URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive

Vagrant Oner · 06-22-2008, 11:08 AM

Basically, both my laptop and PC recognize the USB memory, but I can't access it... all I get is this:

Please insert a disk into drive "x":

Even though it shows up as "Removable Disk", the stick doesn't even light up, which it did before. I think this was caused by me switching accounts on my laptop while I had an excel file open (from the USB stick). Any help is appreciated, and as the title says, this is urgent as I got work on Monday.

wmorri · 06-22-2008, 11:40 AM

What happens if you swtch back to the profile that you were in when you had the spread sheet open and then tried to read the drive? Would that allow you to read the flash drive.

Cheers!

Vagrant Oner · 06-22-2008, 11:52 AM

Yeah, I tried that but to no avail.

craigwatanabe · 06-24-2008, 04:36 AM

Your USB drive probably needs to be reformatted. Pen/Thumb/USB drives periodically for some reason lose their formatting.

The only way I've been able to reformat a thumbdrive is thru the Disk Management utilty in your administrative tools section of XP. The simpler right click/format technique doesn't seem to work in this instance.

Vagrant Oner · 06-24-2008, 11:09 PM

If I format it I'll lose all the info. in there, right? If so, it's too early to do that, anything else I could try first?

Vagrant Oner · 07-08-2008, 09:15 AM

Well... I still need help.

I can't even format it through disk management.

**sobeit** · 07-08-2008, 12:19 PM

try a chkdsk with error fix.

Vagrant Oner · 07-09-2008, 08:14 PM

Sorry, but I'm not sure how to do that? I know chkdsk is a command, but I don't know what error fix is... an app?

06-22-2008, 11:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
Vagrant Oner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP	URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive Basically, both my laptop and PC recognize the USB memory, but I can't access it... all I get is this: Please insert a disk into drive "x": Even though it shows up as "Removable Disk", the stick doesn't even light up, which it did before. I think this was caused by me switching accounts on my laptop while I had an excel file open (from the USB stick). Any help is appreciated, and as the title says, this is urgent as I got work on Monday.

06-22-2008, 11:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
wmorri HJT Trainee Join Date: May 2008 Location: NORTHERN New York Posts: 508 OS: Vista Basic SP1/Ubuntu 8.04/Fedora 9	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive What happens if you swtch back to the profile that you were in when you had the spread sheet open and then tried to read the drive? Would that allow you to read the flash drive. Cheers! __________________ Linux Forever! Learning is doing, not being able to follow steps put forth by others.

06-22-2008, 11:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
Vagrant Oner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive Yeah, I tried that but to no avail.

06-24-2008, 04:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
craigwatanabe Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 264 OS: xp	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive Your USB drive probably needs to be reformatted. Pen/Thumb/USB drives periodically for some reason lose their formatting. The only way I've been able to reformat a thumbdrive is thru the Disk Management utilty in your administrative tools section of XP. The simpler right click/format technique doesn't seem to work in this instance. __________________ A computer is only as powerful as it's user so build wisely.

06-24-2008, 11:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
Vagrant Oner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive If I format it I'll lose all the info. in there, right? If so, it's too early to do that, anything else I could try first?

07-08-2008, 09:15 AM	#6 (permalink)
Vagrant Oner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive Well... I still need help. I can't even format it through disk management.

07-08-2008, 12:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
sobeit TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NEAR Posts: 5,328 OS: windows/linux	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive try a chkdsk with error fix. __________________ Do not feed the trolls.

07-09-2008, 08:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
Vagrant Oner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP	Re: URGENT HELP - Can't access work files from USB drive Sorry, but I'm not sure how to do that? I know chkdsk is a command, but I don't know what error fix is... an app?