I'm trying to dual boot with Linux, so I plugged in a flash drive to get started, but it just doesn't show up anywhere. Nothing in File Explorer, Disk Management, or even when I check disks in command prompt. The only place I see it is in Device Manager and under "Bluetooth & other devices," where it says the driver is unavailable. I figured my flash drive might be broken since I dropped it in milk years ago. I also found an old Micro SD card, but that didn't work either, and then I tried another Micro SD card from my 3DS, and it still has the same issue. It's strange because my 3DS can read the Micro SD just fine. Other USB devices like my keyboard and mouse are working perfectly; it's only the flash drives that are the problem. So, I'm stumped. Any ideas on what could be going wrong?
1 Answer
That first flash drive may have shorted out the USB port—it's worth considering that USB ports aren't isolated and can share power. Since you've already tested it with other devices, have you tried different USB ports? Also, check if there's a driver issue by looking for USB driver packages on the manufacturer's website.
I’ve tried other ports and other USB devices—only flash drives seem to be affected. I found one driver on the PNY site, but it's for a different model. Doesn’t seem like a driver issue since all the flash drives are having the same problem, right?