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Step 1
Remove the memory stick from the USB port on your computer and then reconnect it to make sure it was installed properly.
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Step 2
Check the sides of the memory stick and see if it has a "Write Protection" tab. Slide the tab over to the "Unlocked" position if it was set to "Locked" and attempt to use the memory stick again.
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Step 3
Remove any USB hubs or extra USB devices that are connected to the other ports on the computer in case you have accidentally gone over the maximum number of devices that the motherboard can handle.
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Step 4
Click on the Windows "Start" icon located at the bottom-left side of the main desktop toolbar. Click on "My Computer" and wait for a new window to pop up. Check to see if there is a new drive in the list of options that corresponds to the USB memory stick.
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Step 5
Click on the "Map a Network Drive" button located at the top of the window if the USB memory stick is not appearing in the list of options. Choose an available drive letter from the drop-down box and then click on "Browse." Find the location of the memory stick and then click on "OK." Close the "My Computer" window and re-open it to access the memory stick.
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Step 6
Right-click on the drive letter for the USB memory stick if it does appear in the list of "My Computer" drives. Click on "Format" from the list of options that will appear. (Be aware that formatting the memory stick may make it usable again, but it will also permanently delete any files you had stored on it.) Click on the drop-down menu labeled as "File System" and choose NTFS. Click on "Start." Wait for the drive to finish formatting and then try to use the memory stick again.
