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My Windows PC does not recognize a USB flash drive. How to fix it?

My Windows PC does not recognize a USB flash drive. How to fix it?

Nowadays it is very common to see users using some type of external device, these can be external hard drives, flash drives or flash drives or also known as USB memory , which give you the ability to store and transfer important data easily and quickly.

However, on many occasions these devices are not recognized by Windows which becomes a problem for the user, especially if you need to store or transfer some kind of important information. These types of problems can cause concern and inconvenience, but the truth is that this type of inconvenience can be resolved quickly and easily. Also, you will not need to format the device.

There are currently different methods that can be used to try to correct this type of problem, it should be noted that this can be corrected as long as the USB memory is not broken. It is important to know that this type of damage usually originates especially when the memory is extracted from a bad form of the computer, that is to say the device is removed without first asking permission to the Windows system. However, here we will show you different ways for you to correct this problem.

What are the reasons why a message appears that says «Device USB not recognized »?

There are different reasons why your computer cannot recognize your external device but, before you want to make a decision, it is important to be sure of the reason why the “USB device is not recognized.”

Some of the possibilities of this happening are the following:

The USB memory may be broken

This may be one of the reasons why the device is not recognized by the team, to be able to advise us if this is the reason we must enter the pendrive in another computer to see if it recognizes it , in the case that you do not read it, it may be that the device has some internal component struck or damaged that prevents good contact between the two devices.

​​ The device has been incorrectly connected

It is possible that the external storage device has been badly connected to the machine , that is, it has not been sufficiently tightened so that it makes contact and can be recognized by the Windows operating system. In this case it is important to make sure that it has entered enough so that it can be recognized.

The USB input of the computer may be damaged

It is also possible that this problem is due to the fact that there is some problem in the hardware and the port does not work correctly, in this case it is recommended to try to connect the memory in the other ports computer to check if these work. If the problem persists you can try to connect the keyboard, the webcam or any other device with USB output to see if it is recognized.

You don’t have the right drivers

Usually the drivers of these devices are installed automatically when connected to the port of the device. However, in many cases these are not recognized and therefore the installation does not occur, in that case we have to install the drivers manually.

Despite this it is important to always be very sure of what the problem is, if it is the Pendrive that is not working properly or it is the computer that you want to connect to. It is essential that the device is always given good handling and proper maintenance, whenever it is removed from a computer it is important that the system is authorized to remove it since this will prolong its life Useful. You can do this from the “Taskbar” by right clicking on the device icon and selecting “Safely remove hardware”.

What to do if your Windows 10 computer does not read the USB flash drive?

Mi PC de Windows no reconoce un pendrive USB

As we have already mentioned, there are different methods to solve this type of problem, some simpler than others. However, all are important to try to retrieve or retrieve that information that is stored on these external devices.

It can be said that the easiest solution in this type of problem is acquiring a new USB memory but, almost always you have important information on them therefore, it is essential to be able to recover it and that can be detected by the Windows computer . That is why here we bring you some methods with which you will be able to solve this type of problem.

Restart

This method may seem quite simple, but in many cases functions and that is that for some reason sometimes when insert the USB memory to the ports of the equipment this is not recognized, this may be due to dust or any other factor, even RAM can be affected by these factors , so that it is best to remove the memory and clean and reinsert it

In the event that the problem continues to occur the following will be restart the computer leaving the device connected. When turning on the computer you should recognize the USB device.

If this method does not work, then you will need to try other steps that will go further and can solve the problem so that your device can be detected by the PC.

Update the pendrive driver

Almost whenever this problem arises, it is due to problems in the pendrive controllers which have not been installed correctly.

This has been considered as one of the most common problems with this type of device, which is why it is always recommended to be updating these drivers so that they do not remain in the past and become obsolete tools.

Because of this here we are going to show you how to update the drivers in your Windows 10:

  • To do this the first thing you are going to do is connect your flash drive to the computer port.
  • Once connected, on the desktop of your Windows you will press the following keys simultaneously “Windows” + “R” and you will type “devmgmt.msc” there you will start the “Device Manager”.
  • Within the “Device Manager” window you will select the option of “Universal serial bus controllers” . There you should list the storage devices that have been connected to your computer.
  • Now you have to right click on the pendrive and then you will select “Uninstall ”.
  • The next thing will be to remove the device from the port and reboot the operating system .
  • Once the device has turned on again you have to connect the pendrive to the port and verify that the problem has been corrected.

Recover the stored information and then format the USB memory

If you have done the previous step and your continuous problem is necessary to try another method, that is why another option is try to recover all the information stored in the device and then format it in the “Windows Disk Management” tool.

In order to perform this method it is necessary that you carry out in detail the steps that we will explain below:

  • To start you must have the program « EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard»
  • The next thing will be to connect the pendrive to the computer.
  • Now you will open EaseUS and you will select pendrive, this will be recognized as an external unit in the software. And then you click on clearlyEscanear†.

Recuperar-la-información-almacenada-y-seguidamente-formatear-la-memoria-USB

  • This software will perform two scans, the first one will be a quick scan and once this finishes it will start another deep scan in order to get more hidden files. Keep in mind that this step can be fast or slow, this will depend on the capacity and all the information contained in the device.

