2024-04-22 04:44:45
Connect the USB stick to the computer to transfer data. However, the interface does not always work smoothly. You can do that.
The most important things at a glance
The USB interface supports a variety of devices, including storage devices such as USB sticks, external hard drives and much more. The USB devices also receive power via the interface. Even though there are several USB plug types, USB sticks usually have plug type A. However, despite the widespread standard, the operating system does not always recognize the connected USB sticks correctly.
USB stick is not displayed
If the file explorer does not display the USB stick, connect the USB stick to another USB port on the computer; this can often solve the problem. Alternatively, use another computer to check if the USB stick works there. If this is the case, then the driver is outdated or no driver is installed for the USB stick.
- For Windows 10 or 11, install the driver via Device Manager. In Windows 11, open the Control Panel and go to “Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers”.
- Right-click on the USB stick and then click Properties in the context menu.
- Then go to the “Driver” tab to update the driver.
The USB stick does not work in a USB hub
However, if the USB stick is connected to a USB hub and is not displayed, there is probably not enough power. You can check this by taking a look at the LEDs on the connected devices. If the LED light on the USB flash drive is dim or does not light up at all, try using a different power port for the USB hub.
Occupied drive letter
The USB stick does not appear in the file explorer even if Windows addresses another device via the same path. To do this, open Disk Management in Windows 10 by clicking on the corresponding entry in Computer Management.
- By clicking on “Windows 11” you start the “Settings” via the app list.
- Then go to “System > Storage > Disks & Volumes”. If the USB stick appears in the disk management, Windows will recognize the USB stick but will not output the contents.
- By clicking on the USB stick’s “Properties” button, you can assign it a different drive letter.
File system defective
In addition, the file system of USB sticks is prone to errors, which is why Windows will not display the contents of the USB stick if the file system is corrupted. Formatting the stick doesn’t help in this case either. If, according to Windows, the partition on the USB stick needs to be repaired, this will be displayed in the “Disk Management”.