Advances in technology have made it possible to significantly increase the capacity of flash drives. During this time, CDs completely disappeared from our lives, even Microsoft began distributing Windows 10 on flash drives. But what to do if the BIOS does not see bootable USB flash drive, which contains the software you installed.

Causes and solutions

There are not so many reasons, they are almost all related to the BIOS settings.

Important! First, you should make sure that the flash drive is working. By connecting it to another computer or laptop, check if it is displayed.

Incorrect image entry

The installation flash drive is created using special programs; it is not enough to simply upload the file to the drive, it must be written down correctly.

If you want to record Windows image 7, then use the proprietary Microsoft utility.

For the rest Windows versions and other programs, it is better to use UltraISO.

BIOS settings

What to do if the flash drive is written correctly, but loading from it does not occur? Most likely the problem is in the BIOS settings.

Device startup order

Advice! Connect the drive to a USB port before performing the following steps. This will make it easier to detect.

Download mode

The second reason may be that the flash drive is not visible in Boot Menu due to boot mode mismatch. Most devices support two boot modes: Legacy and EFI. If the BIOS is set to Legacy mode, and the flash drive is written for EFI (or vice versa), then the system will not be able to recognize it.

The only thing you need to do in this case is to specify the desired mode through the Basic Input/Output System.

As a last resort, we recommend resetting the BIOS settings. You can read how to do this in the article “Resetting the BIOS configuration on a home computer and laptop.”

USB port support

Sometimes there are situations when the PC does not see the flash drive through the USB 3.0 port when trying to install the system from it. This is most likely due to the BIOS configuration. To solve the problem, just change the flash drive to USB 2.0.

Do you know what is the most common question among users who first decided to install Windows from a flash drive?

People constantly ask why Bios doesn’t see the bootable USB flash drive. To which I usually answer, is it bootable? 😛

In this short note, I would like to dwell on the main issues that you need to go through if you have a similar problem...

1. Is the bootable USB flash drive written correctly?

The most common thing is that the flash drive is written incorrectly.

Most often, users simply copy files from a disk to a flash drive... And, by the way, some say that it works for them. It’s possible, but you shouldn’t do this, especially since this option won’t work for most...

It's best to take advantage special program to burn a bootable USB flash drive. We have already gone through the most popular utilities in detail.

Personally, I like to use the program most of all: it can even write Windows 7, even Windows 8 onto a USB flash drive or external hard disk. In addition, for example, the recommended utility “Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Toll” allows you to burn an image only to an 8 GB flash drive (at least for me), but UltraISO can easily burn an image to 4 GB!

To burn a flash drive, take 4 steps:

3) The settings window should appear. There are several important points to note here:

In the Disk Drive column, select exactly the flash drive on which you want to write the image;

Select the USB HDD option in the recording method column (without any pluses, dots, etc.);

Hide Boot Partition - select the no tab.

After that, click on the recording function.

4) Important! When recording, all data on the flash drive will be deleted! Which, by the way, is what the program will warn you about.

After the message about successful recording of the bootable USB flash drive, you can begin setting up the BIOS.

2. Is the BIOS configured correctly, is there a function to support a bootable flash drive?

If the flash drive is written correctly (for example, as described just above in the previous step), most likely you simply configured the Bios incorrectly. Moreover, in some BIOS versions there are several boot options: USB-CD-Rom, USB FDD, USB HDD, etc.

1) First, restart your computer (laptop) and go into Bios: you can press the F2 or DEL button (look carefully at the welcome screen, you can always see a button to enter the settings there).

2) Go to the download section. IN different versions In BIOS it may have a slightly different name, but the word “BOOT” is always there. What interests us most is the loading priority: i.e. queue.

Just below the screenshot shows my download section on an Acer laptop.

The important thing here is that loading from hard drive, which means the queue simply won’t reach the second line of the USB HDD. You need to make sure that the second line of the USB HDD becomes the first: on the right side of the menu there are buttons that can be used to easily move the lines and build the download queue the way you need.

ACER laptop. Setting up the boot partition - BOOT.

After the settings, it should look like the screenshot below. By the way, if you insert a flash drive before turning on the computer, and after turning it on, go into Bios, then you will see opposite the USB HDD line - the name of the flash drive and you can easily figure out which line you need to move to the first place!

It happens that the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive. This can happen on any personal computer with absolutely any operating system, be it Windows XP, G7 or G8. What to do if BIOS This is a very popular question among all users. In addition, any owner has encountered such a problem at least once in his life. personal computer or laptop. Some people in such a situation immediately contact service centers. And some even go to the store where they bought the flash drive, indignant and complaining that it doesn’t work.

