When it comes to storing files and sharing data among different computers, USB memory sticks are said to be one of the handy devices. These devices are much more reasonable than floppy disks and yes the storage capacity will be great. If roughly we calculate, we can say that 11,000 floppy disks are equal to just 16Gb stick.
However, like all other storage devices, there is a risk of losing data that has been stored on the USB stick due to its failure. So, it is advisable to take backups every now and then on more than one device.
If you have very important deleted files to recover from memory stick, you should try with Hi5 Recovery Software.
But what if your computer stops recognizing a USB memory stick? You can’t ditch that broken USB memory stick! You can try with these tested tips and tricks in order to fix the issue easily.
Note: Here, we have used Windows 7 here but the steps are relatively the similar for Windows 10 as well.
#1 Use a different USB port
As the USB ports may get dirty as the time passes, there might be chances that the problem is with the port itself where you want to insert the stick.
So the very first thing to do as soon as you find that the memory stick is not recognizable is to try inserting the device into another USB port on your PC. Common, it is just common sense!
#2 Update the driver
Chances are there that the problem may actually be with your PC, not the USB device itself. Check whether an another computer is recognizing the USB stick. If the answer is yes, it indicates that your system is required to install a new and updated driver.
To check for a new driver,
- Go to Computer, right click on your USB’s icon and click on Properties
- Go to the Hardwaretab and find General USB Flash Disk USB Device. Select it and click the Properties button below
- In the next pop-up, click the Change settingsbutton
- Another pop-up will appear, go to the Drivertab and click the Update Driver… button
- Next, select the first option Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instructions.
#3 Checking for the errors
Windows may be able to detect the error with your USB drive. You can perform this by these steps:
- Right-click on the USB icon in Computerand click on Properties
- Go to the Toolstab and under error-checking click Check now…
- A pop-up box will appear. Ensure both boxes are ticked and click the Startbutton
#4 Formatting USB stick
The next solution you can try is formatting the USB stick, but this will delete everything. So, be prepare with the backup and then proceed!
To format,
- Go to Computer, right click on the USB stick icon and click on Format
- In the pop-up box, click the Startbutton, followed by OK
If the formatting went ahead successfully, a new pop-up message will appear saying – ‘Format Complete’. You can click the OK button and see whether the USB stick works again.
#5 Creating a new simple volume
Another way you could restart your USB stick is by using Windows Disk Management, which again wipes the content. Taking backup is a wise idea again!
To do this,
- Search ‘Disk management’ in the Start Menu and click on Create and format hard disk partitions
- Here, you should see your USB under Disk 1. Right click and go to Propertiesto check that you have selected the correct drive. The pop-up box should say ‘General USB Flash Disk USB Device’ if you have the correct driver selected
- If it does, exit this window and right click on the diagonally-striped box which should say ‘Unallocated’ in the center. Click New Simple Volume…
- In the pop-up box, click the Nextbutton
- On the subsequent screen, ensure that the simple volume size in MB matches the maximum disk space in MB, and click the Nextbutton
- Click Nextagain twice, followed by Finish
If this works out, your USB stick should be accessible!
