Microsoft provided Windows 10 Media Creation tool for burning Windows 10 onto your USB/DVD drive, this makes Windows 10 upgrading process even easier. But, for some users “we can’t find a USB flash drive” error message pop up when they try to select the USB device to create a Windows 10 ISO USB or while choosing the USB for Windows 10 installation.
Causes:
Generally, this Windows 10 Media Creation tool error “we can’t find a USB flash drive” appears if there is something wrong with your USB drive/driver.
How to Fix Windows 10 Media Creation Tool Error “We Can’t Find a USB Flash Drive”?
Solution 1: Use Another USB Drive
You can solve the error “we can’t find a USB flash drive” simply by using a different USB drive. If you have a spare USB flash drive, plug it instead of the one which gave an error. Also, try another USB port of the computer to connect the flash drive.
For most of the users, swapping the USB drive actually helped in fixing the error Windows 10 Media Creation tool error “we can’t find a USB flash drive”; along with making the erroneous drive recognized by the computer.
Solution 2: Use DISKPART Tool
Note: Make sure you have a proper backup of the USB flash drive files before you start with the below-troubleshooting procedure since it erases entire data from your USB drive. In case, your USB drive is showing no data because it is corrupted, then make use of a good USB data recovery program that can recover files from RAW flash drive, virus infected USB, the flash drive having bad sectors/damaged file system, etc. and then proceed with the below resolution:
- Open elevated Command Prompt. Type cmd at the Start menu, right-click on the Command Prompt (form the result) and select Run as administrator.
- Next, type diskpart in the Command Prompt editor window and click the Enter button. This launches the DISKPART tool.
- Now, type in below DISKPART commands one at a time in the Command Prompt window and click Enter button after each.
list volume -> to show all volumes
You will see a list of all volumes present on your system. Note the drive letter of your USB flash drive (based on its size) and type next command. Replace g with your USB flash drive letter.
- select volume g -> to select the USB drive
- You will see a confirmation message “Volume *Disk number* is the selected volume”.
- clean -> to clean USB device volume
- create partition primary -> to create the new partition on the USB drive
- exit -> to close the Command Prompt
Now format your USB flash drive by:
- Clicking This PC or My Computer from the Desktop
- Right-click on your removable USB drive and select Format
- In the Format window, select FAT32 under File system and click the Start button
Wait for the formatting process to get complete and run the Windows ISO setup again.
Solution 3: Update USB Driver
Outdated driver software may sometime cause various error codes while using the USB flash drive especially, on newer versions of Windows operating system like Windows 10. Hence, updating the USB driver software might solve the error “we can’t find a USB flash drive”.
- Open Device Manager from the Start menu (press Windows and X keys together).
- Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers, right-click on your USB device, and choose Update driver option.
- Go for the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and wait for Windows to search and install the latest driver software.
If Windows doesn’t find the latest driver, you can download it from the manufacturer’s website and install it manually using the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
If you are running Windows 10 on your system, latest driver software for inbuilt devices are regularly installed along with Windows updates.