Of course, it may also be that the whole issue is really a faulty device. But sometimes BOIS does not see the flash drive for a number of other reasons. And even if everything was fine before, the problems that have arisen now can be caused by various faults that simply “accumulated” in the system. Or the flash drive may not have enough power for your system unit. Or... Below are the most popular reasons why problems arise with identifying flash drives and other USB devices, as well as ways to solve these problems.

Why doesn't BIOS recognize removable media?

When you connect a device via a USB port, it occurs automatic detection, and Device Manager reports that new media is connected. In some cases, it also asks you to install drivers or updates. But sometimes the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive or cannot synchronize its operation. What to do in this case? There are several most likely causes and solutions to this problem.

USB controller: setup

The BIOS is part of the operating system, which is where problems with a flash drive lie in most cases. Where exactly is the problem? The most obvious reason why the BIOS - USB controller is not working correctly or is simply disabled. How to deal with the problem? Turn it on! To do this, in the Award BIOS section, find the Integrated Peripherals subsection, and then go to the second menu item - Advinced (where there will be advanced BIOS settings). Then we find the USB Configuration category, go into it, press Enter and pay attention to the inscription that appears opposite the USB parameters. Disabled and Enabled may light up there. If the controller is in a disabled state, then you need to turn it on using the pointer buttons. To save the changed settings, be sure to press F10.

If the controller is connected, but the BIOS does not see the flash drive, you can try it on another port of the system unit. This one may be faulty or incorrectly configured, which is preventing it from functioning.

Sometimes none of the ports can detect the flash drive. In this case, the USB controller itself makes sense. This problem especially often occurs after a reinstallation or rollback of the operating system, when some of the necessary data may be lost or the settings are reset to “default”. Therefore, re-downloading all latest versions drivers can solve the problem with the flash drive.

Compatibility issues

The vast majority of modern peripheral devices only support USB version 2.0, which, of course, will not be recognized on computers whose interface is configured for 1.1. IN in this case To solve the problem, you just need to install supporting software, which, as a rule, always comes with the device - on the same disk with drivers or separately. Sometimes required applications can be downloaded from the official websites of USB drive manufacturers.

System file INFCACHE.1 - the root of all evil

If you have tried all the above methods, but the problem has not disappeared, then you can try another, but more drastic method. Just remove it from your computer system file INFCACHE.1. You can find it in the WINDOWS root directory, on your hard drive C, or wherever your operating system is installed. The full path to this file looks like this: WINDOWS:system32DriveStore. You can also find it through a search or using If after deleting this file the problem disappeared, then all the problems were related to cache memory corruption. The next time you turn on your computer, the INFCACHE.1 file will be restored by itself.

Is it still a matter of BIOS?

Instructions for setting up this part of the system software will help cope with problems with a flash drive in some cases. For example, if, as mentioned above, the problem is a disabled USB controller. Correct setting BIOS is a simple matter, but important. Almost any user can cope with this, even with little experience working with a personal computer.

So, in order to get into the parameters, you need to press the F2 key (in some cases DELETE) at the moment when the BIOS system boots. Next you need to go to the Advanced tab, where you can manage advanced features, select the Integrated Peripherals section and press Enter. By performing these simple manipulations, you can see if the controller is working, as well as other means that affect the functioning of the ports and the automatic detection of connected USB devices.

BIOS does not see other devices connected via the port

If the computer cannot detect not only the flash drive, but also other external media and devices connected via USB (for example, a printer, speakers, camera or phone), then this case requires special and radical measures.

Remove the casing (protective side plates) from the computer. As a rule, they are either bolted to the case or fastened with “latches”, then we connect a flash drive or other device directly to the USB port on motherboard. In most cases, this may be enough for the BIOS to see the device. But if this does not happen, then you can try installing a package of appropriate drivers for correct operation and eliminating incompatibility problems. If this doesn’t help, there is still a way out!

Other reasons why the BIOS does not see a flash drive and other USB devices

It often happens that many different devices are connected to the computer, requiring large quantity energy. For example, a scanner or a powerful sound system. And just these two connected devices may be enough to cause a power shortage when connecting even such an economical medium as a flash drive. What can we say about trying to connect a camera to the computer in order to reset or view photos on the big screen. In this case, the BIOS does not see the flash drive (or other device) due to the too low level of electricity that can be spent on this port. In other words, the device may need more power than the USB connector can provide. As a result, it simply does not have enough power to turn on and function.

