USB cannot be available in Window Explorer

[nhkhang]

Please help me!

All my USB cannot be available in Window Explorer, although it is recognized by Window.
In Disk Management, it can be seen, but I cannot do anything on it.
All actions are unavailable.
Window gave me a message: "Contact admin". Why? And how to fix?

My OS: Win7 Ultimate x86

P/s: In the other computers, the USB can work well. And in DOS, it can be seen with Healthy status.

Tks very much for any help.

 

[jumanji]

Hi nhkhang,

Welcome to SevenForums.

Does your machine belong to the company?

In that case the administrator could have disabled the use of USB devices as per the company policy and you can't do anything about it.

As messaged, you have to contact your computer administrator, if you want it to be enabled. ( But he may not circumvent the company policy.)

 

[nhkhang]

Hi nhkhang,

Welcome to SevenForums.

Does your machine belong to the company?

In that case the administrator could have disabled the use of USB devices as per the company policy and you can't do anything about it.

As messaged, you have to contact your computer administrator, if you want it to be enabled. ( But he may not circumvent the company policy.)

Well, it's my owned computer. Not belong to the company.
Tks much for your quickly reply.

 

[Layback Bear]

nhkhang can you go into bios and see how your usb ports are labeled. I believe most bios default is (Auto).

 

[alphanumeric]

Did you buy this laptop new or used? On my ASUS laptop there are options in the security section of the BIOS to lock out the USB ports for Data use. This prevents you form moving files to or from USB connected storage devices.

 

[nhkhang]

@Layback Bear: All USB Ports are Enable in BIOS (without "Auto" status for my mainboard).
@alphanumeric: It's desktop. I bought it some months ago. Everything runs very well now, excluded this error.

Here are my steps:
1. Plug-in any USB. => The OS regconizes it, but cannot see it on the taskbar for us to safely remove (Picture 1)
2. Open Disk Management => The device is regconized normally here. (Picture 2)
3. Right-click on it, choose Explore => Error message appears (Picture 3 and 4)
Ofcourse it cannot be regconized in the WindowExplore.

Tks for your quick answers.

 

[jumanji]

Were you able to read the USB devices before?

 

[nhkhang]

Yes, Jumanji. Before, it worked normally. But some days ago, it had problem.

 

[jumanji]

I have a lingering suspicion that your computer may be infected by some virus and it may need a thorough cleanup. I may request cottonball to help you doing that - it had never been my cup of tea .

In the meanwhile, let us examine whether there has been any changes in the group policy.

Go to Start > Run, type gpedit.msc and press OK. (Or click on Start, type gpedit.msc in the Search field,
click on the found gpedit.msc to open it)

Computer Configuration > Administrative templates > System > Removable Storage Access and check all states are " Not configured"

Then, User Configuration > Administrative templates > System > Removable Storage Access and check all states are " Not configured"

 

[ComputerGeek]

After running gpedit, after clicking User Configuration -> Administrative templates -> System then scroll down to find
> Don't run specified applications and,
> Run only specified applications

Those policies should not be configured

 

[nhkhang]

@jumanji: I have checked. All states of Removable Storage Access are currently "Not configured" in Computer Config. and Users Config.
@ComputerGeek: These states are both not configured too.

Tks much for all your answers.

 

[jumanji]

I have already sent a message to cottonball. Its early morning for him now. May be he will be in anytime now.

In the meanwhile (again ), for a similar problem two other solutions have been suggested on the web.

1. System restore to a point well before the occurrence of this problem - the usual practice in case of any problem.

2. Atleast one user changed the drive letter of his drive and then he was able to access the USB drive. Building on it, I would go a step further and do a drive cleanup as enumerated in my post here http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/315247-nagging-non-existant-drive.html#post2626259
( If your OS is 32bit use the 32bit .exe file and run as administrator. Unplug all USB drives before running drive cleanup.This will remove all non-present devices and drive letters associated with those non-present devices that may at times confuse the OS.) Check whether this helps.

3. Download and run Microsoft Safety Scanner. http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-hk/default.aspx

 

[cottonball]

nhkhang,

The drive has a letter assigned in Disk Management, but is the drive enabled?

