Forum Discussion
USB drive not visible in file explorer
I have a new laptop which runs on windows 11, when I put a USB stick in, it makes the usual "ding" but it does nothing and is not visible in file explorer. I have done a bit of googling and as a res...
If your USB drive is detected in Disk Management but does not show up in File Explorer, the most common cause is that the drive has no assigned letter or is not formatted.
How to fix USB drive not visible in File Explorer on Windows 11:
- Press Win + X and select Disk Management.
- Locate your USB drive in the list.
- If the drive shows as Unallocated, right-click it and choose New Simple Volume, then format it (FAT32 or NTFS).
- If the drive has a partition but no drive letter, right-click the partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths…, then click Add and assign a letter.
- If the option is greyed out, first ensure the partition is Healthy (Primary Partition). If not, delete the existing volume and create a new one.