USB drive doesn't mount! (MacOSX/Windows)

karapetyan · Feb 22, 2015

Hello,

I got a USB drive with 250gb storage, I was planned to reinstall my mac os, so I copied all my important files to the USB and after 1 or 2 minutes it automatically ejects my USB drive, so I tried once again but had no advantage. I tried the same with an another flash drive and it was successfully copied. After reinstalling my mac os, I plugged in the USB drive and nothing happened, even disk utility doesn't recognize the drive.

When I plugged the usb in Windows (operation system) the drive shows only in the 'devices and printers' as unknown device. So thats means usb is not broken. I tried to reinstall my usb drivers but I got still the same error. I don't really know what kind of solution should I try anymore.

Please If you know any tips or solutions tell me, this is really important for me!!

Israel

Lifeisabeach · Feb 22, 2015

Try a different USB cable. If the drive is not self-powered over USB (requires a separate power cable), make sure you are using the right power cable.

If you still have problems, it will help to have more specifics, like which exact model drive you have. See signature.

karapetyan · Feb 22, 2015

Lifeisabeach said:
Try a different USB cable. If the drive is not self-powered over USB (requires a separate power cable), make sure you are using the right power cable.

If you still have problems, it will help to have more specifics, like which exact model drive you have. See signature.

A usb cable ? Its a usb stick not a cable? I'm not even able to see what kind of model my usb stick is.. if you need any screenshots just tell me

Lifeisabeach · Feb 22, 2015

karapetyan said:
A usb cable ? Its a usb stick not a cable? I'm not even able to see what kind of model my usb stick is.. if you need any screenshots just tell me

You first said "I got a USB drive with 250gb storage" (which any of us would assume is not a stick), then said "I tried the same with an another flash drive". Your post is a but hard to follow so let's start over. You are trying to copy files off a USB thumb drive then? Is this one of the drives you had trouble with before, or did you successfully copy to this on first try? How is it formatted?

karapetyan · Feb 22, 2015

Lifeisabeach said:
You first said "I got a USB drive with 250gb storage" (which any of us would assume is not a stick), then said "I tried the same with an another flash drive". Your post is a but hard to follow so let's start over. You are trying to copy files off a USB thumb drive then? Is this one of the drives you had trouble with before, or did you successfully copy to this on first try? How is it formatted?

No sorry about that, look I got 2 usb sticks, one with 250gb storage and one with 32gb, the 32gb usb stick is working perfectly. The troubles are with 250gb, it doesn't mount or recognize ? after copying some files from mac to stick... I'm not able to format or other kind of tricks just nothing, it just show me as a unknown device with a problem. (in windows)

pm-r · Feb 22, 2015

Still confusing to me… are you having troubles with the USB "drives" when running Mac OS or Windows????

You say "in windows" so I guess that's what you're doing.

What format type is the USB stick/drive?

johnodd4 · Feb 22, 2015

the usb stick he is referring to is the 256 gb fake sticks that where going on amazon for 20.00 there bogus flash drives they where hacked to display 256 gig but are only 16 gig you got ripped off there fakes

karapetyan · Feb 23, 2015

pm-r said:
Still confusing to me… are you having troubles with the USB "drives" when running Mac OS or Windows????

You say "in windows" so I guess that's what you're doing.

What format type is the USB stick/drive?

On both systems, the usb is not mounting so I am not able to see what kind of format type usb had.

pm-r · Feb 23, 2015

karapetyan said:
On both systems, the usb is not mounting so I am not able to see what kind of format type usb had.

Then I'd suggest either:
- the USB port id kaput
- the USB drive is kaput
- s—t happens!!

Try it in another computer maybe to double check.

Lifeisabeach · Feb 23, 2015

If you can't even see the device in Disk Utility to format it, then my immediate guess is that the stick is dead/defective. The fact that the same problem happens on a Windows PC just supports that. The fact that the other USB stick works fine eliminates this completely as a problem with the OS, and assuming you are using the "good" one in the same port as you tried the bad one in, then that eliminates a problem with the Mac/PC hardware. You are left with a defective USB stick as the only explanation.