With the USB drive connected, go to Start > Computer
Right-click Computer and select Properties
Go to Device Manager

Locate in the list and click the small arrow to the left to expand the list of drives

If the USB drive is disabled you see an icon with an arrow pointing down over the drive
Double-click the icon and click the Enable Device button
Click Next on the Enabling a device dialog box, click Next, and then click Finish
Close the open windows.

Do you receive an error message if you try to enable the USB drive?

Also do the following:
Please use UsbFix:
Download > UsbFix Download UsbFix - Free - Website Official
Save to the Desktop.

Right-click the downloaded USBFix file and select: Run as Administrator

When a window requesting the connection of removable drives appears, please connect the problem USB drive as requested!

Press: Research

This option scans the connected drives, and reports its infected Files and Folders

When done, the program closes on its own, and a report appears.
(The report file is also found at C:\UsbFix.txt)
:ar: Please post the UsbFix.txt (Research) report in your reply.


Once again, run USBFix as Administrator, but, this time, press: Listing

It creates a report of all the Folders and Files found at the root of every hard drive, partition, or removable drive connected.
:ar: Also post the UsbFix.txt (Listing) report in your reply.

Note 1: If USBFix does not run in normal Windows, please run in Safe Mode:
-Restart your computer.
-When the computer starts, tap the F8 key on the keyboard repeatedly until presented with the Advanced Boot Options menu
-Using the arrow keys, select: Safe Mode
-Press the Enter key on your keyboard to boot into the selected mode.

Note 2: If your AntiVirus program detects USB as malware, either let the AV program allow USBFix to run, or, temporarily disable your AntiVirus program:
Info - How To Temporarily Disable Your Anti-virus, Firewall And Anti-malware Programs - Security Mini-Guides
When done with USBFix, re-enable your AV!

 

[nhkhang]

@ jumanji: I had done 3 solutions you suggested, but the problem cannot be solved.

@ cottonball: Thank you very much for your very detail instruction, but the problem cannot be solved too.
1) In Device Manager, the device is Enabled already.
2) I also did step by step with UsbFix as your guide. The execution was successful. But the problem cannot be solved.

I don't know if I re-install the OS, the problem can be solved or not? I intend to do this, because I think the virus blocked the admin right for users to access the USB device (although the user is admin). But this is my last solution if there is no one else.

Thank you very much for all your help to me.

 

[cottonball]

USBFix instructions provided requested two diagnostic reports. They were not meant to fix anything at this time.

Unless you provide the reports, as requested, we do not know what is going on with that USB drive, at least, not from a malware standpoint. USBFix is also used to remove malware, however, not without reviewing the diagnostic runs!!

 

[nhkhang]

Ah, I see. Sorry for my misunderstand, cottonball. I will give those 2 reports to you soon, as I'm out side now.

Thank you.

 

[jumanji]

hi nhkhang,

I can understand that you are getting a little impatient, but I think it would be better if we could get at the root cause of this problem.

So do persist for some more time and provide the reports sought by cottonball.

We haven't yet thrown up our hands.

 

[nhkhang]

@ jumanji: Thank you! I am patient now

@ cottonball: Here are 2 reports from UsbFix. Thank you very much for your help.

 

[cottonball]

nhkhang,

USBFix shows the drive is there:
H:\ -> Removable drive # 4 Gb (4 Mb free - 100%) [LETRUNGDANG] # FAT32

The drive has a letter, like in Disk Management, however, USBFix cannot read the information kept in it. The same thing happens with Windows Explorer...

Also, the USBFix program did not identify malware.


:info: Have you tried the following:

Context Menu - Take Ownership
It also works for Windows 7.


:info: Also, let's check what the following tool reports...
(BTW, at this time we are just running a diagnostic scan, and then, we will take it from there.)

Please use the: Farbar Recovery Scan Tool Download
Select the version that applies to your system.
Save it to your Desktop.
Double-click the downloaded file to run it.
When the tool opens, click Yes to the disclaimer.

Press the Scan button, only once, and wait.

When done, the tool makes a log, FRST.txt, in the same directory from which the tool is run (Desktop).

:ar: Please provide the FRST.txt in your reply.

:ar:The first time the tool is run, it also creates another log: Addition.txt
Also post the Addition.txt in your reply.

 

[nhkhang]

cottonball, thank you very much. But I have to go away for 1 month. So, I cannot test it now. But I will do it when I come back. May you let this problem until I come back? Tks for your help.