computer from malware from removable media. Therefore, before discussing why the flash drive is not visible, you should check the system settings. You can enter the BIOS directly when Windows boots up by pressing F2 or Del. Then enable USB startup for the motherboard devices. The function of working with USB ports is activated, and the flash drive will be detected.

Other reasons

the card reader does not see the flash drive
the card reader does not see the flash drive

When the flash drive is not visible, you need to check your computer for viruses. Malicious programs can block the display of removable media. In this case, it is advisable to use the latest versions of anti-virus programs with all updates. You should also pay attention to the problem of drivers. Perhaps they are outdated. To install new ones, you need to find the website of the computer motherboard manufacturer and download the drivers for the USB device. The name of the board manufacturer's company can be found, for example, using the Aida or Everest program.

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