Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 05:56:10 PM

Title: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 05:56:10 PM
Both work and home computers are running Windows XP SP2. 

At work this week I plugged my Sandisk Cruzer Micro into every USB port and the computer never "saw" it.  The green light on the end of the cruzer flashed once briefly then went off whenever I plugged into a port.  Usually it lights up and stays lit up until I eject it. 

I got home and experienced the same thing.  I've tried every USB port on my home computer as well as the external USB hub with no luck.  Same thing -- the light comes on briefly then nothing.  But I can move around other USB devices into those same ports and the other devices (like a Palm Pilot syncing cable) work fine. 

I've read all the posts on this forum and others and tried anything listed, but no luck.  Could the flash drive itself have gotten fried somehow? 

I've restarted both computers but that didn't help either.  There have been no software changes on both computers and no hardware changes either.  I'm not a computer idiot, but this one has me stumped.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brooke
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Emory on December 01, 2007, 07:15:51 PM
You might have a bummer Flash Drive.

I presume you use Windows IE. Does the computer assign an ID Drive No.
If it assigns, lets say, Drive G, try formatting the Flash Drive, Windows Explorer > right click on Drive > select format, also make of Flash Drive.

Rememberyou can wreck a Flash Drive by pulling it out, must be ejected properly.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 07:20:16 PM
I'm actually pretty good about remembering to eject it properly, but I guess maybe it just got fried some other way. 

Always before, the flash drive would show up mapped to drive J.  Now, "My Computer" is not finding a drive J at all (on either the work or home computer), so there's nothing to click on to "format". 
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Emory on December 01, 2007, 07:29:17 PM
Only other suggestion I have, go to the SanDisk website, and check out the FAQ's.  I have never exprienced not seeing the Drive assigned letter
in The Computer.
Also take back the Flash Drive where you bought it, have them put the Drive into their machine and see what happens. Guess what, they might replace the drive.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Broni on December 01, 2007, 07:29:50 PM
How about Start>Control Panel>Adm. Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management?
Is it listed there?
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 07:38:56 PM
Nope, it's not showing up in Disk Management. 

Also, this is potentially completely unrelated, but while in there, I clicked on Removable storage, and got an error:

The service can not be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

This snapin's display may be inconsistent with the Removable Storage Service.  If the problem persists please restart the snapin. 

WTH?
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 07:40:13 PM
Oh, and I tried Sandisk's website but no luck.  I emailed their support but it's Sat. so I doubt I'll get a response until Monday (not this coming Monday, of course... just some Monday, some week, probably in 2009 or so).   ;)
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: GX1_Man on December 01, 2007, 07:42:36 PM
How big is that drive? How was that drive formatted? NTFS by chance? Sometimes they just die, so like hard drives, that is not the place for the only copy of important data.  ;)

Not shutting it down properly can certainly ruin a flash drive.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 07:45:11 PM
It's 1GB.  Don't know what NTFS means, sorry.  Fortunately, it was not the only place for important data.  It  was just backing up important data.

I guess it just died.  I'll hold a funeral for it then try to get my money back (or a replacement), assuming I can find the receipt, which is very unlikely.  Argh.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Broni on December 01, 2007, 07:52:25 PM
Did you actually run "services.msc" to see, if Removable Storage Service is listed there, and what's its status.
I don't have it on Vista, soo I can't check.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 08:11:03 PM
It's listed there, but it says it is disabled.  There's nothing listed under "Status" or "description".
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: GX1_Man on December 01, 2007, 08:13:38 PM
It's 1GB.  Don't know what NTFS means, sorry.  Fortunately, it was not the only place for important data.  It  was just backing up important data.

Good thing your data is safe. Those drives usually come preformatted with the FAT32 file system, so non-Win2000/XP/Vista machines can read them, but if the drive had ever been reformatted and the choice for the file system had been changed to NTFS (the newer version) that can cause problems as well. If that was not the case, just keep this in mind if you ever need to format one of these drives in the future.  ;)
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Broni on December 01, 2007, 08:18:31 PM
Quote
It's listed there, but it says it is disabled
Right click on it. It should give you the option to Start, and change Status.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 08:23:46 PM
Start is grayed out.  As are stop, pause, resume, and restart.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Broni on December 01, 2007, 08:36:43 PM
They are, because you have to change Status, first. You may go with Manual.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 08:58:21 PM
I give up.  Thanks for all the suggestions, though, everyone.  Luckily, I found my receipt and the warranty info.  I'm one month shy of the end of the warranty period, so hopefully I can just get a new one.  Peace.
Title: Re: Flash drive is suddenly not recognized on either work or home computer
Post by: Broni on December 01, 2007, 09:14:02 PM
Sure thing in that case.