Nov 27, 2013 - I have a 32 GB Flash Drive (Originally a FAT32 but recently. To recover bad sectors' which does successfully fix my drive.temporarily.

• Pny Usb Drive Format Utility
• Pny Flash Drive Repair Tool
• Pny Disk Utility

Pny Usb Drive Format Utility

There you are, at your friend’s house. You’re all gathered around the computer to watch a funny video. But then something happens. A virus pops up and gives you the digital bird. “No problem,” you say, “since I’m a geek, I’ve got antivirus software on my USB stick.” Now you’re the hero. Now you and your mates can watch that guy get the football in the groin…again. You pop your thumb drive into the USB port and – nothing. Back to zero, hero!

Unless, of course, you know how to fix that too.

There are a few causes for this sort of thing happening. So I’ll take you from most likely and easiest method to make corrupt USB jump drives work, to the least likely and still pretty easy way.

Two Drives With the Same Drive Letter

Typically, a computer will assign either the E, F, or G drive letter to your jump drive when you plug it in. Normally, if one of those drive letters is already in use, a different one will get assigned. So let’s say you have a backup drive set at drive letter E:. Then your jump drive should get assigned F: or G:. But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen and that can cause USB jump drives to not work.

Here’s how you fix that. My instructions are for Windows XP, since I like to kick it like it’s 2003. Click on the Start menu, then right-click on My Computer. From there, click on Manage, because we will manage.

Now the Computer Management window opens. Click on the Disk Management option. In the right-hand window, you’ll see all attached drives listed. The U3 drive is my USB key. Currently, it’s not conflicting with anything, but it will do for this demonstration.

Right-click on the drive that you want to change the drive letter on. Then click on Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Now you can click on the Change button.

Then select a new drive letter. I chose G for Guy. Isn’t that cute?

Windows will ask you to confirm that this is what you want to do. I’d click Yes, but that’s just me.

As you’ll be able to see in the window showing all the drives, the drive letter is, indeed, changed to G:. Whut up G?! Now your USB drive should not conflict with any other drive.

That didn’t fix the problem? Hmm….well, maybe your USB drive is actually corrupted somehow. Let’s take a look at fixing that – there are still a few ways to make corrupt USB jump drives work.

Error Checking

Window’s Error Checking utility can be used on USB drives. To access it, open up Windows Explorer. (Here’s a shortcut tip – hold down your Windows Key and press the E key to quickly open Window’s Explorer.)

Once you are in Window’s Explorer, right-click on the USB disk you’re having problems with. Then go down and click on Properties.

Once the Properties window opens, click on the Tools tab. This is where the Error-checking software can be accessed from. Click on the Check Now… button.

I advise checking the box for Automatically fix file system errors. What that will do is, well, fix any file system errors automatically. Yeah, that was a brilliant explanation. Just click on Start.

Lookit! It’s scaaaaaaaaaaning!

The scan doesn’t take very long at all. You guessed it, click the OK button.

My USB thumb drive is 8GB in capacity and it was done in a matter of seconds. If it takes longer than that, perhaps your drive’s problem is somewhat more serious.

You can also do a similar test and repair with third-party disk repair tools out there.

Format the USB Drive

Well, this step doesn’t really help you get at the files you want, but it will restore the file structure so that it doesn’t happen next time.

Warning: Formatting the USB drive will ERASE all the files on your hard drive.

Go into Window’s Explorer again. Right-click on the USB drive you wish to format, and then click on Format….

Pny Flash Drive Repair Tool

Once the Format window opens, you have a few choices to make. First, choose what type of File system you want. This is a matter of personal choice. You can choose FAT or FAT32, and with some fiddling around elsewhere in your computer, you could choose NTFS. That may be an article for another day.

You can also set the Volume label. Perhaps you want to customize it and call it ‘My Toolbox’ or something like that.

Then you can choose to either do a Quick Format or not. With something like this, I don’t think it matters if it is done with a quick format or not. Meh…click the Start button.

