How to Get a Flash Drive to Read on XP
Most of the time, all you have to do to get a flash drive to read on a Windows XP-based computer is to plug it into the USB port. A window pops up and asks you what you want to do--play audio, view pictures, open a folder, etc. The first time you use the drive, the computer should tell you that the it has detected new hardware, that Microsoft Windows XP has installed the drivers for the flash drive and that the device is available. Sometimes, however, it doesn't.
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Instructions
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Finding Your Drive
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1
Plug in your flash or jump drive with the computer running. Most flash drives have a light in them which flashes when the drive is being accessed. The light should flash and a menu should open that identifies the drive number and asks what you want to do. Choose "Open folder to view files" and click on "OK". An Explorer window should open showing the files on the flash drive. If any of this fails to happen, go on to the next step.
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2
Click on "Start" and open your "Programs" menu. Select "My Computer" and open it. A window will open showing a list of all your drives. There should be an icon for your jump drive.
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3
Right-click inside the "Drives" window (but not on any specific drive). Choose "Properties." A window called "System Properties" will open, with tabs at the top and information about your computer at the bottom.
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4
Select the "Hardware" tab; when that opens, click on "Device Manager." From the Device Manager window, find the "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" folder and click on the "+" sign beside it. This will open the subfolders under the USB controller folder.
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5
Double-click on each USB Root Hub, one at a time. A window will open for each. Go to the "Power" tab in that window. The power tab will tell you if power is available to the hub and how much. It will also tell you how many ports are attached to the hub and what devices are connected to the USB hub. If there is a USB Mass Storage Device entry in the USB Controller folder, double-click on that as well. Go to the "Power" tab and see whether the flash drive is powered.
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6
Try other flash drives or other USB devices, like your mouse or a printer, to see if they register on all of the USB ports, using the device manager as in the steps above to test them. If the Device Manager doesn't list the flash drive, then either the flash drive is defective or the USB port is. If another device or flash drive works in the same port, the flash drive is probably no good. Try the flash drive in another computer to see if it works there.
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7
Download the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager for XP 1.0, a free utility (see References) that improves Windows XP's ability to manage USB ports. Install the software and try the above tests again to see if your computer recognizes the flash drive.
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Tips & Warnings
If the drive works in other computers, it may simply have a physical defect with relation to your particular computer. If you bought the drive new, take it back to the store and get it replaced. If not, swap the drive with someone for whom it works.
References
- Photo Credit usb flash drive image by Bosko Martinovic from Fotolia.com
