What to Do When Your USB Drive Is Not Showing Up

Follow these steps to pinpoint the problem

What do you do when your USB drive is not showing up after plugging it in? USB is an extensively adopted technology that allows you to plug lots of devices into your Windows PC every day. However, sometimes it’s not all plug and play.

Why Your USB Drive Is Not Showing Up

Your USB flash drive or thumb drive not showing up can be caused by several things.

We’ve rounded up some effective solutions if you’re experiencing USB connection issues. Most of these fixes also apply to different USB devices such as disk drives, mice, video game controllers, and more.

Also, check out ourshort YouTube videowhere we go through some of the solutions down below. If you’re getting aUSB Device not Recognized error, we have a solution for that too.

How To Fix a Plugged-In USB Drive Not Showing Up

If your USB device isn’t detected, it’s best to rule out the most likely causes. Start with these quick fixes below before moving on to the more complicated troubleshooting steps further below. These fixes should work for both Windows PCs and Macs.

Step 1: Try the Easy Fixes

Step 2:Check For Device Compatibility

If your USB stick isn’t meant to work with your computer, then it won’t show up when you plug it in. In Windows, most USB 3 devices can connect to USB 2 ports.

However, with advances in technology, a USB 3 device may require a more powerful and compatible port to work. Check your computer’s instruction manual for compatibility information to make sure you’re plugging the USB drive into the correct port.

Step 3: Update Your Operating System

If you’re using Windows, updating the operating system includes important files that support different hardware and devices, plus fixes to any errors you may encounter.

  1. ClickCheck for Updates. If there are any pending updates, download and restart your computer before trying your USB stick again.

Step 4: Use Disk Management Tool

The Disk Management tool checks whether Windows will detect your USB stick. It also shows you all the hard disks connected to your PC, and you can review information like partitions, sizes, and more.

  1. If you see it in theDisk Managementutility, you can create a new volume and assign a drive letter. This way, you can partition or format the flash drive to make it easily detectable by other devices, including your PC.

  2. If your USB drive is not showing up, it could be a driver or hardware issue, or the drive is dead.

Step 5: Try Plugging Into a Different Computer Or USB Port

Unplug the USB stick from the current port, and plug it into a different computer and/or USB port. If it works on the new USB port or computer, theUSB port may be damaged or dead, or the computer itself may have a problem.

A faulty, damaged, or dead USB port presents problems such as failure to detect USB drives or display error messages. Check if the port is clean, dust-free, and firm. If it’s moving up and down or feels loose, then it’s faulty/damaged.

If you’re using a USB hub, unplug the stick from the hub and plug it directly into your computer. Some hubs have insufficient power for external drives to function, which may be the case with yours.

If the USB drive isn’t showing up even after trying a different port, computer, or checking in Disk Management, the drive is probably dead and needs to be replaced.

Step 6: Troubleshoot Driverswith Device Manager

You can troubleshoot driver issues using Device Manager, especially if your USB stick is detected by a computer other than the one you’re using, signaling a driver problem.

  1. ExpandDisk drivesand check for a yellow exclamation point next to any of the listed devices. If there’s one or more with this mark, then the device(s) has a driver issue.

  2. Right-click on the problematic device and selectPropertiesto see the related error message. You can search for the error online to find a solution to the problem

You can also try the following solutions to resolve driver issues:

Step 7: Reinstall Device Driver Software

Your USB drives may require specific manufacturer software installed to function properly. These drives usually come with the software included in the packaging or a link provided to the site where you can download the software. Locate and install the manufacturer’s driver software and then test the USB drive again. If you have already installed the software, uninstall it and then make sure to reinstall the latest version again.

Step 8: Use Device Manager To Scan For Hardware Changes

Windows will try to find your USB stick so you can access it again.

Step 9: Reinstall USB Controllers

This method will repair a USB driver that is unstable or corrupted.

  1. Right-click your device, clickUninstall, and then restart your computer to reinstall the controllers automatically.

Step 10: Create a New Drive Volume & Assign a Drive Letter

If your device appeared in theDisk Managementstep, you can create a new drive volume andassign a drive letter. The Disk Management tool fixes partitioning and file system problems with different drives.

However, your USB stick may show onlyUnallocatedspace, in which case you’ll have to create a new partition so that Windows and other operating systems can use it.

If you still can’t see your flash drive, yet it’s partitioned, make sure it has a drive letter. This should be automatic, but you may need to assign it manually.

  1. Right-click the drive’s partition and clickChange Drive Letter and Paths.

  2. If it doesn’t have an assigned drive letter, clickAddand pick a letter. If it already has a letter, clickChangeand choose a different one.

Step 11: Disable USB Selective Suspend Feature

This is a power-saving setting that helps reduce battery use by cutting power to your USB stick when it’s plugged in. To ensure your drive isn’tpowering down for any reason, disable this feature so that power management settings don’t override theUSB controller.

  1. ClickPower Options>Change plan settings.

  2. ClickChange advanced power settings.

  3. Go toUSB settingsand expand it.

  4. SelectUSB selecting suspend settingsand change thePlugged indrop-down menu toDisabled(Note: If you’re using a laptop, selectOn batteryand change toDisabledin the drop-down menu).

  5. SelectApply>OKand restart your computer to effect the changes.

If all else fails, you can replace your USB stick as a last resort. Otherwise, we hope this guide has helped ease the process, and you now know what to do when your USB drive isn’t showing up when you plug it in.

Elsie is a technology writer and editor with a special focus on Windows, Android and iOS. She writes about software, electronics and other tech subjects, her ultimate goal being to help people out with useful solutions to their daily tech issues in a simple, straightforward and unbiased style. She has a BCom degree in Marketing and currently pursuing her Masters in Communications and New Media.Read Elsie’s Full Bio

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