In order to eliminate this problem, you need to find out the USB controller of your personal computer. You can clarify this in the “Device Manager” on the “Properties” tab in the “Power” column. USB 2.0 devices typically require 500 mA, while newer 3.0 devices consume 900 mA. Based on this, it can be assumed that sometimes, in order to connect a device, you first need to disconnect one or even several previously connected but unused devices. at the moment devices. If you charge your phone or player from a computer, and the flash drive is not detected at the same time, then you should try disconnecting the charging cord for a while. In 90% of cases, this will be enough for the BIOS to see the connected device.

Or maybe the flash drive is to blame?

Have you tried everything but nothing helps? Then there is a possibility that the problem is with the device itself. You can read reviews about your flash drive. BIOS may not be the reason why it is not detected if you come across a device with a factory defect, for example. It's also possible that this model requires some special manipulations or the presence of a USB-HUB for correct operation. There can be many options, so you should explore everything existing methods defining the problem.

Conclusion

If you identify a problem due to which the BIOS does not see the flash drive, and its solution is unsuccessful, then, of course, you should contact service center. But before that, simply disable the power management function of the USB controller from the operating system. To do this, go to the “Device Manager”, find the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” tab, select the “USB Root Hub” subsection and double-click the “Power Management” window, uncheck the corresponding box and click “OK” to save the changes. And we repeat this procedure for each USB hub. Perhaps this is what will save you from going to the service center.

Over the past few years, flash storage media have become very popular and are used by us literally every day, due to their advantages over disk storage media. It is hardly possible to overestimate its usefulness as a flash drive, because you can quickly record or read information on it, it does not take up much space in a briefcase or bag, and the price segment is pleasantly pleasing.

Despite all the positive aspects, sometimes there are situations when it is impossible to read the data due to the flash drive or computer itself. After all, at the very important point you may lose access to stored files, and to quickly return everything to normal you need to have certain knowledge. In this article we will analyze all possible problem situations and find ways to solve why the computer does not see the flash drive.

The most common problems why the computer does not see the flash drive:

The flash drive itself does not work

This is the worst situation for a person whose documents are stored on a flash drive, because it is almost impossible to bring it back to life. A flash drive can be damaged by mechanical impact on the device chip or its controller, by shorting electrical circuit, damaged contacts on the USB board. This is what a flash drive looks like after the electrical circuit is closed or moisture gets inside the drive.

It is quite easy to determine whether this happened to your drive. The very first thing you need to do is check the flash drive for mechanical damage, chips, cracks, etc. If it is completely broken, you can look for a replacement at a computer peripherals store. If you doubt its inoperability, you can check it using a practical method.

Connect the flash drive to the USB connector of the computer, if the LED on it lights up and you hear a sound on the computer that is typical for connecting a new device, then everything is in order, it makes sense to look for the problem further. If this does not happen, the flash drive is most likely no longer suitable for use.

You can try to take the flash drive to a service center, where the technician will try to resolder the contacts or replace the controller, but this will be very expensive, and this action will only be justified if you have important documents stored on it. If no fatal malfunction was detected and the flash drive shows signs of life, try the methods to restore its functionality, which will be described below.

The USB port on the front panel of the computer is de-energized

This problem is very common among desktop PC users. Most computer owners are accustomed to inserting a flash drive into the front USB ports, because it is fast and convenient.

But there is a situation when, during PC assembly, for some reason the front panel is not connected to the power system; usually this happens due to the forgetfulness of the computer technician. Accordingly, your flash drive will not be displayed, despite its full serviceability.

This problem can be solved in two ways. If you urgently need to use information on removable media, you can connect it to the back panel of your computer. The front connectors will still remain inoperative, but you will have access to documents. Such manipulations cannot be called a full-fledged solution, so let’s consider the second option.

Method No. 2 involves connecting the power cable on the motherboard to the front panel of the computer. Depending on the computer case model, the connection connectors may differ. But don’t be afraid, they all have markings and you won’t be able to connect the wrong connector due to design features. The most common wire types are “VCC”, “D-”, “D+” and “GND”. Moreover, the color markings of the cable and the connector on the motherboard are the same, but it is better to keep a guide by the inscriptions.

The first step is to gain access to the motherboard; to do this, unscrew the mounting bolts on the case and remove the cover. Find the cable that leads to the front panel and find the same connector on the motherboard. In the image below you can see what the connector should look like.

It is not recommended to make the connection yourself; it is better to call a specialist. If you connect the cable and connector incorrectly, you can burn these contacts and even devices. If you decide to connect front USB connectors, then it is better to tell us the model of your case and motherboard, and we will tell you how to do it correctly and explain what the connector and cable look like.

The USB port on the computer is faulty or disabled

Sometimes the problem of unreadability of information on removable media is not related to the problem of the flash drive itself, but to the connector into which it is connected. Definite USB port may not be working, and this condition can be caused by simple damage to the connector contacts. Then not only the flash drive, but also others will not work in this port USB devices A.