Recuperar-la-información-almacenada-y-seguidamente-formatear-la-memoria-USB

  • Once this scan is complete, you can start search for information by category . To do this you will click on “Recover” It is important that the location you choose to recover the files is different from the original pendrive to prevent the data from being overwritten.

Recuperar información almacenada seguidamente formatear memoria USB

Once you have recovered all the information you had in it the following will be format the memory , for this you must follow these steps:

  • You have to go to “Computer” or “My Computer”.
  • Then you will select “Manage”.
  • Now you have to select the option of “Storage” and then “Disk management”.
  • Once you are in the section you have to right click on pendrive and finally on “Format” this may take a few seconds, once finished it will be ready to use again.

Device in suspension

This may be another possible cause why your team is not recognizing your pendrive, keep in mind that if the selective suspension system is activated in your computer this device cannot be recognized.

This situation usually happens when the computer has activated the option to reduce the power supply on USB devices that are not active. If you have already used the device on your computer and disconnected it without asking for authorization to Windows you may have problems detecting it.

However, this problem can be corrected in a simple way, for this you need to do the following:

Dispositivo en suspensión

  • You will have to access the “Windows 10 Power Options”.
  • For this you need to right click on the “Start” and then you have to choose “Windows power options”.
  • Once there you have to click on the option “Change the energy plan settings ” you must deactivate the one you have at that time.
  • The next thing will be to click on “ Change advanced energy settings ”.
  • Then a new box will appear where you will be able to configure the power options.
  • There you have to select “USB Settings” a list will be displayed of options and you have to select “Selective USB Suspend Settings”.
  • If whose option appears as “Enabled” you have to change it to “Disabled.”
  • Once all this is done you just have to apply the changes and select “Accept” to exit the “Settings” .
  • Finally, you need to restart your computer and try to connect the USB device again.

Update Windows 10

It is important to always keep your Windows 10 updated , this will allow you to add new features and tools to always be up to date with everything new that is going going to market.

Keep in mind that keeping an outdated version could affect you not only the applications but also the hardware, drivers and components of your device , this will cause the devices to stop working correctly.

Due to all this it is always recommended that you are updating Windows from automatic updates of the operating system, which you will be able to do it yourself. For this it is important that you follow these steps:

  • You have to access the panel, there you will double click on “Windows Settings ” and then select the “Update and security” section.
  • The following will be to select “Windows Update ” in the side panel.
  • Now you have to click on “Check for updates.”

In this window you will see if there are any pending updates to install, if so, you just have to proceed to its update.

Restore Windows 10

You have to be aware if your device has been showing you the same warning every time you connect a pendrive, usually you should see “USB device not recognized” if this is so you have to try recover its functionality by restoring the operating system , but keep in mind that when you carry out this process all your data will remain intact.

In order to restore Windows 10 you need to perform these steps:

  • You have to access the option of “ Update and security” through the configuration panel.
  • The following will be done click on succeRecuperación†.
  • In the “Reset this PC” section you have to click on “Start” and there you have to activate the “Keep my files” option.

Restaurar Windows 10

  • Once the whole procedure is finished, your device will start working as before, you will see that all your files are still completely intact.
  • Then you only have have to reconnect the USB flash drive and see if this problem has been successfully corrected.

Install the manufacturer’s drivers

Usually the Windows 10 operating system has stood out for its great ability for hardware recognition. However, this support is not always the best for everyone the devices, especially for the USB sticks that are the ones that have more problems with this.

Due to this and despite having Windows 10 it will be necessary to have to use the manufacturers’ drivers , which we will have to install on the computer. For this it is important that you search directly on the official website of the device manufacturer , so you can be sure that you are installing the correct driver.

Other reasons why this driver has to be from the manufacturer’s website, is because there will be all the specifications of your flash drive , therefore, they will appear what are its latest versions of the drivers for the operating system you are using, in this case it will be Windows 10.

In order to do this you need to follow these steps:

  • The first thing you have to do is enter the manufacturer’s page and download the latest driver version.

Instalar los controladores del fabricante

  • Once it has been downloaded you have to uninstall the USB device through the “Device Manager”.
  • After uninstalling it you have to install the new driver downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer.
  • When the installation of the new driver is complete you have to “Restart the computer” .
  • Once the computer has turned on you have to connect the pendrive and check if the problem is already solved.

You have to take into account that in many cases the drivers that present the problems are those responsible for controlling the USB ports of the motherboard.

If your problem has continued it would be important that you check the motherboard brackets on the manufacturer’s page and install the new USB drivers.

Problems with Windows drivers

In Windows operating systems the drivers are the main responsible for the devices to work correctly. Therefore, if you start to present some problem in the recognition of some device the first Responsible for this are the drivers.

Keep in mind that this is something that can happen very easily, one of the reasons is the lack of update of the operating system or when they have not been updated in the correct way.

So, if you’re having trouble getting the computer to recognize your USB memory you can try to solve this problem by reinstalling the drivers . In order to do this it is important that you follow these instructions: