flash drives

[np8521]

I have multiple flash drives I use for backup. When I tried one it worked, the next one I tried which was working on my old laptop, didnt work. The laptop wouldnt recognize it. I assumed it was the flash drive. Got a new flash drive, but before trying it, there was a reboot that took place. So i tried the new flash drive and it worked, but after that, the first flash drive is not recognized, and neither is the one which didnt work originally. Seems like after a reboot and using more than one flash drive the laptop wont recognize the other one? 

[Nal_NR · Accepted solution]

Hi @np8521,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be happy to help you! 

It sounds like your HP Envy x360 2-in-1 Laptop is experiencing an issue where it struggles to recognize multiple flash drives, especially after a reboot. This could be due to several factors, including USB driver issues, power management settings, or even conflicts with the USB ports themselves. Here's a step-by-step guide to troubleshooting and potentially resolving this issue:

1. Check USB Ports

• Try Different Ports: Plug the flash drive into different USB ports on your laptop to see if it's recognized.
• Inspect the Ports: Make sure the USB ports are clean and free of debris. Sometimes dust can prevent proper contact.

2. Update USB Drivers

• Step 1: Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
• Step 2: Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.
• Step 3: Right-click each USB device and select Update driver. Choose to search automatically for updated drivers.
• Step 4: Restart your laptop after updating the drivers.

3. Power Management Settings

• Step 1: Go to Device Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.
• Step 2: Right-click on each USB Root Hub and select Properties.
• Step 3: Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
• Step 4: Click OK and repeat for all USB Root Hubs.

4. Check for Conflicts in Device Manager

• Step 1: In Device Manager, check for any devices with a yellow exclamation mark under Universal Serial Bus controllers or Disk drives.
• Step 2: If you find any, right-click and select Uninstall device.
• Step 3: Restart your laptop, and Windows should reinstall the driver.

5. USB Flash Drive Compatibility

• Test the Flash Drives: Try the flash drives on another computer to ensure they are working correctly.
• Check File System: Some older flash drives may be formatted with a file system (e.g., FAT32) that could have compatibility issues. You may need to reformat them to NTFS or exFAT (Note: Reformatting will erase all data on the drive).

Please find the remaining steps in the next post.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @np8521,

Please find the remainings steps. 

6. Run Windows Troubleshooter

• Step 1: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• Step 2: Scroll down and select Hardware and Devices.
• Step 3: Run the troubleshooter and follow the on-screen instructions.

7. Check for Windows Updates

• Step 1: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
• Step 2: Click on Check for updates to ensure your system is up to date.
• Step 3: Install any available updates and restart your laptop.

8. Test in Safe Mode

• Step 1: Boot your laptop into Safe Mode (Press F8 during startup or follow the appropriate method for Windows 10/11).
• Step 2: Try connecting the flash drives in Safe Mode to see if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, there might be a software conflict causing the problem.

9. Reset USB Ports

• Step 1: Shut down your laptop completely.
• Step 2: Disconnect all USB devices and remove any connected power supply.
• Step 3: Hold down the power button for about 30 seconds.
• Step 4: Reconnect the power supply and boot up the laptop. Once started, try connecting the flash drives again.

10. Check BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Step 1: Restart your laptop and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F10, or Del during startup).
• Step 2: Check for any USB-related settings and ensure they are enabled.
• Step 3: Save changes and exit, then test the flash drives again.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, there could be a deeper hardware-related problem, or a software conflict. In that case, contacting HP Phone Support for further assistance would be recommended.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[np8521]

thank you, reformatting the flash drives to exFAT seems to have resolved the problem

[Nal_NR]

Hi @np8521,

Fantastic 🙂 I truly appreciate your time and patience in getting this issue resolved.  

If you need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us.