You can solve this problem by arming yourself with a regular soldering iron and minimal knowledge of circuit design. If you don’t have such knowledge, skills and equipment, then it can be fixed at the nearest service center for a low fee.

However, if there is no reaction to USB connection device is not observed on all connectors, then the problem may lie deeper. Ports can be disabled in BIOS settings.

In order to connect ports in the BIOS menu, you need to get there initially. To enter the BIOS in the first seconds of booting the computer, you need to press the corresponding key on the keyboard, which is responsible for calling up the menu. Most often, the default key is F2 or Del, but depending on the motherboard brand and BIOS version, it may be different. It is indicated in the first image that pops up when loading.

After you have entered the BIOS itself, we need to go through the following route: “”.

Find the line “USB Controller”, so that you are allowed to use the ports, the value opposite should be “Enabled”.

Once you have enabled the USB ports on your computer, press the F10 key. This will save your settings and exit the BIOS.

The USB flash drive connector is dirty

Flash drive is mobile device storing information and is therefore often carried in pockets, briefcases or as a keychain. Due to such operating conditions, dust and small debris may accumulate in the connector. This does not happen often, but it can cause the flash drive to malfunction. Dust and small debris accumulate on the contact and prevent connection from the contacts to the port on the computer. Such a flash drive may not only not be displayed at all, but also freeze, transfer or read information slowly and may not be detected the first time.

To clean the USB connector of a flash drive, arm yourself with a match and a cotton swab. Using a match, remove all debris from the connector, and then moisten a cotton swab with alcohol and wipe the contacts of the flash drive. This way you will rid it of debris and oxidation.

Virus infection

Nowadays, the issue of storage device security is becoming more and more urgent, because viruses are in full force. You can visit your usual site social network on the Internet and get infected, not to mention downloading files from unverified sources.

Modern computer viruses They can also reproduce, no matter how strange it may sound. They infect files located on your flash drive or computer hard drive, and their number grows exponentially.

Very often, the problem of a flash drive not working is infection with viruses. The drive is detected by the system, you can hear the characteristic sound of connecting the device to the system, but when you try to read the information, you will see the message “” or “ Application not found».

Before solving this problem, you should install anti-virus software on your computer and conduct a full diagnostic of the files. To access the data on the drive, we need to delete the file with the virus and scan it. To do this, go to the “Start” menu and enter the following phrase “” in the search line.

Click on the found element with the left mouse button. It will appear in front of you open window with the name “Folder Options”, here you need to do the following:

• Uncheck the " Hide protected system files»
• Check the box ""

After this, be sure to press the “Apply” button and only after that “Ok”, otherwise the changes will not take effect. It should look like this.

After that, go to “My Computer” and go to the folder of the drive itself. There you will see the “Autorun” file, you need to delete it, and check the flash drive for viruses with one of free antiviruses, the Dr.WEB Cure It utility can handle this perfectly.

Now you can fully use the flash drive and no problems should arise. If nothing has changed, then the problem lies in the lack of drivers; we’ll look at it below.

Drivers failing or using outdated drivers

A very common problem is when the computer does not want to display the flash drive due to outdated drivers or their system failure. The failure may occur due to a power surge or unexpected shutdown of the operating system. Or older computer models may not work with drives with a capacity of 32 GB or more. One thing can be said, the problem can only be solved by updating the drivers.

The first thing you need to do is go to "". You can do this in several ways, for example, through “My Computer" or find this section in the system search, which is what we will do.

Let's go to this menu, after which we connect the flash drive to the computer, after which we open the “USB controllers” subtab. Select the line " Memory", right-click to open the system menu and click “Delete".

Such manipulations allow you to remove the drivers installed on the system for your storage device. As soon as you remove it, feel free to remove the flash drive from your computer and connect it again. Then the driver for the flash drive will be installed again and the problem will be solved.

If the problem is not solved, you may need to update the drivers for all USB chipsets; this is quite easy to do. You can use the special disk that came with the motherboard, everything is written on it necessary drivers. If you don’t have it, download the DriverPack program, it will automatically select all the drivers for which there is an update and carry out this procedure after your agreement.

Moreover, most users have doubts about the correctness of their actions when they learn about the different USB formats. Don't be scared!

Drivers for USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are installed according to the same principle. And the only difference between the ports is the maximum speed of reading and writing information.

File system errors

The computer may also not recognize your flash device due to file system errors. Let’s check if this is true, go to “”, how to do this was described above. Now you need to open the subtab " Disk devices“If you see your flash drive there, it means it is working, and the file system does not perceive it as it should, and, accordingly, does not display it in Explorer. In my case, the flash drive was displayed, which means it is working.

