USB Storage Drive Not Detected in Windows®

If your USB storage drive is not being detected by Windows, here is what to do:

  1. Test the drive while connected to another port, as well as with another cable (if available) to rule out a faulty connection.
  2. Look in your System Tray for the “found new hardware” icon. If it’s not there, reboot the computer, and look for the icon again. If it’s still not there, take the drive to another computer and see if it works there.
  3. If the icon is in System Tray, go to File Explorer. The drive should be listed there as a removable device. If it isn’t, move on to step 4.
  4. Right-click on My Computer and select "Manage." Click on "Disk Management" and look for the drive in the lower pane on the right. If it is there, right click on it and select "Change Drive Letter," follow the steps to assign a new drive letter, and then check My Computer for the removable drive again.
  5. If the drive isn’t in Disk Management, open Device Manager. Once in Device Manager, look for a yellow "?" or "!" under the category “Universal Serial Bus Controller.”
  6. If you see any yellow “?” or “!” icons, right-click on that line and select Uninstall. After the uninstall, reboot the computer with the drive still connected.
  7. If the drive still isn’t recognized by Windows, unplug all other USB devices (except mouse and keyboard), and then reboot the computer again, with the storage as the only connected USB device.

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