Flash drives not showing up / unrecognized

[Scrappy Coco]

To start off, I just installed a SSD for my OS and am using a HDD for games / programs. After installation, i've notice that my flash drive does not "pop up" on my screen after inserting into a USB port. The mouse, keyboard, and webcam all work in said USB ports... just not flash drives.

This flash drive, works in my laptop and television. I tried another flash drive, still doesn't show up. I did some research online for this issue and found nothing that works. I've checked "Computer Management > Disk Management" and the drive does not show up. I've updated all of my USB drivers... root hubs, PCI to USB, etc. ... nothing.

Honestly, I believe that the Flash Drive is not being able to be assigned a "drive letter" at that is why it is not being read / readable.

If anyone knows anything about this type of situation with Flash Drives, please help me out.



Thank you,
Corey

 

[THM01]

Does anything else that's not a flash drive work in the USB ports? Like a usb headphone, microphone, printer, etc? If not, then you might not have connected a cable correctly.

If they do, then it might be a drive letter assignment problem, but unfortunately I have little experience in that area in regards to flash drives.

 

[Scrappy Coco]

Read my post and you will notice that I stated that I have plugged other USB devices into the same USB ports. None of the cables for my USBs were moved in the process of adding a second hard drive, this is not the issue.

 

[ArtPog]

Any chance of running System Restore & getting a fix that way?

 

[Scrappy Coco]

Any chance of running System Restore & getting a fix that way?

I'd rather find a solution to this problem. System Restore is a last resort.

 

[ArtPog]

I'm just throwing this out on the basis that you're unable to resolve the problem as it now exists.

Since the problem arose immediately after you installed an OS onto the SSD (that's right, isn't it?), and apparently no similar problem existed prior to that OS installation, perhaps some anomaly during that installation is playing a role here insofar as it affects the system's detection of the flash drives. So might you consider a reinstall of the OS which hopefully may resolve the problem? (I'm assuming, of course, that other than the OS installed on the SSD, all your other programs, personal data, etc. are contained on your secondary HDD.)

If it works, at the least you'll be able to retrieve whatever data you need from the flash drive(s) and hopefully have a permanent solution.

I realize what I'm suggesting is iffy (to say the least!), but I can't think of any other "fix" at this time.

 

[BadAsAl]

Try assigning a different letter to your HDD drive (like P: or something) under Disk Management. Don't worry you can put it back and everything will work later on. Now see if you get a drive letter when you insert a USB stick.

 

[Scrappy Coco]

Try assigning a different letter to your HDD drive (like P: or something) under Disk Management. Don't worry you can put it back and everything will work later on. Now see if you get a drive letter when you insert a USB stick.

I tried this out this morning and after restarting my PC, still didn't show up anywhere.

Here's a glimpse of DIsk Management after i re-assigned my hard drives back to their normal Letters.

 

[durgesh86]

HI,
You can try to check if the Flash drives are being detected in the BIOS. If no then check settings in the BIOS.
If you think its a Windows problems then try uninstalling all the USB controllers in the Device Manager and restart the system. (Although you might need a PS/2 mouse keyboard for temporary functionality.

 

[hollett]

Is the computer part of a domain or managed by another person. If so there is a group policy that can disable USB mass storage devices. Other options are a corrupt usbstor hive in the HKLM registry.

 

[ArtPog]

hollett may be on to something...

At a command prompt enter: gpedit.msc

The Local Group Policy Editor opens

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > (double-click) System > (double-click) Removable Storage Access

In the listing there's an item "All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access"

"If you enable this policy setting, no access is allowed to any removable storage class."

Possibly that item has been "enabled" (how? who knows?). If so, disable it.

Was this the problem and did the above resolve it?

 

[Scrappy Coco]

hollett may be on to something...

At a command prompt enter: gpedit.msc

The Local Group Policy Editor opens

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > (double-click) System > (double-click) Removable Storage Access

In the listing there's an item "All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access"

"If you enable this policy setting, no access is allowed to any removable storage class."

Possibly that item has been "enabled" (how? who knows?). If so, disable it.

Was this the problem and did the above resolve it?

"All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access --------- Not configured"

And no hollett, this is my personal computer at home.

 

[Scrappy Coco]

Is the computer part of a domain or managed by another person. If so there is a group policy that can disable USB mass storage devices. Other options are a corrupt usbstor hive in the HKLM registry.

What is this "corrupt usbstor hive in the HKLM registry" that you speak of?

 

[durgesh86]

Did you check if the flash drives are being detected in the BIOS ??

 

[hollett]

Unplug the device.

In the registry if you go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR you will see a number of hives for each USB storage device that you have used.
e.g. - Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP
or - Disk&Ven_Kingston&Prod_DTVault_Privacy&Rev_PMAP

under each of these will be a hive with a GUID to click on. This hive will contain a key called FriendlyName which will be a description of the device.

Look through all the devices until you find the one that matches your device and make a note of the GUID excluding the &0 from the end

Delete this key from the USBSTOR and then open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB and search for the device with the same GUID (Note the GUID is one hive in as before) and delete this key also.

Plug in the device and it will rebuild the PnP USB device information for the device.

So for example if I have a faulty Intergral USB key I will look at my devices in the USBStor and find this hive

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP

under which there is only one hive called 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0

which I click on in here is a key called FriendlyName with a value of Integral Splash Black USB Device.

This is the device I want to remove to I make a note of the Hive it is in 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0 and take off the &0 from the end 07BC10081DDF3C3E

next I delete the hive that contains the 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0 Hive so that would be Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP or

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP for the full path.

then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB and you will see the PnP id's for you devices.

find the one which contains the same GUID as you neted down so in this case;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_13FE&PID_3E00\07BC10081DDF3C3E

so delete the parent hive of VID_13FE&PID_3E00 or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_13FE&PID_3E00 for the full path.

Plug in the device and see how it goes.

 

[Scrappy Coco]

Unplug the device.

In the registry if you go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR you will see a number of hives for each USB storage device that you have used.
e.g. - Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP
or - Disk&Ven_Kingston&Prod_DTVault_Privacy&Rev_PMAP

under each of these will be a hive with a GUID to click on. This hive will contain a key called FriendlyName which will be a description of the device.

Look through all the devices until you find the one that matches your device and make a note of the GUID excluding the &0 from the end

Delete this key from the USBSTOR and then open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB and search for the device with the same GUID (Note the GUID is one hive in as before) and delete this key also.

Plug in the device and it will rebuild the PnP USB device information for the device.

So for example if I have a faulty Intergral USB key I will look at my devices in the USBStor and find this hive

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP

under which there is only one hive called 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0

which I click on in here is a key called FriendlyName with a value of Integral Splash Black USB Device.

This is the device I want to remove to I make a note of the Hive it is in 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0 and take off the &0 from the end 07BC10081DDF3C3E

next I delete the hive that contains the 07BC10081DDF3C3E&0 Hive so that would be Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP or

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Integral&Prod_Splash_Black&Rev_PMAP for the full path.

then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB and you will see the PnP id's for you devices.

find the one which contains the same GUID as you neted down so in this case;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_13FE&PID_3E00\07BC10081DDF3C3E

so delete the parent hive of VID_13FE&PID_3E00 or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_13FE&PID_3E00 for the full path.

Plug in the device and see how it goes.

I do not see a USBSTOR folder