Probably, a lot of users who use flash drives, memory cards, and external USB HDDs as portable devices for storing important information faced a very mixed problem when connecting these devices to a computer or laptop and trying to access the data stored on them the system suddenly reports that there is no connected media. The removable device seems to be working, which may be indicated by a flashing or constant burning indicator, but for unknown reasons, the operating system is not recognized. What would you suggest as the best solution to fix the problem? Let's try to understand together what is happening and what tools are best used to restore the normal operation of any of the above drives.
Why does the “No media” error message appear (is the USB flash drive identified as a removable device or not recognized at all)?
Before taking any effective measures to eliminate the current situation, let's briefly dwell on the reasons that caused it. It happens that the system reports that there is no media, the flash drive (removable device) in the same "Explorer" is not recognized, although it is clearly visible that the indicator is blinking. But you can meet the exact opposite situation, when even the LED does not give any visible signs of life. Thus, you need to look for the root cause both in the drive and in the operating system. Among the most common moments, you can separately dwell on such problems:
- USB ports do not work or do not correspond to the connected drive according to the standard;
- ports are disabled at all;
- ports and drives do not have enough power;
- the device is assigned a letter reserved for another medium;
- management drivers are not installed (or installed incorrectly) for the media or USB controllers;
- card reader does not work;
- the firmware of the removable device is damaged;
- the file system on the drive has been changed to unreadable RAW format;
- the media or OS has been exposed to viruses.
Error "No media" (removable device): what to do first?
Now let's fix the problems. And first of all, let's focus on flash drives and external hard drives that are connected via USB interfaces. After all, why the system reports that there is no connected media (a removable device in Windows 10 is simply not in the list of drives)? Yes, only because the latest modifications of these OSs are very picky in terms of strict connection in accordance with the standards of the interfaces and devices used. For example, a USB flash drive or removable disk is designed to work only with USB 3.0, and you connect such a device via a standard 2.0 port. It is clear that the drive will not be recognized. But in the case of the opposite situation, everything can be quite normal.
Thus, if a notification is issued that there is no attached media, the removable device must simply be connected to another port, and then check its operability.
The nuances of power schemes
But let's assume that all ports work fine, and the media itself is also fine (at least when connected to another PC or laptop, it is detected without problems). Another reason for the message that there is no connected media (the removable device is not recognized under any pretext) may be the most common lack of power for the drive and the port to which it is connected to work correctly. In this situation, first look at the exposed power scheme.
If the saving mode is indicated there, change it to balanced or high performance mode.
It also doesn’t hurt to check the properties of all USB controllers and hubs, and on the power control tab, uncheck the boxes from the enable points to disable these components to save energy. If you use USB hubs to connect, it is highly recommended that you disconnect all additional peripheral devices.
If you use the DISKPART toolkit to work with an external HDD with a list of connected devices, a problem may also appear. True, the list will show something like "Disk 1 - no media." A removable device in this case may not be recognized just because the external drive requires an autonomous power source, and the power supplied through the port is clearly not enough. In this situation, if there is such an opportunity, you just need to power the disk from any other external source, for example, by connecting it through a special transformer adapter to the mains directly.
Checking ports in BIOS
But the matter can be complicated by the fact that even in the “Device Manager” information about errors can be displayed, in which it is most often reported that this device is turned off. At the same time, activating it through the PCM menu on the selected item may not work, and the system with enviable constancy will remind you that there is no connected media. A removable device in this case may not be recognized only because the use of USB ports is disabled in the primary system, for example, by a computer administrator, so that the user does not accidentally add virus threats to the system.
To fix the problem, go into the BIOS / UEFI settings immediately after turning on the stationary computer terminal or laptop, find in the Advanced settings something like USB Legacy Support or USB Storage Detect and set this parameter to Active (Enabled), and then save changes (F10 + Y).
Auto Diagnostics
Now suppose that none of the described actions gave a result, and the system again reports that there is no connected media. A removable device may either not be detected at all, or be visible, but with limited access. What can be done?
In order not to go deeper into the jungle of manual error correction, you can use the small automated WinUSB utility, which is designed specifically for identifying and troubleshooting problems of this kind, which can be downloaded completely free from the official Microsoft resource on the Internet. It is possible that the problems found will be fixed without your participation. In extreme cases, if automatic error correction is not possible, several actions will be offered that you will have to perform yourself.
Change drive letter
No less common is another situation where the system reports that there is no connected media. A removable device Windows 7 and its analogs may not be visible for the reason that the letter under which the drive should be visible in the system is reserved for another device.
In this case, you need to use the disk management section (diskmgmt.msc), through RMB on the selected device (if it is displayed among the connected disks), go to the letter change point and assign a different letter, choosing the appropriate one from the list. You cannot reserve letters below “F” in any case!
Simple and low level formatting
Now let's see what can be done when the system responds to a connected drive, but it displays a message that the device cannot be used, because it is not formatted. Very often to use formatting (fast or full) directly from the "Explorer" is not worth it. It is better to execute it from the disk management section. Paradoxically, it also happens that in the "Explorer" the same flash drive is not visible, but in the media management section there is. If the removable disk does not detect the standard tool, try the same procedure in more advanced programs. As one of the most powerful tools you can recommend the AOMEI Partition Assistant package.
But what if the mapped drive is not available for formatting at all? We assume that the system reports that there is no connected media, the removable device cannot be formatted in disk management or similar utilities.
In this situation, it is better to use, as they say, heavy artillery in the form of programs like HDD LLFT. Firstly, such utilities detect any external and internal media regardless of the degree of damage, and secondly, low-level formatting allows you to quickly and efficiently bring your device back to life, even in situations where they changed the file structure to unreadable RAW format.
Driver issues
Naturally, do not forget the drivers. Just in case, it is worth checking the status of the drivers of all USB controllers. If problems are identified, the management software will either need to be reinstalled or updated. An update to simplify the operations you can perform using special automated applications like iObit Driver Booster. Such utilities will independently find on the Internet on manufacturers' websites, download and install updated drivers. You only need to give consent to the installation of updated components.
But in the case of memory cards, you will have to check the card reader drivers. Often, with such media, everything can be in order, but the system reports that it is impossible to use the drive only because the memory card reader itself does not work correctly. And very often, when using O2Micro drivers, it will not be enough just to complete the installation from the EXE installer.
Additionally, some .inf files will need to be copied to the final installation folder manually.
Factory restore firmware
In principle, if the main reason is damage to the firmware (controllers), special utilities from the hardware developer can be used to reanimate the drive.
Today, for almost all brands (with rare exceptions), you can download similar tools directly on official resources. However, you can use some universal programs like D-Soft Flash Doctor.
Viruses
Finally, do not forget that all sorts of viruses like to settle on flash drives and memory cards. Often, on infected drives, you can see hidden Autorun.inf objects. That is why when connecting the device to a PC, it is recommended that you first check the media for viruses with a portable scanner. However, the entire system can also be scanned, only for this it is advisable to use bootable media with applications like Kaspersky Rescue Disk.