Now, jump out of your chair, point at your monitor and scream, “It’s formaaaaaaaaaaaating!!!!!!” as though you were Robert Thorn in Soylent Green when he figured out what Soylent Green really was. You don’t have to do that part, but if you do, let me know how fast your Sys. Admin loses his mind thinking you formatted something important.

Well, that makes the next part a little anticlimactic. Just click OK, and put the files you want on to the USB drive.

There are a few more things that could be done, that are a little more complex and beyond the scope of this article. However, it involves messing around with drivers or data recovery software. If there’s enough interest, maybe we can do a follow-up to this article. Anyone?

Explore more about: USB, USB Drive.

1. this is assuming of course that the USB drive is recognizable in explorer.. what about cases where you can see it in disk management, but can't even format it there?

2. I tried all you said BT when it start formatting it just stop and say windows was unable to complete the formatting so what must I do now ?

3. Does not work , not even anything like it .Pc can't read open or show me properties just shuts down PC when properties is pressed .4 days now and about 15 different usb formatting apps downloaded .None work.

4. did not help me, you need help also.

   • He truly does need help. Who leaves a troubleshoot tutorial in Windows xp? leave that for your own personal time man, we are using w10

     • Right!

5. I had same Read Only problem with my 32 GB Samsung Memory card, fixed it by formatting in android mobile.
   Those who dont have an android phone or linux os, just use linux live cd and fromat the drive.

6. I've had this USB drive for less than a month. I was copying a bunch of files and when I was done, I forgot to eject the drive. Next time, write protect.
   I've tried everything from page to page on this site - all softwares but the USB disk shows as Read Only and the entire RAW partition shows HEALTHY.

   I've spent a day and a half trying to figure out how to just reset, LLformat, MBRformat or just get that damn Read Only changed to Online, but nothing's worked. Help!

7. my usb cannot formet and say window was unable to complete the fomet and not corrept volum

8. What is mean by 'Please Insert A Disk Into Removable Disk'..
   My pen drive does not work..
   Can't open..

9. My USB drive won't let me format it or check it for errors. Whenever I try to do either, it just gives me an error saying that it's write-protected. What can I do?

10. My USB drive does not does not show space even in disk management and when i try to do anything to its it gives me a massage that says the computer can not access the USB drive.
    it does not allow even to change the volume path, its written like the first picture in this tutorial (disk 1, Removable (f) ) its say no media how can i fix it

11. I tried everything but didn't come right. Under Disk management, when I right click on the drive, it only allows me to go to properties, the rest of the options are grayed out.

12. Hi, I need help. My usb pendrive says the memory is 2gb free out of 7gb+ and it can be accessed but I see nothing inside (my folders gone) and completely empty inside. How to recover them back?

13. Hi Guy!

    My 8GB micro SD card has corrupted. I have tried plenty of methods to format it but all have failed. Whenever I try to format it, this error appears, 'Windows was unable to complete the format.'
    I've scanned it through ESET and there is a worm in it but it doesn't let eset clean it just like it doesn't let windows automatically fix errors or format. It starts but suddenly the drive is unmounted and disappears. I tried formatting through cmd but only 2% is completed and then the disk unmounts by itself. I tried using the SDFormatter but it says that the disk is write protected.

    Any suggestions?

14. Hey, Thanks man.big help!

15. So I tried your suggestions and I think my USB is beyond help. It was working just fine, and then BLAMO .. I get a message that it is FAT and contains no files! When I tried the directions above for automatically fixing errors, the screen said there was no files to fix! 8 months of work! THANK GOD I copied the file on my hard drive at the office and can make the one change I was making since yesterday on Monday a.m. (Ironically I was taking a word out, and 'saving it as' the same file name to not take more space..(I knew I was getting close to capacity and now I have nothing..and it won't let me save anything onto the empty USB now! Good thing its a long weekend so I can drink heavily!

16. this didnt fix my problem my problem is it wnt shw up when i plug it in??? help?

17. I have tried my Lexar thumb drive on 3 computers all weekend long. All three computers now do not recognize the thumb drive and so I have to believe the Lexar went kaput. Is there any possible way to retrieve data from a kaput flash drive?

