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USB not showing up in file explorer.

Anonymous
2023-10-04T23:25:27+00:00

This problem has been going on for a while, a 1 TB usb drive that I own suddenly had a problem where it wouldn't appear on my file explorer and I couldn't open it.

Yes I already tried uninstalling and reinstalling, it didn't work. What do I do?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 67,355 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-10-06T00:58:51+00:00

    Hi there, thank you for getting back to me!

    If you can see the drive in Disk Management but it's empty or labeled as Unallocated (with a black bar at the top), it means the drive is either empty or unformatted.

    > Right-click the Unallocated space.

    > Choose "New Simple Volume."

    > Opt for the maximum possible size for the partition and assign a drive letter, or let Windows choose a letter automatically.

    > Your USB drive should now be accessible on your Windows 10 PC.

    Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

    John J.D.

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 67,355 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-10-05T00:01:37+00:00

    Hi there, I am John J.D., a fellow Microsoft user like you.

    I'm sorry to hear about the trouble with your USB drive. Let's try a few more steps. First, can you check if the USB shows up in Disk Management on your Windows 10?

    Press the Windows + R key to open the Run window, type diskmgmt.msc in the box and press Enter key.

    John J.D.

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  3. John Jefferson Doyon 67,355 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-10-06T02:31:07+00:00

    Hi there, Thanks for sharing the screenshot.

    Seeing that it's showing as "No Media" on Disk 1 Removable (D:), it seems your computer is having trouble recognizing the USB drive. There could be various reasons for this, like bad sectors, file system errors, virus infection, loose connection, or insufficient power supply. You can try some of the solutions mentioned in this guide to resolve the issue here in this link: https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmanage...

    John J.D.

    Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-10-06T00:27:20+00:00

    Yes it appears, if needed, the device has no information and doesn't seem label if it is Unallocated or Primary partition, as it is neither. Literally.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-10-06T01:40:55+00:00

    What do you mean? There is no black bar to right click, plus I right-clicked the only 'right-clickable' part and there is no 'New Simple Volume' option.

    I also tried right clicking it on the top section, all options are greyed out. (it's disk 1 by the way)

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