To fix this problem, you must format your flash drive, but this action has several nuances, so let's look at this process in the next paragraph of the article.

If you don’t see your drive there, then the problem lies in the malfunction of the flash drive itself, which means either the controller is burned out or the contact has become unsoldered. Specialists at service centers can try to bring it back to life. However, this is an expensive exercise; it’s easier to buy a new one, of course, if the faulty one was not recorded important information and you need to recover the data on the flash drive.

File system conflict

Quite often the contents of the flash drive are not displayed due to a conflict. file systems on the computer and the removable media itself. For example, if the computer operates on a file NTFS system and the flash drive uses FAT32, a conflict situation is possible. Moreover, this problem is common not only in Windows environment, but also Mac OS. For example, if you format a flash drive on your Mac device to ExFAT or the standard MacBook file system, the flash drive is unlikely to be readable on Windows devices.

The very first thing you need to do is find a computer that uses a different file system, open the flash drive and save the information that is important to you, because after formatting it will be lost.

To solve this problem, we need to carry out the process of formatting the flash drive. First you need to find out what file system is used on your computer. Go to “My computer”, right-click on the hard drive, open the submenu and select “Properties” in it.

In the window that opens you will see information about free and occupied volume disk space, and also find out what file system is used. In my case, the NTFS system is used.

After you know the file system of the computer, we need to format the flash drive into the same system. To do this, right-click on the flash drive and open the “Format” tab.

In the tab that opens, select the file system into which we will format, check the box next to the “Fast” attribute and click “Start”.

A few words about why we use the “Fast” attribute. Firstly, formatting a flash drive will happen much faster. But there is another side to the coin. If there were any documents on the flash drive, then only with quick formatting will you be able to recover this data using special utilities. If you do not check the box, then the information that was on the flash drive will be lost forever.

The flash drive is not formatted

A fairly common problem is when you insert a flash drive into your computer (usually a new flash drive and its first use), and the operating system gives you a warning that states that the removable drive needs to be formatted before use. And if the flash drive has been used before and there is data recorded on it, then there is no way to access it. Moreover, the volume of the flash drive becomes 0, i.e. as if there was nothing there at all, not even a storage device.

If you have already used a flash drive and this is not the first time you have connected it, then try connecting it to another computer, perhaps the problem will go away and you will be able to save the data. But in any case, the flash drive must be formatted. How to do this was discussed in detail in the “File system conflict” section.

But I want to draw your attention to two points. To avoid problems with the file system (FS) after formatting, find out what FS is used on the computer and install the same one for the drive. And second, if the flash drive had the information you needed, then be sure to use the “Quick” attribute, so the flash drive will be formatted only according to the table of contents, and the lost information can be returned using special utilities.

There is a problem with the partition or the flash drive is automatically assigned a busy letter

There are situations when the operating system does not correctly detect your removable media. Everything seems to be fine, the device connection is displayed and a flash drive icon appears in the tray, but there is no way to use it for its intended purpose.

The problem may be that the system has not assigned the partition a letter under which the removable drive will appear, or it has assigned it, but this letter is already occupied, and this results in an address conflict.

The solution to this problem will be to force the assignment of the partition letter that we choose, everything happens in manual mode. So let's get started.

First of all, you need to hold down the key combination “Win ​​+ R", a window will open in front of you with the name “Run".

In the line we need to enter a simple command diskmgmt.msc, which will take us to the disk and storage management section.

In the storage media manager that opens, we need to identify our USB device. This can be done simply, disconnect the flash drive and connect it again, the partition that first disappears and then appears is what we need.

In my case, the flash drive is a drive with the name “20151114_17”, you can also identify it by a special icon. Now you need to right-click on it and select “Change letter” in the menu that opens.

Now one more thing will open before us additional window, smaller. In it you need to click on the button “Change” and “Ok”.

Now another auxiliary window will open, where you must select any letter of the English alphabet, and after clicking on the “Ok” button, the letter will be assigned to the section.

It is worth paying attention to one important point! When choosing a letter to assign to a partition of your flash drive, look at which letters are already in use by the system. This is very important, because we may not fix the problem, but leave it. This will happen if, for example, you designate a flash drive partition with the letter “D”, which is already assigned to the local disk.

Malfunction of the power supply or excessive current overload of the USB portal

This problem is very common these days. The fact is that the computer may simply not see the flash drive due to a faulty power supply. Let's look at it in order, the power supply consumes electrical energy from the network, and then converts and distributes it to all nodes of the computer. It has a power limit, for example, a 400W power supply will not be able to give you 600W. This means that the consumption of the entire system must be balanced.