18. Great article. Funny and helpful. Thumbs down to nitpickers and haters. Soylent Green is indeed people.

    • Glad you liked it. Cheers!

19. I also tried HP USB disk formater. it gives the error: The disk is write-protected

    • If you're still having problems with your USB flash drive, here are some other resources to try:

      HDD Low Level Format helps perform a very thorough formatting of a drive. Be sure to select the right drive.
      mUsbFixer is a free and tiny tool to remove write-protection and format the pendrives and SD cards.

      How To Format A Write Protected USB Flash Drive
      How To Make Corrupt USB Jump Drives Work Again
      Windows Can’t Format Your Disk? How to Fix It.

      Also, check with the maker of your USB thumb drive to see if they have any tools to help, or advice to give. They may even offer a refund. Here are some links to some major USB thumb drive makers:

      Sandisk USB Flash Drive Support Page
      Kingston Data USB Flash Drive Support Page
      Transcend USB Flash Drive Support Page
      PNY USB Flash Drive Support Page
      Patriot Memory USB Flash Drive Support Page

      If the maker of your USB Flash Drive is not in that list, try searching for them with Google, Bing, whatever search engine you like.

20. Hi
    thanks for your articles.
    I tried all of the steps of 'How To Fix Write Protection Errors On a USB Stick' and also this above article but non of them worked :(
    when I try to format it (the last way) it would not proceed. nothing happens by the time.
    in the 'Error checking' step, it gives an message when I click 'check'; it says: You don't need to scan this drive
    then I click 'scan and repair' the message comes: there was a problem repairing this drive.
    do you have any other advice?
    I also tried HP USB disk formater. it gives the error:

21. You can also try the solutions mentioned over here:

    These guys were simply superb and helped me in getting the inaccessible files back.

22. You guys kill me. This guy wrote a great article and was trying to be helpful and you whine about if he used the term jump drive or thumb drive. He was 110 percent write about the kleenex/tissue/brand/generic reference. Give up or kill yourselves already. lol. Great article guy.

    • agree with gary , thx for the help!

23. Thanks for the article, it was really helpful and i liked the humor!

24. 'Windows unable to complete the format'. Crap. It's worse than before. I try to format, it shows the same message every time.

    What to do?! Please respond, this drive was $40.

25. Hi!

    I really was intrigued by the article, but had some doubts. You post presumes the USB drive to be detected by the system (PC/XP).

    What happens when it is not detected by the system. In that case hos do I get it working. The device shows a question mark in Device Manager and does not show up in Disk Management.

    Would appreciate a reply as to if there is any way i can recover my USB Drive.

    Thanks,
    Devesh Prabhu

    • If the device is showing, but with a question mark, that can indicate a driver problem. Perhaps try updating the driver?

      Is this a U3 drive or a regular USB drive? If it's a regular USB drive is it the 2.0 USB spec or lower? Is there any physical damage to the connections on the USB drive or port? Does it do the same thing on every port or another computer?

      Lots of questions to answer before the problem can be narrowed down.

      • Hi!

        The device in question is a Transcend 1 GB Pen Drive. I had installed the drivers, but being an XP SP2 machine the system should have detected the device even if it was a 1.0 or 2.0 device, of which I am not sure.

        From the outside there is no physical damage, but from the inside, which of course, is not visible.

        Yes, it shows the same thing on all ports and on all machines.

        Thanks,
        Devesh Prabhu

26. Very useful article indeed.
    Thanks.

27. I have a 4GB USB drive (USB to IDE type). When plugged in, Windows device manager regocnize it as a Drive with some wierd name (ÑÑÑÑ -> capital N with tildas on top of it), but no Drive Letter is assigned, and it doesn't show up on Disk Management, but it shows up on Device Manager. Is there any tool that might be able to restore it?

    • Hi!

      I once has that problem on my friends phone, but not quit sure how I was able but I do remember using Avira (anti-virus) and a-squared Free. I first did a virus scan & then used the a-squared software.

