USB Flash Drive does not appear in My Computer

[MartyBoy]

I attempted to install a USB IR reader and the supplied executable driver failed to install. Now I can't see my OTi 2Gb USB flash drive, which was working fine before this.

I have removed and reinstalled the USB Root Hubs and controllers and every related device, but although when I plug the USB drive into a USB port the computer correctly identifies it and tells me the drive is ready to use, it doesn't appear in Windows Explorer or under the My Computer window. I have removed all OEM inf and PNF files, and still the damn thing won't appear, although it installs correctly and Device Manager says it is working correctly. It shows up under Drive Manager as a FAT drive of the correct size. MS Knowledge Base is no help. The flash drive works fine on other computers.
What else can I do? Any suggestions welcomed!!

 

[TheLad]

If it appears in Disk Management, can you assign it a drive letter?

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"Insert funny comment in here!"
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[stduc]

Hopefully either you or the system made a restore point before you started with the USB IR drivers. If so you simplest solution might be to make a restore point so that you can return to "now" if necessary and then restore to a point before you tried to install the IR stuff.

I have been known to be wrong.
The best way to thank someone who helps you is give them a star.

 

[Mickerry]

i'm having the same problem, except that i didn't installl or change anything to make it disappear. my flash drive has simply never showed up in My Computer. I tried changing drive letters in Disk Management, etc., but no go. so i'll be watching your thread for answers too ...

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[linney]

This has lots of ideas to do with USB problems, something might work.

Won't detect Hard Drive
thread779-1316877

 

[AJParkinson]

Have you got any mapped network drives?

If so re-map these to a different letter, then try rebooting and try the USB reader again.

I've suffered from this in the past and apparently it's a known 'undocumented' feature that usb drives 'hide' behind network drives i.e. the usb is assigned the next available 'fixed' drive letter, eg 'E' drive, but if you have a network drive mapped as 'E' drive then this in effect overwrites the USB mapping.

Hope this helps

 

[gpalmer711]

If the device shows fine in Disk Management - see if you can view that drive in My Computer.

Click on Start > Run > Type drive letter followed by a colon, i.e. f:

Does this display the contents of your drive?

Have you installed the TweakUI Powertool from Microsoft? One of the features of this software allows you to hide drive letters.

Also try different USB ports as this may sometimes show the drive in My Computer.

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[Mickerry]

download Tweak UI for XP, go to My COmputer, Drives, and make sure you have checked to drive letter associated with your USB flash drive, or maybe the one that used to be associated with it.
i just found it and it worked for me.

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[MartyBoy]

Thanks to all who responded to this post. I have been away for a week and havn't had a chance to catch up with all this.
I could see the drive in Disk Management but not in My Computer. The drive wasn't hidden behind a mapped or network drive, this was on a laptop started in my home configuration mode, with no external drives involved. The drive did not have a drive letter assigned in Drive Management but when I manually assigned one it still did not show up in My Computer and could not be accessed by using the drive id as a location to access from Internet Explorer. When I rebooted the laptop the drive assignement had dissappeared from Drive Management.
I cheated and rebuilt he laptop from the ground up including a new hard drive. Now after registering Win XP Pro and Office 2003 and downloading all updates known I have made a ghost image prior to reinserting any data files or additional hardware and other software. So i am going to experiment with the IR reader again but it wont cost me the amount of grief it did the first time round. My 2Gb flash drives are working a treat again. I will keep all of you posted with the next installment.

 

[Mickerry]

did you try the Tweak UI fix?

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.