Overview of USB Device Is Not Recognized Error

'My Sandisk USB flash drive is not recognized when I plug it into my laptop. Is there any way to fix USB flash drive not detected and restore the data. I have all my school work on it. Please help if you know any solutions.'

Like the user above, many users, including you now, have encountered the issue 'USB flash drive not recognized or detected' when they connect their USB device to a computer. Actually, many factors could trigger this issue, including:

USB connection issue
File system errors that make your USB become RAW
Drive letter issues
USB driver error
Hardware damage

Although all the causes can lead to a USB flash drive not being detected by the computer, the USB will show varying status in Disk Management depending on the cause. Thus, to fix a USB flash drive that is not recognized by your computer, you first need to check the device in Disk Management and then repair it according to the reasons.

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Check The Causes of USB Flash Drive Not Recognized

Keep your USB flash drive connected and check it in Disk Management.

Step 1. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage'.

Step 2. Go to 'Disk Management'.

Step 3. Then you will see your USB flash drive in one of the following situations:

The USB shows as RAW
The USB shows as unallocated space
The USB shows without a drive letter
The USB is not showing up in Disk Management

After identifying the specific situation, you can now apply the corresponding solutions to fix the USB flash drive that is not recognized.

Fixes for USB Flash Drive Not Recognized/Detected

If you're not in one of the scenarios above, you can also apply the tips detailed below to have a try.

Fix 1. Recover Files from RAW USB Drive before Formatting

Applies to: Fix USB becomes RAW.

There must be file system errors on your USB flash drive that make your USB device not recognized as RAW. It could be file system missing, corrupted, or not compatible with Windows.

To repair a RAW USB, all you need to do is to recover data from the USB that is not recognized and then convert RAW to NTFS or FAT32 file system by formatting. Formatting will erase the existing data on your USB stick. That's why you need to perform data recovery first.

To retrieve data from an inaccessible device, you can use the professional disk recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. It perfectly supports deleted file recovery, formatted data recovery, RAW partition recovery, and other data loss situations.

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Step 1. Choose the flash drive to scan.

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and choose your flash drive where you lost important files. Click 'Scan' to start.

Step 2. Check and preview found flash drive data.

After the scanning is finished, you can quickly locate a specific type of file by using the Filter feature as well as the Search.

Filter: A quick way to your wanted files.
Search: e.g. File name/file extension.

Step 3. Restore flash drive data.

After checking and finding lost flash drive files, select them and click Recover to restore. You shall save the found files to a safe location on your PC rather than to your flash drive.

After retrieving all the files, you can now format the USB flash drive and assign a new file system to the device, which will make it usable again.

Fix 2. Update Unallocated USB Driver and Create New Partition

Applies to: Fix USB shows as unallocated space.

If your USB is not recognized by the computer and becomes unallocated space, it probably results from outdated USB driver. Thus, you should try to reinstall the USB device driver.

Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to the PC

Step 2. Navigate to 'Control Panel' > 'System' > ‘’Device Manager' > 'Disk drivers'.

Step 3. Find and select your USB device, right-click and first choose 'Uninstall' and then choose 'Scan for hardware changes' to refresh the drivers.

Step 4. Restart your computer.

After all the operations, you may find USB not recognized issue is fixed and the flash drive is detected. If reinstalling the USB driver doesn't help, you can recover data from the unallocated space with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard introduced above and then create a new volume to make it ready for data storage. (The unallocated space will show up as 'lost partition' in EaseUS data recovery software. Choose the right partition to scan and then recover your data.)

To create a new volume on unallocated space:

Step 1. Go to 'This PC', right-click it and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.

Step 2. Right-click the unallocated space and choose 'New Simple Volume'.

Step 3. Follow the wizard to finish the remaining process.

Fix 3. Change USB Driver Letter to Make It Detectable

Applies to fix: USB shows without driver letter.

Another reason for USB flash drive not detected issue is that the drive letter assigned to the USB drive is occupied by another drive on the computer (or the drive letter on the USB is missing). To solve this problem, you just need to try EaseUS free partition software to assign an unused drive letter to the USB flash drive. It will help you fix the 'USB flash drive not recognized' issue and recover all the inaccessible data with ease.

You can also assign a drive letter to your USB in Disk Management.

Step 1. Keep your USB connected. Right-click 'This PC' and choose 'Manage' > 'Disk Management'.

Step 2. Right-click the volume on your USB flash drive and select 'Change Drive Letter and Paths'.

Step 3. In the new window, click 'Change'.

Step 4. Assign a new drive letter to your USB and click 'OK'.

Fix 4. Check USB Port and Change Connection to Make USB Recognized

Applies to: Fix USB isn't showing up in Disk Management

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If your USB flash drive is not detected by Disk Management at all, it's likely that:

The USB is not connected properly
There are driver issues
Your USB device is physically damaged

Therefore, you can first connect your USB connection including:

Change the USB port/cable
Connect your external hard drive or other storage devices to another computer and check whether the problem remains
Connect your USB drives to the rear port which provides a more stable power supply compared to the front ones

Then reinstall drivers (detailed above). If these tips don't help, you should consider sending the USB flash drive for repair.

The Bottom Line

When a USB flash drive is not recognized by the computer, there are varying causes. Once you can find the reason, you can easily make the decision on how to fix it. Besides, this issue also reminds you of the importance of growing a good habit of using your USB stick, like ejecting the device before disconnecting it and

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