If your PC cannot recognize the connected USB drive, don’t worry. We’ve curated a list of workable fixes that will help get the USB detected but not showing in my computer fixed.
The USB stick has become one of the most commonly used devices for storing data. Because of such a dependency, when the USB stick is connected but does not show becomes a problem. Therefore, in this post, we will learn how to fix the USB drive not showing up on your computer.
What is a USB Device?
Universal Serial Bus, commonly known as USB, is an external storage device to save data. They are handy and less expensive compared to hard disk drives. Also, the processing speed is faster and can be used as a boot device.
What does USB Disappearing Mean?
The USB stick does not show up, meaning the drive disappears from File Explorer.
Reasons For External Drive Not Showing
- The USB drive is not properly connected to the PC.
- The USB drive is broken.
- Unable to properly load USB software onto the system.
- The drive may be infected by malware.
- A low system battery might make Root hub settings unrecognize the drive.
- Windows is out of date.
- Hardware compatibility.
- No partition & drive letter is assigned to the USB drive.
Read Also- How to Download And Update Lenovo USB Drivers
Basic USB Checks
Restart PC – Most errors you face on Windows result from system malfunctioning. Therefore, to fix the problem, the first step should be to restart the computer.
Update Windows – If restarting the PC doesn’t help, update your Windows. This will fix and patch any known issues and bugs. To do so, follow these steps:
- Press Windows + I to open Windows settings.
- Click Update & security.
- Windows Update > click Check for update.
- The system will now check for available updates. If any are available, they will be automatically downloaded.
- Download and install them to run the latest version.
- Restart your computer to save changes.
Connect USB to Other Port – Corrupt or dead USB port can be why the USB device is not recognized. To check it, try connecting the USB to an alternate port and see if it helps.
Check if the power button is on – Some USB drives have an external power button, which, if disabled, leads to the external drive not showing an error. To fix it, check if your drive has one and enable it.
Check the USB drive for physical damage – If the USB device you are connecting has a crack or a bed, it could be a reason for the USB stick not showing up. In this case, you connect with a technician.
Once you’ve followed the basic fixes, you are ready to follow the other fixes explained below.
Check This- How to Download Apple Mobile Device USB Driver for Windows 11,10,8,7
How To Fix USB Drive Not Showing Up?
Assign Drive Letter
If the connected USB stick is visible in Disk Management but not in File Explorer, it means the drive is readable, but due to outdated drives, drive letter conflict, and file system errors, you are facing this error. Below we explain the method to resolve the USB stick not showing.
- In the Windows search bar, type My PC.
- Select best search results > select Manage.
- Right-click the USB drive under Disk Management > select the option Change Drive Letter and Paths.
- Next, click Add.
- By default, the available drive letter will be selected. Click Ok to assign it. However, if you want to assign drive letter of your choice, choose it from the drop-down menu > click Ok.
Change USB Root Hub Settings
To save power, sometimes, the system disables the connected USB. To confirm this is not the case, check USB Root Hub settings and alter them.
- Press Windows + X > select Device Manager.
- Go to Universal Serial Bus controllers.
- Double click to expand it > right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0) > select Properties.
- Click the Power Management tab > and uncheck the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Click Ok.
- Now try to connect the USB and see if it is readable or not.
Update USB Driver
Outdated, missing, and problematic USB drivers also cause the flash drive not to show up. To fix it, update the USB drivers.
Device drivers can be updated manually through the Device Manager built-in Windows utility, manufacturer website, or via optional updates (Windows Update). Alternatively, you use Advanced Drive Updater to update drivers automatically.
Manually updating drivers requires technical knowledge, time, and patience. Therefore, if you are looking for a simple and effective way, use Advanced Driver Updater. Below we explain how to use the best driver updater and update outdated drivers.
- Download and install Advanced Driver Updater.
- To start the scan and detect outdated drivers click Start Scan Now.
- The scanning will take a minute or so to complete. Wait for it to finish; you can update outdated drives after that.
- Analyze scan results and update drivers. The trial users need to click Update Driver next to it, while the Paid users can use the Update All button.
- Wait for the driver update to install.
- Restart the PC to apply changes.
See This- How To Download and Update Qualcomm USB Driver for Windows 10
Disable USB Selective Suspended Settings
The selective suspend settings in the power options automatically disconnect the USB and make it unrecognizable. To disable it, follow these steps:
- Press Windows + X > select Power Options.
- Click Additional power settings.
- This will open a new window, here, click the Change plan settings option.
- Click Change advanced power settings in the next window.
- In the Power settings window, locate USB settings. Double click on it to expand options.
- You will now see the USB selective suspend setting. Click on it; you will now see two settings On battery and Plugged in. Disable the settings for both options.
- Click Apply > Ok to save changes.
Bottom Line
The content saved on USB becomes problematic when the USB drive doesn’t show up. There are different ways to fix it. If the problem persists, the USB seems faulty and needs to be formatted. Double click This PC > right click the connected USB > select Format. Click the Start button to begin the process.
This should help fix the USB driver not recognizable issue. Please let us know which method helped in fixing the problem. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments section.
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