Portable storage media based on solid-state memory chips have become so widespread that they almost imperceptibly almost replaced conventional CDs. Now it’s hard to surprise anyone with a recently purchased motherboard, the accompanying drivers for which are supplied by the manufacturer on a small flash drive.
After analyzing the development of storage media, we can conclude that in the near future the disks will be completely forgotten in favor of alternative USB devices. In the light of what has been said, it is quite clear that if for some reason the BIOS does not see a flash drive in a modern computer , then this is equivalent to a small local disaster.
Connection difference
The owner of a personal computer who, at least in general terms, was familiar with the specifications of the installed motherboard, probably wondered why there were only a few pieces in his computer system of outputs of the universal serial USB bus, although not less than a dozen were mentioned in the instructions.
In fact, there is no deception here. In the production of the motherboard, only a limited set of USB outputs are soldered to it, and all the rest are made in the form of two rows of thin copper pins on the main board. They are not difficult to find, since there is always a corresponding signature-designation (USB 3-4, etc.). A special plug is connected to them, from which there is a loop of wires to the classic USB-connectors. This solution is convenient in that the bracket with outputs can be placed not only on the back wall of the system unit, which is often very problematic to get to, but also on the front panel, as well as on the side and top of the case. And if the BIOS does not see the flash drive, then first of all it is necessary to determine which port the drive is connected to.
Remote USB port: good or headache
The developers, creating such a modular system of outputs, pursued a wonderful goal - to provide flexibility and convenience for the user. However, no one canceled the laws of physics, which sometimes causes problems with BIOS, which does not want to see a USB flash drive connected to a computer.
Indeed, the direct soldering of the connector to the contacts on the board is one thing, but the use of additional conductors with their own length and resistance is completely different.
Is it any wonder that one day, by connecting a USB-drive to an external bracket with connectors, the user will ask why there is no flash drive in BIOS? Thus, with such problems, the first thing that the owner should do is insert a USB drive into any of the ports located on the back of the system unit, i.e. the one that is physically soldered to the board. Usually this simple action is enough to solve this problem. Admittedly, the extension bars are still not so bad. It is important to use a high-quality cable when using them, and the shorter it is, the better.
What do USB drives do?
Being electronic devices, all flash drives require electricity to operate. The same is true for all internal and peripheral computer components. Hence the conclusion - if the parameters of the supplied voltage or current differ from the nominal, then there will be malfunctions, up to the point that BIOS errors may appear. The power supply to all components of the system unit is “supervised” by a special unit located inside the case.
Speaking specifically about USB drives, the control and distribution scheme for the ports is “tied” to the controllers. Each of these elements can pass limited electric power through itself. Thus, if a device with a high current consumption (external HDD or DVD) and a USB flash drive are connected to two ports served by one controller, the latter can work completely unpredictably. You can talk a lot about this. If you do without theory, and immediately give an answer to the question of why the BIOS does not see the flash drive, then it will be very simple: if the drive is plugged into the port and everyone nearby is busy, then you need to remove extraneous devices, leaving only one USB stick
Alternative solution
If you can’t refuse to use all USB-equipment: (you need a printer, mouse, scanner, keyboard, etc.), then you should think about purchasing a special device - an external USB-hub with its own power supply. This is a kind of tee, in terms of power supply in no way dependent on the computer.
Extension
Some owners of a computer system use an intermediate wire to connect external USB drives. This is a thin cable, on one side of which there is a “mother” socket, into which flash drives, etc., are inserted, and on the other, a regular plug for the port connector. The reasons for using such an extension cord can be very different. Sometimes it is impossible to do without such a decision. Another thing is important: if the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive, and it is connected to the system unit via the extension cord, then its use must be abandoned. At least for the time being.
Incompatibility of standards
Now there is a gradual displacement of the USB-version 2.0 in favor of 3.0. There is no doubt that this is inevitable: it is unlikely that modern users are worried about the disappearance from the market of mass devices based on USB 1.0.-1.1. The transition problem is that when you try to connect a version 2.0 device to a standard 3.0 port, no one guarantees correct operation.
Theoretically, the standards are compatible, but in some rare cases, on boards with ports of the latest version, the BIOS does not see the flash drive of the previous generation. To restore functionality in the operating system, you must install the drivers for support. BIOS, you can try to update. To do this, you will have to visit the website of the motherboard developer, download the appropriate software package and upgrade. Or to do it even easier: do not understand why the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive, but remove it from the USB 3.0 port (usually they are highlighted in color) and connect it to the 2.0 connector.
Base system errors
The work of any motherboard is carried out with the direct participation of a special set of programs - BIOS. It is he who configures all ports, assigns them interrupts, sets up a DMA channel, etc. It is not surprising that if BIOS errors occur, the flash drive may not work. In this case, it is necessary to update the mentioned software package.
There are several ways to solve this problem: download the file of the new BIOS version from the manufacturer’s website and “sew” it into the non-volatile memory of the motherboard using a special program.
You can also update via the Internet by selecting the appropriate item in the flasher. BIOS on XP is updated in the same way as in other operating systems from Microsoft. And in the same way, before performing a flashing, you need to disable the antivirus. We recommend that you carefully read the instructions before flashing, as well as familiarize yourself with all warnings issued by the update program. This tool should be the last thing worth resorting to if the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.
Invalid entry
A growing number of users are starting to work with flash drives in the same way as with CDs. From such media download, install the operating system, even update the BIOS. However, it is not enough to simply transfer the package of files to a similar USB drive. In order to be able to download from it, it is necessary to prepare it in a special way.
For this purpose, a number of programs are used. For example, it can be Ultra ISO, WinSetupFromUSB, RuFus and others. If the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive, then it is likely that the boot area recording itself was not performed correctly. In this case, use another application to prepare the USB drive. Often this helps.
Device performance
And finally, one cannot ignore the fact that the flash drive itself can be damaged. Sometimes it can work as a simple storage medium, however, downloading from it is impossible. In other cases, the recorded data is deleted spontaneously - this is often "sinned" by Chinese fakes with an adjusted volume.
Thus, if none of the above helps, then the device must be checked on another computing system. Re-formatting, changing the file system (between NTFS and FAT32), and editing the cluster size can also help . It is also useful to read the instructions for the board, which describes the settings of the USB ports. Perhaps the solution to the problem is the only BIOS setup item.