- Sep 18, 2014
- 16
- 0
- 10,520
Computer doesn't see any USB flash drives
Okay, I have a puzzle.
The setup: I have access to 4 computers in this house, and all are multi-boot. One is Win XP & Win 7, another is Win Vista, Win 7, SimplyMEPIS, and Ubuntu Studio, the third is Win 7 & MoonOS, and the fourth is Win XP, Win 7, Ubuntu, SimplyMEPIS, CentOS, & Mageia. I also have access to several live CDs/DVDs.
My problem: I can't get computer #4 to see any USB flash drives. I recently bought an additional USB front panel, assuming the built in ports may be defective but it made no difference. I know what you're thinking, but that's not it. The drives don't show up at all, not in My Computer of course, but also nowhere in Disk Manager or Device Manager, or in any other OS.
I have several different flash drives from several different companies. The computer itself has a Gigabyte P35-DS3L MOBO with 64 bit 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q9300 and 3GB RAM. I know it's a bit old (though one of my laptops is older), the MOBO has 2 USB slots on front of case plus my 8 port USB front panel hub plugged into USB1 & USB2 respectively on the the MOBO, and it has 6 USB ports on back. It has Award Bios, version F8.
I must be wrong somewhere here, but here is what I have ruled out and why:
1. Faulty Flash Drives. The drives themselves can't be faulty because they all work just fine on all three other computers, and in all OS's installed on those computers, and in all the live CDs I have.
2. Hardware. Though no flash drives work, they are about the only things that don't work. USB powered & unpowered external HDs, USB mice, cameras, mics, hubs, cellphones, fans, speakers, anything and everything else works great.
3. Software. The drives don't work on any of the OS's installed, nor on any live CD. The same OS's and live CDs work on the other PCs and they all detect the flash drives just fine. And the USB flash drives are from several different manufactures, so it's not just something like a Kingston driver is missing. That, and they don't even show up in device manager as an unknown device.
So, that just leaves uh.... I'm not sure, what DOES it leave? I thought maybe the ports were loose or something, maybe the flash drives weren't making contact right, but they don't work in the powered or unpowered USB hubs either, or in the new USB front panel so that can't be it.
Some additional worthless info: sometimes even other USB hard drives or other devices don't take right away and they need to be unplugged and plugged back in again, but this is only occasionally. and the two built in USB ports on the front of the case are pretty much worthless. I assume it is just because they are old and cheaply made.
Lastly, this computer is not originally MY desktop, mine is still back in NY in the States, and I am currently in Manila so I don't know much about its history before I got here. But at least for the past 6 months or so, USB flash drives have never worked in this machine. My contributions are the USB front panel, a firewire PCI card, and a 2nd HD with all the Linux distros.
So... Any ideas? Anyone?
Okay, I have a puzzle.
The setup: I have access to 4 computers in this house, and all are multi-boot. One is Win XP & Win 7, another is Win Vista, Win 7, SimplyMEPIS, and Ubuntu Studio, the third is Win 7 & MoonOS, and the fourth is Win XP, Win 7, Ubuntu, SimplyMEPIS, CentOS, & Mageia. I also have access to several live CDs/DVDs.
My problem: I can't get computer #4 to see any USB flash drives. I recently bought an additional USB front panel, assuming the built in ports may be defective but it made no difference. I know what you're thinking, but that's not it. The drives don't show up at all, not in My Computer of course, but also nowhere in Disk Manager or Device Manager, or in any other OS.
I have several different flash drives from several different companies. The computer itself has a Gigabyte P35-DS3L MOBO with 64 bit 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q9300 and 3GB RAM. I know it's a bit old (though one of my laptops is older), the MOBO has 2 USB slots on front of case plus my 8 port USB front panel hub plugged into USB1 & USB2 respectively on the the MOBO, and it has 6 USB ports on back. It has Award Bios, version F8.
I must be wrong somewhere here, but here is what I have ruled out and why:
1. Faulty Flash Drives. The drives themselves can't be faulty because they all work just fine on all three other computers, and in all OS's installed on those computers, and in all the live CDs I have.
2. Hardware. Though no flash drives work, they are about the only things that don't work. USB powered & unpowered external HDs, USB mice, cameras, mics, hubs, cellphones, fans, speakers, anything and everything else works great.
3. Software. The drives don't work on any of the OS's installed, nor on any live CD. The same OS's and live CDs work on the other PCs and they all detect the flash drives just fine. And the USB flash drives are from several different manufactures, so it's not just something like a Kingston driver is missing. That, and they don't even show up in device manager as an unknown device.
So, that just leaves uh.... I'm not sure, what DOES it leave? I thought maybe the ports were loose or something, maybe the flash drives weren't making contact right, but they don't work in the powered or unpowered USB hubs either, or in the new USB front panel so that can't be it.
Some additional worthless info: sometimes even other USB hard drives or other devices don't take right away and they need to be unplugged and plugged back in again, but this is only occasionally. and the two built in USB ports on the front of the case are pretty much worthless. I assume it is just because they are old and cheaply made.
Lastly, this computer is not originally MY desktop, mine is still back in NY in the States, and I am currently in Manila so I don't know much about its history before I got here. But at least for the past 6 months or so, USB flash drives have never worked in this machine. My contributions are the USB front panel, a firewire PCI card, and a 2nd HD with all the Linux distros.
So... Any ideas? Anyone?
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