This problem may appear if you have recently replaced some important component in the system, let it be the processor. Now it consumes much more energy compared to the past, which means it simply doesn’t reach somewhere, and in this case, that “somewhere” is the computer’s USB network. Accordingly, the energy consumption parameter must be calculated in advance, and if such a situation has already occurred, you will have to replace the power supply with a more powerful one.

Moreover, the problem may lie in a malfunction of the power supply; it may produce much less power potential than stated, and than it produced before. You will not be able to solve this problem, since you risk the performance of the entire computer. The only solution is to replace the power supply.

There is one more feature to this question. IN lately USB devices for computers have become very common, let’s say the following devices are now powered: a mat for warming a cup, desk lamp, wireless mouse, removable hard drive, and in addition, the smartphone is also charging. And you want to connect a flash drive, but bad luck, the computer sees it. The fact is that there was an overcurrent on the USB ports. Those. All your devices already consume the maximum amount of current and you will not be able to connect another one. Therefore, to use a flash drive, you need to disconnect several devices from the computer’s USB ports and then the problem will disappear.

If the computer does not see the flash drive in Windows XP

There are many reasons why a flash drive may not be detected in Windows system XP. Moreover, the problem may lie in the operating system itself, or in a faulty flash drive, or even in the computer hardware.

If the problem is related to the operating system, then it can only be eliminated by making additional changes in the settings; this is best done manually, despite the abundance of special utilities that can help in this matter.

However, if the drive itself is faulty, then the only thing you can do is try to save the data recorded on it. And after that, purchase a new and more reliable device.

If your computer cannot detect the flash drive, it notifies the user with the following signals:

• Your flash drive is inserted and you try to access the data on it, the message “Insert disk” pops up.
• The system notifies you that the drive must be formatted for further use.
• Errors appear about the impossibility of gaining access to data.
• The system may freeze as soon as you plug the USB flash drive into the computer's USB port.

In this section we will look at all the most common reasons for the non-functionality of a flash drive in Windows XP and give practical recommendations by their decision. Carefully read the description of the problem, if it is not similar to yours or its solution did not help you, move on to the next point until the problem goes away. The first thing you need to do is try to determine whether the flash drive is working. This is indicated by a light indicator located on it. If you connect the drive and it blinks or lights up, then the flash drive is working and the problem lies either in the system or hardware of the computer.

Try changing the port into which you connect the flash drive or even the computer; perhaps only the port or the entire system is faulty, but on another PC the flash drive will work properly. For example, if, when connecting a flash drive to a port, you observe a complete system freeze, this means that this port is faulty and it is better not to use it.

If you are using USB hubs or extenders and the flash drive is not displayed, perhaps the problem lies in the device itself, and not the flash drive. If this turns out to be the case, you can take the hub to a service center or try to repair it yourself. To do this you will need a soldering iron, solder and a little experience, because most often you just need to solder one or two contacts and everything will work as expected.

Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of electric current in the USB port system. To check this, you need to disconnect all USB devices on the computer (camera, printer, lamp, etc.), leaving only the keyboard and mouse. If after such manipulations the flash drive appears in the system and you can access it, then the problem lies in a weak power supply. This problem can only be solved by replacing the power supply with a more powerful one, but using a USB hub with its own power source will help delay the purchase of a power supply.

However, if the problem is not resolved after disconnecting all other devices, the problem may still be related to the lack of power from the power supply and an outdated USB port. In other words, on older laptops you will not be able to open a flash drive with a capacity of 36 GB or larger. There is no way to solve the problem; you can only buy a more modern laptop or computer.

A very common situation occurs when the user connects a flash drive to the front port of the PC, but the system does not see it. This means that the ports are not connected to the power supply on the motherboard, or too little power is allocated to them. You can connect the front panel yourself using the instructions located above in the section of the same name.

Can't see the flash drive due to Windows XP errors. Troubleshooting

The flash drive may also not be detected due to operating system errors. For example, Windows XP SP2 lacks updates and software packages that ensure the normal operation of USB devices. Moreover, it is possible that only several USB devices can work in one port.

The solution to this issue will be to update the system to SP3 and install the necessary updates. Even a new user can do this, since we only need a couple of clicks, and the system will automatically download, install and launch the update. So, let's get started, we can move in two ways - this is the official download from Windows Update or installing SP3 from a disk or flash drive. The first step is to check which package you already have installed.

Click on the “My Computer” icon with the right mouse button and select “Properties”. The following window will open in front of you, where information about your system will be indicated.

To install SP3, we need to allow the operating system to search and update the computer system. To do this, just go from the Control Panel to Windows Update.

