Flash drive(s) not seen in My Computer

Fitz · 08-03-2006, 11:35 AM

I recently had a new Asus K8V-MX Motherboard fitted, since which time, no portable devices are seen in My Computer. They are picked up and correctly identified on the taskbar, but I have to assign it a drive letter through Disk Management.

Then it is only visible in EXPLORER.EXE where I can actually see my files, and can save files to the flash-drive. No portable device ever shows up in My Computer.

If I unplug the device and plug it in again a little later, without having rebooted, although the letter still appears in the list of drives, if I click on it then it cannot see it and I have to add a new letter to the same device in order to be able to see the files on it once more.

Rebooting the PC then flushes out any assigned drives, so it means I have to assign a drive letter each time I want to use any device.
Leaving a device in the USB port without rebooting is obviously the only way I'll get continuous access to the material on it.

Is it perhaps something strange in the Registry that may be causing this?
All devices work, the USB port settings are fine, but it just does not quite make it so that it can automatically be seen.

PaulTech · 08-03-2006, 01:04 PM

do you have any mapped drives low in the range, like a h drive or something? also, try assigning the usb drive to x or y. don't know if you've tried that yet.

Fitz · 08-03-2006, 01:14 PM

I've just tried assigning the "W" drive to it and exactly the same thing happens. As soon as I take out the device and then re-insert it, the computer doesn't see it at all and I then have to re-assign another drive.

It's strictly a one-time only event...

There are no mapped drives after E.

PaulTech · 08-03-2006, 01:29 PM

Try this:

Download and install TweakUI from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Close Windows Explorer, open TweakUI and inside the TweakUI application go
to My Computer -> Drives and ensure the drive letter the USB device is
assigned is checked (should be by default) Untick it and tick it again and
click apply. If you want autoplay on the USB drive in TweakUI go to
Autoplay -> Drives and check the drive letter the USB device is assigned to
and click apply. Then in TweakUI go to Drive Letters and ensure the option
to Never Show Drive Letters IS NOT checked and click apply then OK.

Reopen Windows Explorer and your Drive/USB device should be present.

Fitz · 08-03-2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulTech

Try this:

Then in TweakUI go to Drive Letters and ensure the option
to Never Show Drive Letters IS NOT checked and click apply then OK.

Did everything but could not find this last item in TweakUI.
Autoplay appeared to be already activated.
So far nothing has changed, but I need to find that last item in Tweak.

PaulTech · 08-03-2006, 01:44 PM

It's under "My Computer", "Drive Letters" - under the "Auto Play"

Fitz · 08-03-2006, 01:59 PM

I've attempted to attach a bitmap of what I can see in Tweak.
I don't know if I've been successful in attaching it.
Basically, under "Autoplay" I see "Drives" "Types" and "Handlers". That's it.

Fitz · 08-04-2006, 01:45 AM

I should add that in TweakUI all of the drives are ticked, and all of the ones which are not allocated to devices or drives carry a red question-mark as should be the case.
If I select a drive for the device via Disk Management, the red question-mark disappears as is normal and it stays off even if I remove the device. However, if I re-insert the device, as I indicated earlier, it cannot be read via Explorer or anything else even though there is no red question-mark against the drive,and ,as far as Disk Management and TweakUI are concerned, the drive is allocated.

08-03-2006, 11:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
Fitz Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Buckinghamshire, England Posts: 5 OS: XP	Flash drive(s) not seen in My Computer I recently had a new Asus K8V-MX Motherboard fitted, since which time, no portable devices are seen in My Computer. They are picked up and correctly identified on the taskbar, but I have to assign it a drive letter through Disk Management. Then it is only visible in EXPLORER.EXE where I can actually see my files, and can save files to the flash-drive. No portable device ever shows up in My Computer. If I unplug the device and plug it in again a little later, without having rebooted, although the letter still appears in the list of drives, if I click on it then it cannot see it and I have to add a new letter to the same device in order to be able to see the files on it once more. Rebooting the PC then flushes out any assigned drives, so it means I have to assign a drive letter each time I want to use any device. Leaving a device in the USB port without rebooting is obviously the only way I'll get continuous access to the material on it. Is it perhaps something strange in the Registry that may be causing this? All devices work, the USB port settings are fine, but it just does not quite make it so that it can automatically be seen. Last edited by Fitz; 08-03-2006 at 11:36 AM.

08-03-2006, 01:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
PaulTech Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 11 OS: XP, 2k, Debian, Slax	do you have any mapped drives low in the range, like a h drive or something? also, try assigning the usb drive to x or y. don't know if you've tried that yet.

08-03-2006, 01:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fitz Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Buckinghamshire, England Posts: 5 OS: XP	I've just tried assigning the "W" drive to it and exactly the same thing happens. As soon as I take out the device and then re-insert it, the computer doesn't see it at all and I then have to re-assign another drive. It's strictly a one-time only event... There are no mapped drives after E.

08-03-2006, 01:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
PaulTech Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 11 OS: XP, 2k, Debian, Slax	Try this: Download and install TweakUI from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx Close Windows Explorer, open TweakUI and inside the TweakUI application go to My Computer -> Drives and ensure the drive letter the USB device is assigned is checked (should be by default) Untick it and tick it again and click apply. If you want autoplay on the USB drive in TweakUI go to Autoplay -> Drives and check the drive letter the USB device is assigned to and click apply. Then in TweakUI go to Drive Letters and ensure the option to Never Show Drive Letters IS NOT checked and click apply then OK. Reopen Windows Explorer and your Drive/USB device should be present.

08-03-2006, 01:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
PaulTech Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 11 OS: XP, 2k, Debian, Slax	It's under "My Computer", "Drive Letters" - under the "Auto Play"

08-03-2006, 01:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
Fitz Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Buckinghamshire, England Posts: 5 OS: XP	I've attempted to attach a bitmap of what I can see in Tweak. I don't know if I've been successful in attaching it. Basically, under "Autoplay" I see "Drives" "Types" and "Handlers". That's it.

08-04-2006, 01:45 AM	#8 (permalink)
Fitz Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Buckinghamshire, England Posts: 5 OS: XP	I should add that in TweakUI all of the drives are ticked, and all of the ones which are not allocated to devices or drives carry a red question-mark as should be the case. If I select a drive for the device via Disk Management, the red question-mark disappears as is normal and it stays off even if I remove the device. However, if I re-insert the device, as I indicated earlier, it cannot be read via Explorer or anything else even though there is no red question-mark against the drive,and ,as far as Disk Management and TweakUI are concerned, the drive is allocated.