USB memory sticks are great devices for storing files and sharing data across different computers. These flash memory devices offer far greater capacities than floppy disks ever could – and they're becoming ever-cheaper too. Indeed, 16GB sticks, offering storage equivalent to 11,000 floppy disks, can be bought for less than a fiver.
But, like all technology, USB sticks can fail every now and again. In worst-case scenarios, this can mean losing everything you had stored. As such, it's always advisable to keep files stored somewhere else as well to be extra safe. If you're a BT Broadband customer, you can store your files for free on BT Cloud.
If you've still got precious files you want to recover on your USB memory stick, you should try some of these solutions first.
But if your computer stops recognising a USB memory stick, it doesn't necessarily mean it's ready to be binned. Have a go at these solutions below before giving up on it for good. Please note, we've used Windows 7 here but the steps are relatively the same for Windows 10.
Tip 1: Try a different USB port
- I booted Linux from a USB memory stick (one which is actually recognized by the laptop!), and observed that the same devices which are not detected under Windows are also not detected under Linux. When I tried booting the same Linux memory stick on another ThinkPad, these same devices.were. detected successfully.
- However, if the drive doesn't work in any of your USB interfaces you need to look further to determine the problem. If another Mac is available, try connecting the flash drive to it in order to verify that the USB drive itself is not the culprit. If it will not work on different Macs then it is likely that there is a major issue with the device.
Solved: USB not recognized is the common problem reported many users, it could be broken or other reason caused the drive error. But don't worry, you can follow the next guide to fix the flash drive not recognized error on Windows and Mac, then recover files from flash drive with Recoverit Data Recovery program. First, make sure the USB ports at the rear of the computer work by connecting a USB device to the rear port. If the device is not recognized in the rear port, then use the other sections in this document to resolve the problem. Use the following steps to see if the front USB ports have become disconnected from the motherboard.
It might seem obvious, but the first thing to try is inserting the stick into another USB port on your PC.
Over time, USB ports can get dirty and worn, so there's a chance that the issue actually lies with the port where you insert your USB stick and not the stick itself.
Tip 2: Do you need to update the driver?
Again, the problem may actually be with your PC, not the USB device itself. See if a different computer recognises your stick. If it does, it could mean your main machine needs to download a new driver.
To check for a new driver, go to Computer, right click on your USB's icon and click on Properties.
Go to the Hardware tab and find General USB Flash Disk USB Device. Select it and click the Properties button below.
In the next pop-up, click the Change settings button.
Another pop-up will appear – go to the Driver tab and click the Update Driver… button.
Next, select the first option Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instructions.
Tip 3: Error-checking
Windows may be able to detect the error with your USB stick.
You can do this by right clicking on the USB icon in Computer and clicking on Properties.
Go to the Tools tab and under error-checking click Check now…
A pop-up box will appear. Ensure both boxes are ticked and click the Start Sony vegas or final cut pro. button.
If Windows is able to identify the problem, follow the instructions provided.
Tip 4: Format the USB stick
The final step you can try is formatting the USB stick, but this will delete everything.
To do this, go to Computer, right click on the USB stick icon and click on Format.
In the pop-up box, click the Start button, followed by OK.
If the formatting went ahead successfully, a new pop-up message will appear saying: ‘Format Complete'. You can click the OK button and see whether the USB stick works again.
Tip 5: Create a new simple volume
Another way you could restart your USB stick is by using Windows Disk Management, which again wipes the content.
To do this, search ‘disk management' in the Start Menu and click on Create and format hard disk partitions.
Here, you should see your USB under Disk 1. Right click and go to Properties to check that you have selected the correct drive. The pop-up box should say ‘General USB Flash Disk USB Device' if you have the correct driver selected.
If it does, exit this window and right click on the diagonally-striped box which should say ‘Unallocated' in the centre. Click New Simple Volume…
In the pop-up box, click the Next button.
On the subsequent screen, ensure that the simple volume size in MB matches the maximum disk space in MB, and click the Next button.
Click Next again twice, followed by Finish.
If this works, your USB stick should be accessible.
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.
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.
Click Next again twice, followed by Finish.
If this works, your USB stick should be accessible.
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.
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. 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'.
Create 3d home design. 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.
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.
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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'.
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:
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.
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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.
Windows chkdsk and Windows disk error checking are able to repair errors on your disk from the command line. What is voice instructions imperial zip. 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.