As soon as you do this, the system will begin searching for updates, after which it will offer you to update everything at once or select only the ones you need. If you don't understand what update changes what, then it's better to let the system update completely.

After downloading all the updates, the operating system will require you to restart your computer to apply the new settings. Click “Ok” and wait patiently. That's all, now you can connect the flash drive and use it.

If you decide to choose the updates that should be installed, and not download them all automatically, then here is a guideline that will help improve your experience USB drives system.

Driver conflicts in Windows XP

There is also the problem of driver conflict. The fact is that some outdated drivers can cause errors at the system level, moreover, they can interfere normal operation new drivers. A striking example of such a problem is a situation when a user inserts a flash drive into a computer, tries to access the data on it, and the system immediately displays an error message asking to insert the disk. Or, the system simply freezes, and even assigning an existing letter to a flash drive partition is possible.

The reason for such errors is as follows. Let's say you have two flash drives, you connected one of them to the system. In automatic mode, all necessary drivers for this device are immediately installed. You have made the necessary manipulations to write or read files and removed the drive. After that, you insert a second flash drive, which is completely working, and one of the above errors pops up. This means that the system is trying to use the already installed driver from the first flash drive to launch the second, but they are not compatible.

Reinstalling Windows XP drivers for USB devices

This problem can be easily resolved in several ways. Reinstalling drivers automatically or manually. Let's look at a little theory: a driver from one USB device can be mistakenly used by the system to launch another USB device. To eliminate these problems, we need to first remove all existing drivers for USB drives, and then reinstall them.

Such a problem may display the message “USB device not recognized,” or unexplained processes occur at the system level that block access to data or cause the system to freeze.

Remove via DriveCleanup

You can effectively remove all existing drivers for USB devices using the DriveCleanup utility. Its advantage is that it searches the entire system for installed drivers and only after that deletes them.

First of all, turn off the computer and disconnect all USB devices from it in order to avoid conflict situations while the program is running. Turn on the PC, go to the official website of the program and download the executable file. The utility is compatible with any version of Windows, including different bitmaps. When downloading, pay attention to the file version.

Automatic installation

You have removed all drivers from your computer. In order for a device to function normally, the operating system must have drivers for it. Process automatic installation The driver is incredibly simple, you just need to connect the USB flash drive to the USB port, after which the installation will begin immediately. A window will pop up that will display the installation progress; on some systems this may occur in a mode invisible to the user. Within one to two minutes, the installation will be completed and you will be able to use the device.

Manual installation

Under manual installation This means installing drivers not directly from the storage medium itself. We can also install drivers for a flash drive from third-party Internet resources, but to avoid conflict situations, we will install drivers for a flash drive using another computer.

So, we take our problematic flash drive and insert it into another computer, where it is recognized. A prerequisite for this process is that the versions of Windows on both computers match. We use the system search and find two files.

We transfer them to the problem computer by any means, be it sending by mail or using other removable media. You need to place these files in a folder with the same path that was on the first computer and confirm the replacement when the corresponding window pops up. We reboot the computer and enjoy its performance with FLASH disks.

We looked at only the most common reasons why a flash drive is not visible on the computer. In fact, there are many more of them. Moreover, there are problems that are expressed by other system messages, and their solution is already described in the paragraphs of the article.

The “Insert disk” message appears even if the flash drive is already connected to the USB port

This system error occurs when drivers overlap each other and interfere with the normal functioning of USB devices. In order to fix this error, you need to remove all drivers for USB devices and install them again. This process is described step by step in this article.

Message about the need to format the disk

This message appears if you are using a flash drive for the first time or if it has experienced a system failure. In addition to the message, you can verify that it is not suitable for use, because it does not display any free space, neither busy. The solution to this issue is described in detail in paragraphs 8 and 9.

Data error message

This problem occurs in 3 cases. This is a driver conflict, a file system conflict, and a failure of the flash drive itself. It can be solved by reinstalling the drivers; if that doesn’t help, then do a quick format to preserve the ability to recover data on the flash drive. Step-by-step instructions are above.

Complete system freeze immediately after connecting the flash drive to the computer

This issue has already been discussed in the article, but I would like to point out that this error can occur for two reasons:

1. Driver conflict.
2. Faulty port.

It’s easy to check what problem you have, insert the flash drive into another port, if the freeze continues, it means there’s a problem with the drivers. Instructions and tips for reinstalling them were given as part of this article.

Why does the computer not see the flash drive when the indicator on it is lit?

The contact on the flash drive, which is responsible for transmitting information, may be damaged. A driver conflict and the assignment of a busy letter to a partition cannot be ruled out. If the problem does not go away after connecting the flash drive to another computer, try checking the availability of the partition. If everything is fine here, then reinstall the drivers and the flash drive will work.

