Windows 10 Not Detecting USB (Fixed with 5 Free Ways)
Why Windows 10 not detecting USB drive?
USB device is widely used in our daily work, it can be used to store and transfer data between different devices. It even can be used as bootable media. But sometimes, when you plug USB into Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, you will find that Windows won't detect USB. Why does this problem occur? Please watch the following part.
Usually, this is caused by the following reasons:
☞ Physical damage
☞ Virus or malware attack
☞ USB port failure
☞ Out-dated USB driver
☞ Bad sectors on USB
☞ Damaged USB file system
☞ USB controller may be disabled in the BIOS
How to fix Windows 10 not detecting USB
The second half of the article will provide you with detailed solutions, if you can't see USB drive in Windows 10, please read carefully and patiently.
│Method 1. Simple solutions
Before looking for technical solutions, we can try some simple methods first. For example, plug the USB into another USB port of the computer to see if it will be recognized. If it can be recognized, it means that the USB port just now is faulty.
If it still cannot be recognized, you can plug the USB into the USB port of another computer to see if it will be recognized. If it cannot be recognized by Windows, it means that your USB is physically damaged and needs to be replaced.
In addition, if the computer is attacked by viruses or malware, the USB may not be recognized. You need to scan Windows with antivirus software and insert the USB again to see if the problem is solved.
│Method 2. Update USB driver
The out-dated driver may also be the reason that causes Windows 10 not recognized USB drive. Therefore, you can update your driver.
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1. Right-click "This PC", select Properties, click Device Manager, and then expand "Universal Serial Bus Controllers".
2. Find the USB device, right-click it and select "Properties". Then, select "Update Driver" under "Driver" option.
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3. Then, click Search automatically for updated driver software.
4. After that, restart your computer and connect the USB drive to see if it can be detected.
│Method 3. Enabled USB Controller in the BIOS
The (BIOS) Basic Input/Output System enables and disables integrated and peripheral components mounted to the board. If the USB port is not working, the USB controller may be disabled, then Windows won't detect the USB.
If this is the case, you will need to enable it in the BIOS to restore USB port functionality. First, restart your computer and press the prompt key to enter the BIOS, find "USB Controller" in "Advanced", and change the status from disabled to Enabled. Finally, save the changes and exit the BIOS. Typically, the F10 key is used to save and exit.
│Method 4. Repair bad sectors on USB drive
This can also cause the USB not to be recognized by Windows 10 if there are bad sectors on the USB. You can run the CHKDSK.exe tool to check and fix them.
1. Click the Start button, enter "cmd" in the search field, right-click the Command Prompt icon and select "Run as administrator".
2. In the command prompt window, enter "chkdsk g: /f" and press Enter to check and repair bad sectors found on the flash drive(g is the USB drive number.)
Tip: If you find it difficult to enter the command prompt, then you can use the simple bad sector repair tool to remove bad sectors from hard disk permanently.
│Method 5. Fix the damaged file system
Did you unplug the USB directly from the computer without safely ejecting the USB? This may cause the file system of the USB to be damaged or become RAW, causing Windows 10 not detecting USB. But luckily, you can use the free Qiling Disk Master Standard to format the file system to FAT32 or NTFS on Windows 11/10/8/7. Formatting the USB can also clean up the viruses on it and restore the USB to its original performance.
Note: You can upgrade to Professional Version to try more advanced features, such as allocate free space, move installed apps from one drive to USB.
1. Download the freeware, install and launch it, right-click the RAW USB drive and select "Format Partition".
2. Select a proper file system among the offered options, then click "OK".
3. Back to the main interface, click "Apply" and "Proceed" to execute the pending operation.
Tip: When the USB encounters write protection, Qiling Disk Master can also help you remove write protection from a USB drive.
Conclusion
To make a summary, you can have altogether 5 methods to fix Windows 10 not detecting USB issue, find the one that works for you. If you plan to use Qiling Disk Master in Windows Server, please switch to Server Edition.
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