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If the thumb drive is working with one operating system, but not the other, it may have been formatted using either NTFS or HFS, causing compatibility issues. There can be compatibility issues when attempting to read a PC formatted thumb drive on a Mac, or vice versa. How do I determine what version of USB I'm using?.You can identify the generation of USB your computer uses through the following link. If you are connecting to a port on the front of the computer, try using one on the back instead.Ĭomputers that are using USB 1.0 may not be compatible with some thumb drives meant for USB 2.0 and beyond. Front USB ports are often passive, which causes compatibility issues with some devices.If you are using a USB hub, try removing the hub and connecting the thumb drive directly to the computer instead of the hub.If any of them work, you have a bad USB port. Try your thumb drive in multiple USB ports on the original computer.If one computer can read the USB thumb drive, but another cannot, try the suggestions below. If it works, you know that the thumb drive is functional, and that the issue is related to a bad hardware or outdated drivers. USB port issuesĪ good initial step is to try the thumb drive on a different computer. See: How to update a Microsoft Windows computer. Many software issues can be fixed by keeping Microsoft Windows up-to-date.
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