Error 43 / Error 43

This error immediately stops reading information from a removable device, which means we won’t be able to immediately access the data. There are several problems that can cause Error 43.

• Malfunction of the device itself is the first of them. Check on another computer to see if this situation occurs again.
• Driver conflict - solution described above.
• Updating the hardware configuration - simply roll back the driver version in the Task Manager.

Conclusions

We have reviewed in detail the reasons that may prevent a computer from reading a flash drive and the information on it. Described solutions with step by step instructions They will definitely help you get rid of this problem. An unreadable flash drive can be a death sentence only if the flash drive is faulty. In other situations, this is an easily reversible process. If you have any questions or couldn’t find a solution to your problem in the article, leave a comment and we’ll try to clarify the situation together.

Today I will tell you how to enable booting from a flash drive in BIOS various manufacturers. No matter what version you have, the order of body movements will be as follows:

1. We insert our bootable USB flash drive into the USB connector of your computer. I recommend inserting it into a port located directly on the motherboard, i.e. from the back of the system unit.

2. Turn on the computer and press the key Delete(or F2) to get into the BIOS. Depending on the manufacturer and BIOS version, other keys (Esc, F1, Tab) may be used, so you need to carefully read the prompts on the screen.

In Bios, we can only navigate between tabs using the keyboard.
Below I will describe this process in detail using the most commonly used BIOS versions as an example.

Attention! Please remember that if you install operating system from a flash drive or CD and selected the boot device in the BIOS, not in boot menu, then after the first automatic reboot Windows you need to enter the BIOS again and return booting from the hard drive. If this is not done, autoboot from a flash drive or CD will work again, and Windows will begin the first stage of the procedure again installations.

Settings Award Bios to boot from a flash drive

Award Bios:

First, let's check if the USB controller is enabled. Let's go to “Integrated Peripherals”. Use the arrow on the keyboard to move down to the “USB Controller” item. Press the “Enter” key and select “Enable” in the window that appears (also using “Enter”). Opposite “USB Controller 2.0” there should also be “Enable”.

Exit this tab by pressing “Esc”.

Then we go to “Advanced BIOS Features” – “Hard” Disk Boot Priority.”Now in my example the hard drive comes first, but the flash drive should be there.

We stand on the line with the name of our flash drive (Patriot Memory) and raise it to the very top using the “+” key on the keyboard.

We leave here by pressing “Esc”.

Setting up AMI Bios to boot from a flash drive

If, after entering Bios, you see such a screen, it means you have AMI Bios:

First, let's check if the USB controller is enabled. Go to the “Advanced” – “USB Configuration” tab.

Opposite the items “USB Function” and “USB 2.0 Controller” should be “Enabled”.

If this is not the case, go to this line and press the “Enter” key. From the list that appears, select “Enabled” (also using “Enter”).
Then exit this tab by pressing “Esc”.

Let's go to the tab “Boot” – “Hard Disk Drives”.

Now my hard drive is in first place, but I need to put a flash drive here. We go to the first line, press “Enter” and in the window that appears, select our Patriot Memory flash drive.

It should be like this:

We leave here via “Esc”.

Select “Boot Device Priority”. Here, the first boot device must be a flash drive.

Press Esc.

Then we exit the Bios, saving all the settings made. To do this, go to “Exit” – “Exit & Save Changes” – “OK”.

Setting up Phoenix-Award Bios to boot from a flash drive

If, after entering Bios, you see such a screen, it means you have Phoenix-Award BIOS :

First, let's check if the USB controller is enabled. Go to the “Peripherals” tab – opposite the “USB Controller” and “USB 2.0 Controller” items there should be “Enabled”.

Then go to the “Advanced” tab and opposite “First Boot Device” set “USB-HDD”.

After that, exit the Bios, saving the changes. To do this, go to “Exit” – “Save & Exit Setup” – press the “Y” – “Enter” key

That's practically everything you need to know in order to boot from a flash drive. In my article, I described the process of setting up the BIOS of the most popular versions: Award And AMI. The third example presents Phoenix-Award Bios, which is much less common.
In different BIOS versions The described procedure may vary slightly. But the main thing is that you understand the principle of setting itself.

By the way, I would also like to add: in order to choose which device to boot your computer from, it is not necessary to change the settings in the BIOS. You can call immediately after turning on the computer special menu for selection boot devices(this can be done with the F8, F10, F11, F12 or Esc key). In order not to guess with the keys, look carefully at the monitor immediately after turning it on. We need to have time to see an inscription like this: “Press Esc to selest boot device" In my case, it was necessary to press “Esc”.