Pen drive is one of the best and most convenient data storage devices that is being widely used. It has the capacity to store large sized data and there come many circumstances when users need to connect their pen drive to the computer. However, the problem occurs when their pen drive does not appear in Windows File Explorer. Also, the system does not display any notification for the same.
If you are facing the same problem and landed on this page while searching why is my pen drive not showing in my computer issue then, stop scratching your head. In this article, we will walk you through some simple and actually working techniques to resolve this issues like What if pen drive is not showing in my computer?. Here is our guide!
Special Tip: If your pen drive is still not detected by your computer then, this means your pen drive has some serious issues. Then format you pen drive after that try SysTools Pen Drive Data Recovery Tool to resolve all the issues related to pen drive. To recover deleted data from pen drive click on the link.
Reasons Behind Why is My Pen Drive Not Showing in My Computer?
There could be several reasons behind this error or your pen drive, usb drive might be damaged physically or logically due to several factors. Some common reasons for the same are following:
- Improper Handling: Frequently inserting and removing a pen drive from the device while running may corrupt the file system of pen drive.
- Lost Drive Letter: An external device without a drive letter cannot be viewed from Windows Explorer. Hence, if your pen drive loses its drive letter then, your system will not display it.
- Connection Issues: If the pen drive is not connected properly to the computer due to a damaged USB port, adaptor then, it cannot be recognised by the computer.
- Locked Pen Drive: In some cases, users make their pen drive write protected due to which computer becomes unable to read or detect it.
- Outdated Device Driver: If your my pen drive not detected my computer but can be accessed by Device Manager with a yellow mark then, it indicates the issues like Why does my USB not show up on my computer? with system drivers.
Attention: If manual methods are not able to resolve your issue then, you can download pen drive data recovery tool from Here.
Troubleshooting Why is My Pendrive Is Not Detected By Any Computer Issue
If your pen drive is not detected in computer after plugging it into your PC’s then, it is a very common problem. Below are some simple tricks to resolve this issue:
Technique 1. Connect Pen Drive on Another Computer
After encountering my pen drive not detected in computer error, the first thing you should do is connect your pen drive to any other computer.
If the pen drive is still not detected by any computer then, probably your pen drive has some issues that you need to resolve.
If the pen drive is detected by another computer then, there might be a problem with your previous computer or its USB plugging port.
Technique 2. Assign a Drive Letter to Pen Drive
In case if your pen drive is connected to the computer but not appearing in File Explorer then, you can check it from the Disk Management to make sure whether its drive letter is missing. If it is then, follow the below instructions to assign a drive letter:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run wizard
- Enter diskmgmt.msc and hit the Enter button to open Disk Management
- Locate the pen drive and hit a right-click on it and select Change Drive and Path… option
- In new pop-up windows, hit the Add button to assign a drive letter to pen drive
Technique 3. Use CHKDSK to Make Pen Drive Detectable
- First, hit a right-click on My Computer/ This PC and click on Manage >> Disk Management
- Select your device from drive viewer to check whether your system can detect the pen drive. If it is not detectable then, continue using CHKDSK command with following steps:
- Press Windows + R keys and type cmd. Hit the Enter button
- Type chkdsk D: / f and press the Enter button. Or, type chkdsk D:/f /offlinescanandfix and press Enter button
Technique 4. Update Your Pen Drive Drive Letter
Navigate to the Device Manager and if you are finding your pen drive here with a yellow sign then, it might be possible that it has a driver issue. Now, you need to update your driver. Below is how to do it:
- Attach your pen drive to your computer
- Now, navigate to Control Panel and click on System >> Device Manager. Select Disk drivers
- Here, locate and select your pen drive and hit a right-click. Select Uninstall >> Scan for hardware changes. This will refresh the drivers
Technique 5. Change the Write Policy
As discussed above that a write-protected pen drive might not be detected by a computer. Hence, below are the instructions to change the write policy of pen drive from the registry editor:
- Press Windows + R keys to open Run
- Type regedit.exe and hit the Enter button
- Now, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
- Locate and hit a click on StorageDevicePolicies. If there is no any StorageDevicePolicies then, you need to create a folder
- For this hit a right-click on Control and choose New
- Select Key
- After this, name this newly created folder/ key StorageDevicePolicies
- Hit a right-click on StorageDevicePolicies. Select New
- Click DWORD (32 bit) value and name it WriteProtect
- Hit a double click on the WriteProtect value and enter 0 in the value section
- Eventually, hit the OK button and close the registry editor and check if your pen drive is detectable or not
Conclusion
Today, there are thousands of users who are facing issues like pen drive not showing in my computer. Well, this is so common and here we have disclosed top 5 tricks to resolve this issue in an efficient manner. Now, users can opt any solution as per their convenience.
Technodiary365 