USB flash drive can't be accessed

[Lacerate]

Hello folks, I have a new Kingston USB 8GB and whenever I plugged it into my desktop PC it can't be accessed or opened. When I open "Devices and Printer" it can see my USB called "Data Traveler 2.0" but I can't open it. I tried uninstalling the drivers and plugging and unplugging it but still the same results. I tried opening the Disc Management and it can see the USB but when I try to format it or try to assign a drive letter error pops out. The USB drive works on my laptop except the desktop PC that I'm using. Also, I have the same issue with External hard drives being recognized but I'm unable to open/access it. Basically, the problem lies within my PC and I don't know what to do .

This is what happens when I try to change the drive letter/paths:

http://i.imgur.com/tbrbb6C.png



This is what happens when I right-click format:

http://i.imgur.com/ZZsVxv7.png




Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Lacerate]

Bump. Any help?

 

[jumanji]

Hi Lacerate,

Try drivecleanup as in my post http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...-recognised-not-drive-letter.html#post2477076 and check whether it resolves your problem.

 

[Lacerate]

I tried this. Leaving my mouse and keyboard only plugged in as I run the drivecleanup. It deleted many registries and when I plugged the USB it starts re installing for the drivers and the USB was recognized but can't be accessed. I think the issue is that it can't find the volume of the USB

 

[jumanji]

Does it show up in Disk Management?

If it does post a screenshot.( Please use Windows snipping Tool and upload it using Manage attachments while posting.)

 

[Lacerate]

It's pretty much the same 2 images above that I posted.

This is what happens when I try to change the drive letter/paths:

http://i.imgur.com/tbrbb6C.png



This is what happens when I right-click format:

http://i.imgur.com/ZZsVxv7.png

 

[jumanji]

OK. Please do the following.

1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate down the hierarchy to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository and look for one or two folders with the name usbstor.inf_xxxxxxxx. Open the folder with the latest (newest) date.

2. Open another instance of Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\inf.

3. Place the windows side by side.

4. Go to the first window (1 above) and copy both the usbstor.inf and usbstor.PNF files to the second window’s folder (C:\Windows\inf).

Reboot your PC and then plugin your USB drives and check whether they show up now.

I am now retiring for the day and will be up again after another 10 hours.

If the above does not resolve your problem then the infcache.1 file has to be rebuilt. Hope someone else here may help you do it.

 

[jumanji]

OK, I found my previous posts on this. Go by those.

http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...divers-not-working-my-laptop.html#post2288187

http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...divers-not-working-my-laptop.html#post2287002

 

[Lacerate]

I tried those methods above and still doesn't work. Even deleting the INFCACHE.1. It just rebuilds itself.

 

[jumanji]

1. Reinstall the latest chipset drivers for your motherboard. ( Check your motherboard manufacturer's website.)

2. Try a System Restore to the earliest point you can get on your system.

If these do not resolve your problem, repeat 1,2, and 3 as in http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...divers-not-working-my-laptop.html#post2288187

If all these do not resolve the problem, then I would think a Repair install as indicated in the referred post is the answer.

Wait to see if other experts have any ideas on resolving the problem before going for a Repair install. I could have missed something.

 

[jumanji]

jumanji again

Here is something I dug out and from within SevenForums. A post by Difusal which seems to have worked for many. http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/86442-unable-install-any-usb-devices.html#post1014226

Check that.

 

[Lacerate]

Still doesn't work All .dat and INFCACHE.1 files are gone though when I deleted them. I can't see them in the DriverStore even if I restart my PC because they it should rebuild them?

Don't get me wrong. The PC can recognized that there's a USB, it CAN be seen in the Device manager and Devices and Printer. But I CAN"T assign a drive letter to it or format it or mount it therefore I can't open/access it.

 

[Lacerate]

So I was searching for more solutions and find out that in Group Policy that in "Removable Storage Access". You should disable "Removable Disks: Deny Execute, Read, Write Access". Is that safe to meddle with? Mine is currently set at "Not Configured"

EDIT: No difference made

 

[jumanji]

I would think a repair install is the only option left unfortunately.

 

[Lacerate]

I would think a repair install is the only option left unfortunately.

How long does that usually take? And what files will be removed?

 

[jumanji]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

As a matter of abundant caution, backup all your important data to another drive, before you embark on the repair install.

I also hope that you have a valid key and Windows 7 media to do a fresh install of Windows 7 should sometning go haywire.

 

[PCGP]

Wipe your USB disk and format it

I used MiniTool Partition Wizard to wipe and format my USB disk/flash drive. Then I formated it again in Windows.
All other methods did not work in my case.