# USB drives keep becoming unrecognized **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [June 4, 2014, 7:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598 "2014-06-04T07:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/1 "2014-06-04T07:45:36Z")
I’m getting so aggravated with these fucking USB drives. I’ve bought several different models at work, USB 2.0 and 3.0 and both will work for a while then stop. I’ve tried just about every remedy I can find out there but nothing seems to work. It appears in Disk Management, but gives no options other than properties. Tried booting to a windows install disc and it isn’t recognized. Any ideas? ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad1_zps418add45.png~original](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad1_zps418add45.png~original) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad4_zpsfaa200a8.png~original](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad4_zpsfaa200a8.png~original) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad2_zps4db50781.png~original](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad2_zps4db50781.png~original) ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad3_zps952cba70.png~original](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Thorguitarist/USBbad3_zps952cba70.png~original) ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/2 "2014-06-04T08:18:19Z")
are you using good brand name USB drives? ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/3 "2014-06-04T08:32:37Z")
Right now I’m working with a LaCie petite key USB drive, but this has affected an Imation and Kingston (multiple of both) drives. ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/4 "2014-06-04T08:34:50Z")
next question, do they work fine in other computers? ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/5 "2014-06-04T08:39:54Z")
Negative. I use them primarily in my old role of helpdesk. I load them up with the stuff I need and work on student laptops as well as other desktops and stuff that comes on campus. Tried other computers, other OSs, booting from a DBAN disc, Windows 7 disc. Macs, Windows. ---
**Author:** ![97FormulaWS-6](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/97formulaws-6/32/7384_2.png) [@97FormulaWS-6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/97FormulaWS-6)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/6 "2014-06-04T08:51:15Z")
“student laptops as well as other desktops and stuff that comes on campus.” so basically who knows WTF they get infested with… it’s like sticking your dick in a Falls chick without a rubber! ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/7 "2014-06-04T08:54:38Z")
> [@97FormulaWS-6](#): > > “student laptops as well as other desktops and stuff that comes on campus.” > > so basically who knows WTF they get infested with… it’s like sticking your dick in a Falls chick without a rubber! First off…What’s a rubber? Secondly, I don’t think they all got infected. We’d be talking like 6 flash drives. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/8 "2014-10-27T05:59:29Z")
Bump…still trying to figure this out. ---
**Author:** ![Motocrossx23](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/motocrossx23/32/5120_2.png) [@Motocrossx23](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Motocrossx23)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 7:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/9 "2014-10-27T07:17:29Z")
Is it wearing camouflage? Or a mask? This is all I have to contribute. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TradersBASE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tradersbase/32/5321_2.png) [@TradersBASE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TradersBASE)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/10 "2014-10-27T07:43:58Z")
Properly removing them? ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/11 "2014-10-27T07:56:38Z")
Yes and no…I did with one, the others no. I have older USB drives in the office that work fine though no matter what. These apparently have Phison chips too if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Mankthetank19](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mankthetank19/32/5295_2.png) [@Mankthetank19](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mankthetank19)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/12 "2014-10-28T05:27:15Z")
I always use Knoppix when I have USB and HDs that are not recognizable to pull data. It seems like external storage is very cheap and unreliable. I feel in the past, external storage was reliable. To the cloud!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/13 "2014-10-28T05:32:45Z")
> [@Mankthetank19](#): > > I always use Knoppix when I have USB and HDs that are not recognizable to pull data. > > It seems like external storage is very cheap and unreliable. I feel in the past, external storage was reliable. > > To the cloud!! 😃 I’ll try it. I love cloud computing. I’m a dropbox, onedrive, box, drive, user. However sometimes when working on laptops or desktops I need to run things off a flash drive. ---
**Author:** ![Gus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/gus/32/5112_2.png) [@Gus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Gus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 5:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/14 "2014-10-28T05:57:37Z")
You said box… But really… External media is hit/miss. Even the nice Passbooks give me trouble with recognizing/sharing. I just had a Kingston 8 GB stick that will no longer recognize. Tells me, cannot be formatted. Then again, I’ve had some “PNY” model sticks from Big Lots of all places, which have been [thebomb.com](http://thebomb.com) for years now. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/15 "2014-10-28T09:52:26Z")
Got my Lacie Petite key working again using this tool ([http://flashboot.ru/files/file/410/](http://flashboot.ru/files/file/410/)). Yes it’s a Russian site, but this one is legit. I opened the program, selected the USB and hit start. Took about 5 minutes but it’s back up and running again. I tried it with my Kingston and had no luck. Will keep working with this. ---
**Author:** ![TradersBASE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tradersbase/32/5321_2.png) [@TradersBASE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TradersBASE)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/16 "2014-10-28T11:06:17Z")
In Russia you don’t run flash drive, flash drive run you. ---
**Author:** ![svtcobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@svtcobra](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/svtcobra)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/17 "2014-10-28T11:34:27Z")
did you try turning it off then on again? ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/18 "2014-10-28T11:36:16Z")
turning what off then on? ---
**Author:** ![svtcobra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@svtcobra](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/svtcobra)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/19 "2014-10-28T11:42:14Z")
it was a joke…sorry lol ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598/20 "2014-10-28T11:47:08Z")
I figured that much :-/ [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/usb-drives-keep-becoming-unrecognized/269598.md?page=2)