Unable to detect USB flash drive after mounting windows 7 ISO

Hi Simon2020,

Welcome to SevenForums.

A drive letter conflict?????????

Did you try changing the drive letter? If not check whether you can assign a different drive letter say Z to the pendrive.

If it is indeed a drive letter conflict, this simple solution will most probably fix it.

Switch off your machine. Plug in the problem pendrive and boot with the pendrive plugged in. Does your pendrive show up now?

Hello Jumanji,

Thanks for the warm welcome and I have already tried changing the drive letter. However I forgot to mention something in the Original Post. The flash drive has the windows 7 ISO so atm whenever i "uninstall" it and then replug the flash drive a dialog box pops up stating that device is installed.

Without going into the details as to how, why and what ( about which I am really confused in your case :)) and maintaining the focus on the fact that you now want to regain your flash drive as a normal flash drive, I would suggest

1. Try to Low Level Format your flash drive with HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool v4.25 - Windows executable version that does not require installation - HDDGURU: HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool

2. If the above was successful, do a regular full format with HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool 2.2.3 Download HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool 2.2.3 Free - Windows-based Format Utility for HP Drive Key or DiskOnKey USB Device - Softpedia . ( You have to run it as administrator)

That should sanitise your pendrive of any accumulated dirt.

Honestly, I do not have confidence in your machine with Demon (:)) tools and suggest that you do this on any other PC that doesn't have it.

Let us see whether it works.

I just tried both method and no luck. The first one didn't detect the 'broken' flash drive at all and the second one while able to detect it was unable to reformat it. I am still able to boot from flash drive and install it as if Windows 7 was still on it; however, as far as being able to reformat it back to storage use or even accessing it, no luck. I am just about ready to give up on the flash drive, maybe keep it as a Windows 7 Download flash drive should I ever need to re-install for any upcoming upgrades. Thank you for all your help though you have given me two new tools to play with. As far as Daemon Tools, I never did get the chance to actually use it, it was a program a friend recommended that I have.

screenshots for #2:

That is bad luck indeed.

Usually the device is identified by the brand name and capacity like for example "SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8.02 (7664MB) (I:\)" ( That is how my 8GB SanDisk pendrive is identified by the HP Tool)

From the moment I saw the peculiar device nomenclature, I was thinking whether it could be due to a corrupted firmware in it. Was this the way your Corsair Mini Voyager appeared before?

I am also curious to know which program you used to create the bootable Windows Installation pendrive. ( you have been speaking about Daemon Tools and I have not heard of Daemon Tools creating it.)

Pendrives have to be treated as disposable devices and from that point of view one shouldn't be worrying about it endlessly. :)