      Thanks,
      Devesh Prabhu

28. Can I assume that if my 4GB USB drive shows up as having only 30MB that it is completely messed up?

    • Only if you can be sure that there is more than 30 MB of free space on it.

29. i am having a 1 GB memory card in my nokia 3230 phone.
    a friend of mine was sending me some files via blutooth when my phone hung...
    i restarted my cel phone multiple times but in vain..it hung up the very moment i started..
    then i restarted formatted my cellphone....
    now its workin fyn..but the moment i put in my memory card..it gets stuck.....

    then i tried scanning my caard for virus on my computer..
    i tried norton , mcafee , avg , avast & quickheal..but one of these identified the virus..
    i thought it maybe corrupt but when i look for PROPERTIES..it shows the amount of space used {AROUND 900 MB}..sometimes i am also able to the folders in the card but upon opening..those folders r empty..

    PLEASE HELP ME OUT....
    i rely need the data in that card......
    sometimes i am also able to open the Uta no prince sama english version.

    • I'd suggest using a disk-repair type of tool to check the memory card for faults. If there is absolutely nothing wrong there, then I would suggest contacting the maker of the phone to see if there is some sort of compatibility problem.

    • Hi!

      I once has that problem on my friends phone, but not quit sure how I was able but I do remember using Avira (anti-virus) and a-squared Free.

      I first did a virus scan & then used the a-squared software. After that I have been using both these software for better protection. Hey! By the way, both are freeware.

      Thanks,
      Devesh Prabhu

30. Why would I use a system that I know is infected with a virus and corrupt to try to fix a corrupt drive? That is a really bad idea and pretty much guaranteed to cause other problems for you down the road.

    • Although you might infer that I was suggesting to use a corrupt system to fix the corrupt flash drive - that wasn't what I was suggesting.

31. I'm gonna 'Xerox' this off and send it to all my friends, then I'm going to take a dip in the Jacuzzi, then.. tissue.. yep tissue. Would you like a Cola or a Coke?

    Soylent Green is PEOPLE.. everyone knows that right?

    • LOL! Very good!

    • I need an Acetylsalicylic Acid after this!

32. I needed this post as this is a problem I'm currently having. But please, stick to the remit instead of trying too hard to make it amusing as well. You just aren't funny and so it spoils an otherwise good article.

    • Correction: YOU don't find me funny.

      • Correction: Bev and Peter don't find you funny.

        • Meh.

    • I think you are funny. :) Thanks for the help.

    • Thank you!

      If people are looking for dry, rigid, technical manuals, O'Reilly or Auerbach have plenty.

33. The more common problem i already discovered with flash drive was damage on IC component due to power loss or electricity and mean that you (usually) need throw this and buy a new one

    I have unusual with portable mp3 player, i have an old creative muvo usb 2.0 that someday in the past were damaged and incapable of working (already try this and that), then i leave it on my desk after i desperate, and lately after 1 month it seem back to normal

    • Yep, the integrated circuit is fairly easily damaged, especially in older flash drives.

34. 'Jump Drive' is a Lexar brand name. I prefer 'thumb drive' or 'flash drive;' YMMV.

    • How funny. Wasn't so long ago that when one asked, 'Do you want a coke?' it was in reference to ANY type of soda in a can. Lol. And if the reply was, 'Yes, please..' the next question was likely to be, 'What kind?'

35. Somehow, I find this unlikely >.<

• “One of the USB device attached to this computer has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance in solving this problem, click this message.”
• “The device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.”
• “Flash drive not recognized”
• “Drive did not load successfully.”

These errors when you connect the USB drive are really scary!! These errors generally appear when an external device is connected to the computer and the operating system is unable to recognize it or read it. It doesn’t mean that the drive is corrupt. It’s just one of the common issues associated with connecting an external device to your computer. It’s time we dig deep and fix ‘flash drive not recognized’ problem.

However, such issues can arise in both Windows and Mac systems. It may be an initial indication of your flash drive corruption and losing access to data in it. Hence, try to fix the issue as soon as possible. Here, you will find few methods to fix such not recognizing USB error.

