USB Flash drive problems

[Benson]

I've been searching the internet to try to find a fix for this weird problem I'm having.

If I put a flash drive on one of my USB ports, it will pop up on the safely remove hardware dialog, say it's all set, but then won't show up in My Computer. It will be in Disk Management under Admin Services in the control panel, but I have no way to access it.

This problem becomes much bigger when my iPod also follows suit. The computer finds the iPod, it's in Disk Management, but no dice on getting to it, no less updating it.

I've tried the fixes I found online, but nothing has worked, I assigned the iPod a drive letter in Disk Management, I updated my BIOS, I updated my drivers. Nothing works.

I really don't want to have to format, but if I have to it's not a HUGE problem, as all my data is spread between my two 250GB hard drives, only the Raptor has windows data.

[BlueTsunami]

What OS are you using? XP?

[NoZ]

http://www.usbman.com/WebDrivers/USBview/USBVIEW.EXE

Try and see if this program can find it. If it can then try and formatting the drives.

[BlueTsunami]

It looks as though its having issues actually mounting the drives and assigning them letters. I'm not sure if you know how to use the command screen. If you do, then you can try accessing them that way by trying to jump to the drives and seeing if you can reach them that way.

[Benson]

That program sees them, I can see them and assign them drive letters, but it doesn't change in My Computer.

I am running XP Pro SP2. I am able to get to the iPod through the command line after assigning it a Drive Letter in Disk Management

[BlueTsunami]

That sounds weird. It could be (not exactly sure) a Virus thats doing that. Sometimes they screw up things like that (restricting you from doing certain tasks). Have you tried refreshing the My Computer screen when you connect your devices? It should do it automatically (when you first open it up). Worth a shot though.

Also, try changing the layout of the icons (from Icon, to Column view) see what that does.

*Its weird because you can connect through command line but My Computer isn't updated with the info. That shows that something is being restricted or some setting is off. Its good that its purely software though. If all fails, a reinstallation of the OS should clear it up.

[Benson]

I have tried the refresh thing, changed the layout, nothing.

It's really weird, and kinda sucks. I guess if I have to reinstall I can.

[NoZ]

Try going to device manager and uninstalling both of them. Or try running CCleaner and let it fix errors you.

[Benson]

I uninstalled all the drivers, and it went through the install process, no dice again.

When I plug my iPod in, it pops up that thing in the tray, says new device found, iPod, then says it's ready to use.

Then isn't there to find in My Computer.

[Gegenki]

You can access them through command line?
Have you tried putting in the address. Sometimes in school our pen drives don't show so we have to take take the first unused drive letter, goto the address bar and put in E:\

At least it isnt major major. When my mp3 stopped working every time i connected it, it made the pc freeze and when i turned on the mp3 it had changed from 64MB to 32MB and wouldnt do anything useful anymore

[Benson]

I can get it from Command line, and now, if I look through explorer, I can get to the folders. Only if I hit explore in disk management and then navigate back after it automatically redirects me to my computer.

[Benson]

A format fixed the problem.

[BlueTsunami]

A format fixed the problem.

It sucks that you had to go through a format just to get it to work (i'm assuming your talking about a PC format). Thats why Windows can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes.