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Reddit
reddit.com › r/computerhelp › external drive/flash drive not working on windows 11.
r/computerhelp on Reddit: External Drive/flash drive not working on Windows 11.
May 21, 2024 -

Recently had a strange issue pop up seemingly out of the blue. I have an external hard drive and several USB flash drives. Recently none of them work on my primary computer. I have tried various different solutions and contacted manufacturers for support with no response from them. When I plug the devices in they are recognized by the computer and show up in the device manager but appear under other devices. When I check properties it gives me code 28 that no drivers are installed. I have used all of these devices on this computer in the last few months with no problems. When I search for driver updates nothing can be found and manufacturer websites indicate that the device drivers come directly from windows and they do not provide downloads of any drivers. I have tried different USB ports, different cables, turned off power saving options, reformatted them and have had no luck. All three devices work on a separate laptop but not on my primary computer. Any ideas on how I can solve this or what might be causing the problem?

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How-To Geek
howtogeek.com › home › windows › how to fix your usb drive not showing up on windows 11 or windows 10
How to Fix Your USB Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 10 or Windows 11
September 27, 2025 - To open Disk Management on Windows 11 (or Windows 10), right-click the Start button and select "Disk Management." Examine the list of disks in the disk management window and look for your external drive. Even if it doesn't show up in File Explorer, it should appear here. Look for a disk that matches the size of your flash drive. Sometimes, it'll also be marked as Removable, but not always.
Discussions

USB Drive Not Recognized in Windows 11, but Accessible in Windows 10
It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. ... I have a 120GB external USB hard drive that works fine on a Windows 10 laptop. I can access and back up files using Robocopy with no issues. However, when I connect the USB drive to a USB port on an HP laptop running Windows 11, it shows ... More on windows11forums.com
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July 24, 2024
USB Flash Drive not showing up in file explorer
When I plug either of them into ... won't show up in my file explorer with my other drives. I have checked device manager and disk manager and don't see them in there either. I have tried multiple USB ports on the PC. Appreciate any insight. The only reason I am trying to use them is because I need one to run MemTest86 for a blue screening issue I am dealing with: here. My computer is newer and has pretty good equipment: Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices ... More on answers.microsoft.com
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Windows 11 USB device not recognized.
Making changes to your system BIOS settings or disk setup can cause you to lose data. Always test your data backups before making changes to your PC. For more information please see our FAQ thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/q2rns5/windows_11_faq_read_this_first/ I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
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April 8, 2024
USB Flash Drive not showing up in file explorer
When I plug either of them into ... won't show up in my file explorer with my other drives. I have checked device manager and disk manager and don't see them in there either. I have tried multiple USB ports on the PC. Appreciate any insight. The only reason I am trying to use them is because I need one to run MemTest86 for a blue screening issue I am dealing with: here. My computer is newer and has pretty good equipment: Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices ... More on learn.microsoft.com
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People also ask

