How to Diagnose USB Drive Problems
USB (Universal Serial Bus) drives come in two varieties: the "thumb" or "flash" drive that is about the size of a cigarette lighter, and an external hard drive that attaches to your computer with a USB cable. There are several things you can check if these drives appear to not be working properly.
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Things You'll Need
- USB 2.0 cable
- Multiple USB computer ports
- Music CDs
- Can of compressed air
Instructions
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Verify that your chosen USB port is working. The easiest way to do this is to simply try another USB port on your computer. If you are using a USB hub, skip that device and plug your drive directly into the computer instead. If the drive works, the problem lies in the hub. If your hub is not plugged into an electrical socket, it may just be that you have more devices plugged into the hub than it can handle without its power cable being plugged in. Attach its power cable and see if your problem persists.
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Verify that your USB cables are working properly. As with USB ports, you can try another USB cable to isolate the problem. It is possible, although unlikely, that you are using a USB 1.1 cable, which is much slower than a USB 2.0 cable (up to 12 megabits per second versus 400 megabits per second). Unfortunately, there is no way to visually distinguish these two cables. You must use trial-and-error to make sure that you have no USB 1.1 cables involved in your setup.
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Check the device's USB connector. If this is a flash drive, its connector can wear down over time from repeated removal and insertion. The connector may also have been bent, and the pins inside the connector may have been bent as well. If this drive was left in a hot environment (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours, for example), its internal components may be permanently damaged. This goes for any computer component. A USB drive that has been damaged internally is difficult to fix, and it may be less expensive to replace it than to take it to a technician. However, you may be able to reposition bent pins with a pair of small tongs or tweezers.
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Repair bent pins. If bend pins are the problem, you may be able to reposition them with a pair of small tongs or tweezers.
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Test your CD/DVD USB drive with multiple CDs. If you have eliminated its USB cable and the computer's USB port, all that remains is the device itself. If it cannot read a CD or DVD, the problem may be the disc. In this case, try different CDs. If the drive cannot read any discs, its laser lens may be dirty or dusty. Use a can of compressed air to clean the dust off the lens. Do not use a cleaning kit, because they can scratch the lens. If the problem persists, you may have to take the drive to a technician.
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