TroubleShooting USB Pen Drive Problems
You can have problems with your USB pen drives at times. Although they are better data storage devices and more secure when compared with CDs or floppy disks, there are chances that they can become source of worries when you get error messages as soon as you plug them into the USB port of your PC.
Here is the list of some of the common problems with your USB pen drives. Use our tips to fix these problems.
Getting ‘Not formatted‘ message when you plug your pen drive (which has files) into the computer
There are many possible reasons for getting this error message from your PC. Make sure that your pen drive is not faulty one. If so, it becomes unusable and you need to use another pen drive.
If you use the older version of your Windows OS that do not support your flash drive, it is possible that it does not have necessary driver files for your USB drive. It is better to use an upgraded version like Windows XP or Vista which come with drivers and software that are required for the installation of pen drives. Instead of using software available with your pen drive, let these advanced versions of Windows OS to install your pen drives with their own set of driver files.
If you use pen drives with older versions like Windows 95 or Windows 98, it is likely that you can get this error message. If so, upgrade your OS to Windows XP or Windows Vista.
If you get this message on another PC but not in your laptop or PC, maybe the pen drive has been formatted in a file system that is not supported by the host computer. For instance, a Pen drive which is formatted in FAT file system will not work with FAT32 file format. Make sure the file systems of the pen drive and host PC are not different.
Make sure your PC supports the version of your USB drive. If you plug the latest pen drives (USB 2.0 or above) into your PC which can support only USB 1.1, you can also receive an error message.
Make sure that your have removed USB drive properly after you have used it. Always use ‘Safely remove Hardware’ in your Windows OS, before you remove the USB drive. Failing this step often leads to corruption of your data and getting error messages when your reinsert it on another PC. Also make sure that you have closed all files and folders on your USB drive before the removal.
Getting error messages while trying to transfer the files between pen drive and PC
Sometimes, when you are about to copy files on your USB drive, you may get error messages like "the directory or file can not be created" or "Error 0X80070052". Here is the solution to this problem:
- Have you removed your USB drive using ‘Safely remove hardware’ option during your earlier usage? It is always the right method to use this option before you remove the pen drive. Otherwise, the data in your drive can become corrupted.
- Make sure there is compatibility of file systems (FAT or FAT 32 or NTFS) between the USB drive and host computer. Both of them should have same file format.
- Try to create a new folder on your pen drive before trying to copy the files. Make sure the new folder can be opened and deleted.
- Has your pen drive reached the maximum data storage capacity? Right click on the pen drive icon and select properties. You can find out whether any empty space left in your pen drive.
- Use some anti virus software like McAfee or Norton to make sure that your pen drive is not infected by any firus. Use the scan option.
- Make sure that your USB drive is not write protected. There is a small switch in the pen drive to activate or deactivate this feature.
- Check your hard drive for bad sectors. Just right click on the Removable drive and select propeties. Choose ‘tools’ and go to ‘error checking option’ and scan the drive for errors. If there are bad sectors, use ‘Automatically fix file system errors’ or another option to recover the data from bad sectors.
- Make sure that you have not previously copied many files on the root directory of your pen drive. If so and you already have folders in your flash drive, transfer the files from root drive to these folders. Sometimes, this can solve your problem.
"Windows is unable to install drivers"
If you use older versions of Windows, you can get this message or your OS may ask for driver files. Often you will get installation software available with your pen drive. Use it for installing your pen drive.
Sometimes, the drivers in your Windows XP are corrupted. If so, reinstall the drivers from your Windows XP CD.
If your pen drives become unstable, use the following tips:
If you have this problem with a specific PC, there are chances that its hardware or USB ports do not support your pen drive or its version. In such a case you need to have an extra USB PCI card or install NEC chip in the PC.
Make sure that you are using good quality USB cables. Instead of using very thin or lengthy cables, use thick, short cables as they help the plug to last for long time.
Usually, there are two or three USB ports available on the laptops or modern PCs. Use the rear one or the one which is on the side of the PC, instead of using the USB on front of your PC.
If you use other USB drives like webcam, remove them while you are using pen drive as they may interfere and make your pen drive unstable.
When you plug the drive into the USB port and get ‘unknown device’ message, go to device manage and delete it before you reinsert it.
If you have problems with your pen drives on your Windows OS, you can also visit the website of Microsoft which can troubleshoot the USB related problems.
