SOLVED Unable to Read FAT

[gkarasik]

I have taken so much from this forum that it is a delight to be able to give something back:

My ancient Dell Optiplex 780 was suddenly unable to read or write to any FAT partitions--ex, 16, or 32; it could read NTFS--on any USB-based drive (flash or external HD). I scoured the web and found multiple suggestions--including singularly unhelpful AI-generated non-responses that were so vanilla as to be useless--that didn't work. Because I couldn't read any FAT-formatted drives, it felt like an OS-driver issue. I ran ServiWin (ServiWin: Windows Services/Drivers Tool (start/stop/restart service)) and scanned the list of OS drivers. Both ExFAT and FastFAT were set to Manual, and neither was running. (I have no idea how this occurred.) I started both drivers, and the FAT drives immediately became accessible. Last, I changed the Startup Type of both drivers to System (an arbitrary choice; Automatic or Boot would work just as well.) I hope someone else finds this of value.

 

[flavallee]

Several years ago, I owned several Dell OptiPlex 780 minitowers that ran Windows 7.
They had the fastest Intel processor it supported, and they were maxed out with RAM, and they had a solid state drive.
When I moved up to newer Dell OptiPlex minitowers with Windows 10, I re-did and donated them to people in need.
Some of them are still being used today.