flash drives go bad when inserted into computer

[shmu26]

I have an old Windows 7 desktop for the children, without internet connection, it has not received updates in a few years.
Now they tell me that when they insert certain types of flash drives (not Sandisk), the flashdrive gets ruined. They can't delete files from it, and they can't reformat it. I saw that this is true.
We dragged the old clunker over to the nearest network cable and tried get updates, but Windows updates failed, even after running the updates troubleshooter.
However, Avast updated, and a scan showed the system to be clean.
What is going on over here with the flash drives? The computer hasn't changed, and the flash drives haven't changed, but all of the sudden, they get corrupted.

 

[Peter Martin]

it could just be failing. see this guide

https://www.howtogeek.com/247380/how-to-fix-windows-update-when-it-gets-stuck/

 

[eXPedient Demise]

Could be a faulty USB port/controller also. My daughter accidentally put a USB stick into a port roughly, and now that port is dead. At one of my jobs, we had a PC that had a single USB port that fried any USB item inserted. Soon put tape over that one..........

 

[shmu26]

With this computer, it doesn't seem to matter which USB port you use. The result is the same. A quality flash drive like SanDisk will work, and a cheap flash drive, like the kind you get for free from various orgs (so it is in our country, at least), will become corrupted.

I would work harder on getting the updates to work, if I felt confident that was the problem. But I am unsure, maybe it is a hardware issue.

 

[Peter Martin]

yes, free usb drives are bottom of the barrel quality. if a good quality one still works in that port then the port is ok. if not, maybe you do want to tape it off.