Hope that a savvy brain can solve this one: I have a Sandisk 4GB USB stick that my office pc (Win XP pro) doesn't recognise. When connecting it, it does show up (as 'USB Mass Storage Device') when I click the 'Safely Remove Hardware' button. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and I can't find it in the file manager ('My Documents')

I've reformatted it (FAT32), and on my pc at home I discovered that it was for some reason identified as drive G: I thought that this might interfer with the office network (G: possibly already used by the network) so I changed the drive letter to E: and it shows up as drive E: at home (also Win XP pro). But still no luck in having it recognised by my office pc.

Can I solve this, and if so, how? No administrator's privileges at work but surely I must somehow be able to delete all data from the stick and restore it to virginity, so to say?

Edited 4 December, 200916 yr by swedishskoda

Are you sure it's not your IT department blocking memory sticks? I use a U3 titanium memory stick, which effectively prevents you mounting the drive until you supply the password. The only reason I say this is that you can still see the drive in Windoze Explorer; you just can't open it. I take it you've tried a different stick?

You need to get to the disk properties (My Computer, right click -> Manage - >Disk Management), and then right click on the drive and click Change Drive Letters And Paths. It's likely that it doesn't have a drive letter assigned to it.

@ ap0gee: USB sticks allowed, and my others work fine

@ Babs: that's exactly what I did at home yesterday (assigning the letter E: instead of G: ) and my home pc recognised this change but it still didn't work at the office...

Edited 4 December, 200916 yr by swedishskoda

Try a different USB port? About all I suggest?

Have you tried looking in the device manager and seeing if it shows up OK in there?

I have trouble with USB devices in the past which I cured by going into the device manager with the device plugged in and choosing to unistall it. Then remove and plug it back in again and it reinstalled the drivers and then worked again.

Have you tried looking in the device manager and seeing if it shows up OK in there?

I have trouble with USB devices in the past which I cured by going into the device manager with the device plugged in and choosing to unistall it. Then remove and plug it back in again and it reinstalled the drivers and then worked again.

It does show up, but I haven't the privileges needed to uninstall it :( Interesting solution, though, will suggest it to the teccies and see what they say.

Is it a usb2.0 stick in a usb1.0 port?

Have admin blocked usb ports?

perhaps it caught the flu.................

Is it a usb2.0 stick in a usb1.0 port?

Have admin blocked usb ports?

And have you installed XP2 update and updated drivers for USB .Had some problems ( longtime ago when I first put on XP2 U/D) - with usb devices -can't remember the problem( all say AHH ,ypu'll get old and wrinkley some day too) ,but one I do is that usb2 was involved .

Ports are USB 2.0 alright (it's a Dell Latitude less than 18 months old), XP pro with all updates (incl. SP3) and USB ports are not blocked by admin, other sticks work OK, it's just this one.

Will try trundlenut's uninstall suggetion as soon as I can find an IT tech with admin privileges.