7 Effective Fixes to USB Drive No Media Issue

User Cases

Why USB Drive No Media Showing?

When you find your USB drive "No Media" in Disk Management or other system tools, it usually means that the system detects the USB port and device interface, but it can’t access the storage media inside the drive. Here are the common reasons why this happens:

1. Hardware Failure (Most Common)

• NAND flash memory failure inside the USB drive.
• Controller chip failure. There is something wrong with the part that communicates between your computer and the memory.
• Physical damage (e.g., bent connector, water damage, broken PCB).

2. Improper Removal

Unplugging the USB drive without ejecting it safely may corrupt the firmware or partition table, leading to the “No Media” status.

3. Power Supply Issues

Insufficient power from the USB port, especially on unpowered USB hubs or faulty laptop USB ports.

4. Logical Corruption or Partition Table Errors

• MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table) may be damaged.
• However, in “No Media” cases, this is less likely since “No Media” implies the drive is not reading any storage space at all.

5. Outdated or Corrupt USB Drivers

• Especially common on Windows systems after updates or driver conflicts.
• Can cause improper recognition of the device.

6. Firmware Corruption

• Some USB flash drives rely on internal firmware to initialize.
• If the firmware is corrupted, the device might show up as “No Media” on USB drive or not mount properly.

How to Fix USB Drive No Media Issue

This part will show you 7 effective solutions to resolve the USB flash drive “No Media” problem. Before trying the more advanced methods, please check the basic troubleshooting steps first.

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

1. Try different USB ports: Plug the drive into another USB port on your computer

2. Test on another computer: Check if the issue persists on a different machine

3. Check in Disk Management:

Step 1. Press Windows + X and select "Disk Management".

Step 2. Look for your USB drive to see if it shows as "No Media" or "Unallocated".

Advanced Fixes

1. Assign or Change a Drive Letter

Assigning or changing a drive letter for your USB drive helps Windows assign a usable path to the drive, making it visible in File Explorer.

Step 1. Press Win + R, type diskmgmt.msc, press Enter.

• If the drive shows “No Media”, it's usually not fixable via formatting or partitioning.
• If the drive is shown with a healthy partition, assign a drive letter:

Step 2. Right-click the partition and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths”.

Step 3. Click “Add” and choose a letter for your USB drive. Then, click “OK” to confirm the change to see if the issue "USB drive showing No Media" still exists.

2. Use Diskpart to Check Status

Step 1. Press Win + R, type cmd, then right-click and run as Administrator.

Step 2. Type the following commands:

diskpart

list disk

select disk X (replace X with your USB number)

detail disk

Step 3. If the status says “No Media”, Windows can't communicate with the drive.

3. Update or Reinstall USB Drivers

Step 1. Enter “Device Manager” in the Start menu to open the panel.

Step 2. Choose “Universal Serial Bus controllers”.

Step 3. Right-click on all listed USB Root Hubs and choose “Update Driver”. Or, uninstall the USB driver and reboot.

4. Recover USB Data and Format It

To resolve the USB drive "No Media" problem, you can format your device and then try to connect it to your computer again. However, formatting the device will thoroughly remove all the data on it. Therefore, it is quite necessary to recover the USB data first before formatting. MyRecover is a professional Windows data recovery solution for different Windows systems and servers. It especially provides the function of USB/SB Card Recovery that can help you restore lost data with one click.

♦ To recover the USB data:

Step 1. Insert your USB drive to the computer.

Step 2. Download and install MyRecover.

Step 3. Open MyRecover and choose USB/SB Card Recovery.

Step 4. Put your cursor on name of your USB drive and click “Scan”.

Step 5. Find the files you want to restore and select them. Then, click the “Recover” button and choose a location to save the recovered files. When the task is finished, you can see a pop-up window to notify you and let you browse the restored files.

♦ To format your USB drive:

Step 1. Find your USB drive in File Explorer.

Step 2. Right-click on your device and choose "Format...".

► Note: If this formatting solution cannot work, you can use the Command Prompt or a third-party partition assistant to force formatting.

5. Use Manufacturer Repair Tools

Some brands, such as SanDisk and Kingston, offer official repair or low-level format tools:

• SanDisk USB Repair Tool
• HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
• ChipGenius or ChipEasy (to detect USB controller type)

If you identify the controller type, look for the corresponding MPTool (Mass Production Tool) for that chip.

► Note: These tools can wipe data permanently — use only if recovery is not a concern.

6. Consider Physical or Firmware Damage

If your situation is:

• The drive never appears in Disk Management.
• It always shows 0 bytes.
• No volume is detected even by recovery tools.

The flash memory chip or controller may be damaged. In this case, you can contact a professional data recovery service if the data is critical, or replace the USB drive if it's under warranty.

Conclusion

This post gives 7 solutions to solve the USB drive “No Media” issue. You can try them one by one until your data is not shown as 0 bytes in Disk Management.

Among these fixes, using MyRecover cannot only help you restore data on the USB drive, but also data on a disk, drive, partition, or recycle bin. Whenever you have a need, don’t hesitate to download and use MyRecover to restore your data easily and quickly with one click. Moreover, if there are quantities of data that you want to restore, you can download the Professional Edition to restore unlimited files.

FAQs

Why is my flash drive full but there are no files?

Your flash drive may appear full with no visible files due to hidden or system files, file system corruption, or malware. Enable “Show hidden files” in File Explorer or run a disk check to identify and fix the issue.

How do I fix my hard drive when it says no media?

If your hard drive says "No Media," try reconnecting it, updating drivers, or checking it on another PC. If still undetected, the drive’s firmware or hardware may be damaged. Use manufacturer tools or consult a data recovery specialist.

How do I fix a USB drive that won't format?

To fix a USB drive that won't format, try using Disk Management, Diskpart in Command Prompt, or third-party tools like HP USB Format Tool. If it still fails, the drive may be write-protected or physically damaged and may need replacement.