But, before going ahead with the troubleshooting process, you need to secure your data. Yes, in the process of fixing the USB error there are chances of losing or corrupting your data. Hence, before proceeding with this process, recover your data and save on a secure drive.

Recover data from not recognized USB flash drive – Remo Recover

In order to recover data from an unrecognized USB drive download Remo Recover software. This tool will scan your USB drive & extracts all files from USB drive. The software works on both Windows and Mac computers of all latest versions & helps in recovering files from corrupt flash drives securely. The entire recovery process takes few minutes:

Follow the below steps to Restore files from USB flash drive that is not recognized:

• First download and install Remo Recover software on your computer & launch the tool
• From main screen select ‘Recover Drives’ option
• Now click on ‘Formatted Recovery’ option on the consecutive screen
• Here list of available drives will be displayed and choose the one from which you need to recover files
• Software now scans the drive and displays all recovered files from the drive
• You can then preview and save files on any secure storage medium

Once, your data from flash drive is securely stored, you can now proceed with the troubleshooting methods. As said earlier, both Windows and Mac will have different methods. Read through the below procedure:

Easy Methods to Fix “Flash Drive Not Recognized” Problem in Windows

Method 1: Scan the Flash Drive for Issues

Every computer has an inbuilt mode of scanning any USB drive attached to it. You can use this method to find out any error in the connection or the device.

1 – Plug the USB drive on the computer

2 – Go to This PC (My computer for earlier versions) and right click on the flash drive and go to Properties

3 – Open Tool tab and click Check Now

This will scan and show you the results for any issues with your USB device. You can further troubleshoot the issues or use any third party element to fix them.

Method 2: Flash Drive Reformatting

In order to do this, follow the instructions;

1 – Right click on the flash drive icon and click Format; this opens the format window.

Map warcraft 3 pokemon defense games. • No 'recommend games for platform xyz'. This includes free games. • No early access games. • No sale/deal posts allowed. Please see the • No giveaway posts allowed.

2 – Go to the File system.

3 – Toggle between NTFS and FAT32 and click Start

This will reformat your flash drive and it will fix the flash drive not recognized issue. In case this method fails to fix the error, then follow the next method.

Method 3: Update Driver

To update the driver, you have to go to the device manager window. Do keep in mind you have the administrator rights to use and change the system settings.

1 – Open the Run command and Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager tab.

2 – Go to the Universal Serial Bus Controller drop-down

3 – Select Generic USB Hub from the dropdown and right click on it

4 – Select the Update Driver Software option

Pny Disk Utility

This step will update your driver software and fix the Flash Drive not recognized problem in the computer.

Methods to Fix “Flash Drive Not Recognized” Problem in Mac

If you are a Mac user and facing the same issue with your system, here are some methods to eliminate it. I will take you through 3 methods to troubleshoot and fix the Flash Drive Not Recognized problem.

Method 1: Connect the USB Flash Drive Manually

In order to perform this first select a port to connect the USB flash drive.

1 – Go to Applications and click on Utilities

2 – Select “Ask me What to do” from the Devices pop-up box

3 – Go to Devices and click External Devices.

Many a times, connecting USB flash drive manually will fix the issue. If this doesn’t help you, then try the next method.

Method 2: PRAM Fix

To perform this troubleshooting you have to return the PRAM.

1 – Shut down the Mac

2 – Press the Power button and hold Command + Option along with P+R while the system starts.

3 – As the system starts boot release the buttons.

Method 3: Format Drive

This method solves the issue after the drive is formatted and reconnected to the system. In order to do that, here are the steps; Ajaran konfusianisme pdf.

1 – Press Command + Spacebar and connect the flash drive.

2 – Open Application and click on Disk Utility Option

3 – Select the Flash Drive on the left pane.

4 – Click on Erase button to complete the process

This will resolve your issue and now you can reconnect the flash drive to your computer and start using it.

Now, your flash drive will be free from errors and use the drive. As said earlier, fixing these issues or formatting the flash drive will result in deletion of all the files in that drive. So make sure to recover all the important documents, photos, videos etc. from the drive before performing any troubleshooting.