How to Fix USB Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 10/11

Assign a New Drive Letter

1. Right-click on the Start button and select “Disk Management.”

2. Locate your USB drive in the list of storage devices.

3. Right-click on the USB drive that is not showing up and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”

4. Click on “Change” and select a new drive letter from the drop-down menu.

5. Click “OK” to confirm the new drive letter assignment.

6. Your USB drive should now appear with the new drive letter in File Explorer.

Assigning a new drive letter can help Windows recognize your USB drive and resolve any issues with it not showing up. This simple solution can often fix the problem quickly and get you back to using your USB drive without any hassle.

Fix File System Errors

Open Command Prompt by searching for it in the Start menu, then type chkdsk /f X: (replace X with the drive letter of your USB drive) and press Enter. This will scan and fix any file system errors on the drive.

If the above method doesn’t work, you can try formatting the USB drive. Right-click on the USB drive in File Explorer, select Format, choose a file system (such as NTFS or FAT32), then click Start.

If the USB drive is still not showing up after trying these steps, you may need to consider using data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to retrieve your files before formatting the drive.

Change USB Connection

To change the USB connection on your Windows 10/11 device, follow these steps:

1. First, plug in your USB drive to the computer.

2. Go to the Start menu and click on “Settings.”

3. Click on “Devices” and then select “USB.”

4. Find your USB drive in the list of devices and click on it.

5. Click on “Change settings” and then select the desired connection type (e.g. MTP, PTP, etc.).

6. Save the changes and restart your computer.

7. Your USB drive should now be recognized by Windows 10/11 with the new connection type.

Changing the USB connection can sometimes help resolve issues with unrecognized USB drives on your Windows system.

Fix Physical Corruptions

1. Check the USB port: Make sure the USB port is clean and free from any debris that may be obstructing the connection.

2. Inspect the USB drive: Check the USB drive for any physical damages such as cracks or bent pins.

3. Use a different USB port or computer: Try connecting the USB drive to a different port or computer to see if the issue persists.

4. Try a different USB cable: If the USB cable is damaged, it may prevent the drive from showing up on Windows.

5. Test the USB drive on another device: Verify if the USB drive is recognized on another device to rule out any hardware issues.

F.A.Q.

How do I find my USB drive on my computer?

To find your USB drive on your computer, you can either wait for a dialog box to appear and select “Open folder to view files” or manually open Windows Explorer and locate the flash drive on the left side of the window. Keep in mind that the name of the flash drive may vary.

Why is my USB drive showing nothing?

Your USB drive may be showing nothing due to corruption from malware, bugs, or viruses, connection problems with the drive or port, or hidden files.

Why is my USB drive not detected?

Your USB drive may not be detected due to reasons such as an unstable or corrupt USB driver, conflicting updates on your PC, or missing important updates for hardware or software issues.

How do you fix a undetected flash drive?

To fix an undetected flash drive, you can try changing the USB cable, restarting the computer, scanning for logical issues, checking for viruses or malware, updating disk drivers, and running the Chkdsk command.

Caleb Irwin