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Why won't my Mac Book Pro recognize my Flash Drive?

So I have never experienced this problem before. My flash drives always appeared on my desktop, then one afternoon, my usual flash drive was not showing up on my MacBook, so I assumed it was the flash drive and not my computer. Since that day, I haven't really used a flash drive for anything until today when I tried to save a few photographs on a different flash drive this time. I plugged in the flash drive in both usb ports and still nothing. I cannot find my flash drive anywhere! I checked all my system preferences and everything seems to be right so why am I still having this issue? I don't have a problem when i plug in my ipod or ipad, and I can't find my flash drive in Disk Utilities either.

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Oct 14, 2013 9:29 AM

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91 replies

Apr 19, 2017 3:47 AM in response to ashleyvzqz

I finally found a fix to this problem. I looked for it on the internet where it got me to this thread. I read some stuff and then just tried something and it worked!


For me,

I went to DIsk Utility -> (in the top bar) Disk Utility -> Services -> System Preferences -> Reset to defaults.


Note that I'm running the latest version of mac as of 19th April, 2017(macOS Sierra version 10.12.4)


Also, it took me 15 mins to post this answer as apple.inc wasnt letting me sign in directly.

I had to go to the home page and then sign in and then search for this thread on the community.


Anyways hope this works for you!

Aug 31, 2017 7:16 PM in response to synepdx

When I do this it still doesn't show up. The light on the USB just stays on. I can't detect it in Finder, Disk Utility, System Information, or anything. What do I do then?


PS It would be greatly appreciated if you reply as soon as possible. It is absolutely crucial that I access my usb flash drive and my documents.

Oct 5, 2017 1:24 PM in response to ashleyvzqz

I discovered the slow insert technique by myself and then googled it to find the logic behind it.

Does anyone have a logical explanation behind this?
I really want to revert back to normal days, if it works slow, with a permanent fix, it should work by normal insert as well, since the USB port is confirmed to be working in a way. Is this a software issue or hardware issue?

Oct 14, 2013 9:56 PM in response to ashleyvzqz

Hi ashleyvzqz. You may be interestedin this thread #23400199, which sorry to say does not provide a solution, but shows the problem may be more pervasive than just you. This is a huge deal, IMO, I cannot work with any USB sticks or devices at this point. Apple, you're losing your touch, disappointed does not even begin to describe how I feel. Ripped off more like it. $2,400 machine with messed up USB ports, whaddap.

Why won't my Mac Book Pro recognize my Flash Drive?

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