Why does my USB work on one computer but not another?
If the USB works on a PC but does not get detected on another one, then you have to update the USB drivers on the second PC. Use Advanced Driver Updater to update USB driver with few mouse clicks.
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systweak.com
systweak.com › home › [fixed] usb drive not showing up in windows 11/10
[Fixed] USB Drive not Showing Up in Windows 11/10
Is there a way to repair a USB drive not detected without losing data?
It is possible to repair a USB Drive not detected by performing basic checks, assigning driver letters, updating USB drivers, or updating a few USB-related settings on a Windows PC.
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systweak.com
systweak.com › home › [fixed] usb drive not showing up in windows 11/10
[Fixed] USB Drive not Showing Up in Windows 11/10
Can see USB Drive in Device Manager but is not accessible from File Explorer?
If you are not able to view the content of a USB drive using File Explorer, then you have to use the Device Manager to ensure that your driver is being recognized by Windows. If yes, then there is an issue that prevents the storage device from being fully accessible. You need to follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned above to fix this issue.
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systweak.com
systweak.com › home › [fixed] usb drive not showing up in windows 11/10
[Fixed] USB Drive not Showing Up in Windows 11/10
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Microsoft Community Hub
techcommunity.microsoft.com › microsoft community hub › communities › products › windows › windows 11
USB drive not visible in file explorer | Microsoft Community Hub
January 2, 2025 - This usually means the drive has no partition or file system on it when the USB drive is not visible in Windows file explorer. Here is a quick fix: https://www.techgizz.com/usb-drive-not-showing-in-file-explorer
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Eleven Forum
elevenforum.com › windows support forums › devices and drivers
USB Drives not working with Windows 11 | Windows 11 Forum
December 8, 2024 - What happens is that it just suddenly refreshes and vanishes from Disk Drives too (seemingly if Windows is aware you are snooping around lol).: Click to expand... If the drives show in Device Manager and Disk Manager but not in File Explorer be sure a Drive Letter has been assigned in Disk Manager. It's also part of the prompt panels when formatting a drive, can also give it a recognizable name such as Tosh1 for a 1TB Toshiba. USB drives will frequently pick up the first available Letter, usually the main/system/boot drive will be C:, the ODD is D:. Any drive with 2 or more usable partitions can have different letters for each partition and are treated as separate drives when working with files.
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Windows 11 Forums
windows11forums.com › windows 11 forums › windows 11 support
USB Drive Not Recognized in Windows 11, but Accessible in Windows 10 | Windows 11 Forums
July 24, 2024 - Is the drive formatted as NTFS or exFAT [check in Disk Management on Win10 or right-click and Properties]? Is the drive seen properly in Win11 Disk Management? Did you do some updates of Win11 before the issue started? Click to expand... Thank you, Bighorn. Here's what I've found so far: I tried connecting the USB drive to another Windows 11 machine, and it showed the same issue: the drive is uninitialized.
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Systweak
systweak.com › home › [fixed] usb drive not showing up in windows 11/10
[Fixed] USB Drive not Showing Up in Windows 11/10
Get a list of solutions to fix the USB flash drive not recognized error on Windows 11 and 10. Try different USB ports, update drivers, etc.
Published   1 week ago
Find elsewhere
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EaseUS
easeus.com › partition master › how to fix usb flash drive not showing up in windows 11🔥
Full Guide to Fix USB Flash Drive Not Showing Up in Windows 11
3 weeks ago - If a USB device isn't showing up in Windows 11, you can try several troubleshooting steps, including checking the device, updating drivers, and verifying power settings. If the USB still can't be recognized, further investigation may be needed ...
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
USB Drive Not Showing Up in Windows 11 Here’s the Ultimate Fix! - YouTube
Struggling with your USB drive not showing up in Windows 11? Don’t worry! In this video, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to troubleshoot and resolve the i...
Published   November 27, 2024
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Microsoft Community Hub
techcommunity.microsoft.com › microsoft community hub › communities › products › windows › windows 11
Why my external hard drive not showing up windows 11 file explorer? | Microsoft Community Hub
June 25, 2025 - This is a very weird issue. I bought an WD 2TB external hard drive and Windows 11 can't recognize this drive when connecting to the computer. It is a brand...
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How To Fix USB Drive Not Showing in This PC on Windows 11 - YouTube
A quick tutorial on, how to fix USB drive not showing in This PC or My Computer in Windows 11 laptop or PC.
Published   January 5, 2025
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Fix USB device not recognized Windows 11/10 - YouTube
How to Fix USB device not recognized Windows 11/10. USB ports allows us to plug and play a lots of devices into our computers. but sometimes it simply refuse...
Published   April 6, 2024
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Clever Files
cleverfiles.com › all articles › how to fix usb device not recognized on windows 11/10/8/7
How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized on Windows 11/10 ...
In this article, we explain how to fix the USB device not recognized Windows 11/10/8/7 error to help you regain access to important data.
Published   September 1, 2025
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Fix Usb Drive not showing up Windows 11 | usb not recognized on Pc & Laptop - YouTube
Fix Usb Drive not showing up Windows 11 | usb not recognized on Pc & Laptop------------------------------------------------------------------------Equipment ...
Published   March 27, 2025
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TechBullion
techbullion.com › home › usb drive not showing up​? how to fix it?
[Solved] USB Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11/10/8/7 - TechBullion
April 11, 2025 - A Windows 11/10 battery-saver feature called USB Root Hub Power Management enables power-saving by switching off connected USB peripherals. The following procedure solves the ‘USB drive not showing up in File Explorer​’ error by disabling USB Root Hub Power Management:
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Fix USB Drive Not Showing up on Windows 10 or 11 - YouTube
If your USB drive is unrecognized on Windows 10 or 11, try the following steps:1. Basic ChecksTest the USB drive in another port or device to rule out physic...
Published   March 18, 2025