USB no media and shows 0 bytes
“I had a problem with my PNY USB flash drive. When I plug it in Windows 7 and click
on it, an error message prompts saying: Please insert a disk into drive X. Windows
Disk Management and DiskPart report No Media with 0 bytes, also 0 free space. I
cannot partition or format the USB drive. If attempting to format the drive returns
the warning again: There is no disk in drive X. Insert a disk, and then try again.
What can I do to make this flash drive usable? Here is a snapshot of Diskpart
showing 0 free space. Any advice will be appreciated.”

That is a common problem blows out on USB flash drive, SD card, memory card and pen
drive and so on. Why would that happen?
Why USB flash drive shows no media and 0 MB in Windows?
In general, there are several main reasons for USB flash drive No Media error in
Diskpart or Disk Management.
Hidden files. Files are still there but set as hidden due to unknown
reasons.
No recognized partition on the USB drive.
Remove the USB drive without ejecting or safely removing it. That behavior
may damage stored files on the drive, so does to the MBR or PBR of the
device.
Insufficient power supply to the flash from USB port. Overloading USB ports
like inserting multiple USB drives simultaneously, or use tortured USB cable may
result in the USB showing 0 bytes and No Media.
Virus infection. The files on the USB drive may be damaged by computer
virus.
Failing flash drive, usually NAND flash failing. No Media error happens also
when the flash memory controller cannot communicate with the NAND flash memory
on the drive. As a result, Windows will treat the drive as an empty disk
drive.
After knowing the reasons for USB No Media phenomenon, it is more important to learn
how to get USB No Media fixed in a quick way.
How to get USB No Media fixed in Windows 7/8/10?
It is not suggested to format the drive when you see the prompting dialogue because
that will delete all data on that drive. However, don’t worry it has been formatted.
If you haven’t written any data to that drive, you can recover lost
partition on USB drive later.
Before taking any further step, it is suggested to reinstall USB driver first. Keep
the USB drive connected. And then go to My Computer/Manage/USB Controller/USB Mass
Storage/Uninstall. Next, remove the USB drive, re-plug in and then the driver will
be reinstalled.
However, if the USB port is overloading or bad USB cable, unplug other external
storage or use a different cable; If the flash drive is failing, you need to turn to
a good one; If there is no recognized partition on the USB stick, create a new
partition in Disk Management;
For other causes, let’s get to know their solutions one by one.
Check if the files are not in hidden mode
1. Press Win + R to open Run. Input cmd and press Enter. Run as administrator.
2. At the prompt, enter this command attrib –h –r –s /s /d f:\*.*(replace f: with the drive letter of your USB drive) and press Enter.
Now, check if there are any files on the drive.
Scan and repair the USB in Windows Explorer
If the USB drive is infected by virus, try this way to repair it.
1. Open Windows File Explorer, right click the partition of USB drive and approach toProperties > Tool > Check/Check now.
2. Check both options in the pop-out window and click on Start.

Tips: You can run disk checking in Command Prompt as well. For
specific steps, refer to check
and fix errors in Windows.
Fix MBR for USB flash drive
If the Master Boot Record (MBR) is damaged, you can rebuild it in this way. AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is
free partition manager that allows you to fix MBR for USB drive, external hard drive
and internal system disk in graphical user interface. All steps are easy to follow.
It is tiny due to no bundled software. Download to
have a try.
1. Connect the USB drive to your computer. Install and launch AOMEI Partition
Assistant.
2. Right click the USB drive and select Rebuild MBR.

3. Choose the proper MBR type for your operating system in this window.
4. Click Apply and then Proceed to commit the
operations.
Tips:
This method also applies to SD card 0 bytes repairing and memory card 0 bytes
repairing.
If you get a corrupted MBR on system disk, you can fix MBR for Windows 10,
Windows 8, or Windows 7.
The advanced version, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, embeds with
more powerful features such as change partition type ID, change Serial Number,
and command line operations. Upgrade to learn
more.
SanDisk USB drive or SD card 0 capacity
If you are facing USB drive No Media 0 bytes on SanDisk brand, it is suggested to download U3 Launchpad Installer
software on Internet Explorer (it must be Internet Explorer). That software is able
to restore SanDisk USB or SD card to its factory settings. Another point of view to
get USB No Media repaired.
Verdict
When you get into the trouble USB shows No Media and 0 bytes in Windows 7/8/10, you
can fix it in different ways. Find the one that is most suitable for your
situation.
Aforementioned AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you in solving many other practical
issues. For example, you can format
USB to exFAT file system. Besides, you can realize BYOD by making SanDisk USB
bootable. Download to experience more.