Ativa USB Flash Drive Will Not Work

by Lou Martin

Flash memory drives, like the Ativa line of USB flash drives, are highly sensitive pieces of equipment that malfunction for an assortment of reasons that can render them inoperable or unusable. Typically, flash drives support large amounts of data, but are, at the time of publication, still in their technological infancy and have yet to be proven as a reliable long-term data storage solution.


Some users have reported problems getting their computers to find and identify an Ativa flash drive while using the device in the computer’s USB port. When the drive is inserted, the computer produces a prompt instructing the user to conduct a search for the drivers associated with the flash drive. If you experience this, make sure you have installed the appropriate software needed for the drive to work properly. These files are usually found on a CD that comes with the flash drive. This problem can also be the result of a faulty USB port. Inserting the drive into another USB port on the same computer may resolve the problem. Placing the drive in another computer can help identify whether the USB port on your computer is indeed at fault.

Improper Removal

If you remove your Ativa flash drive improperly, you can render it unusable or in need of a reformat. Rather than just pulling the drive out when you are finished using it, dismount the device from your computer by ejecting it through the file menu on your computer. If you remove your flash drive without dismounting, you will likely need to reformat the device, which will wipe the drive clean and you will lose any stored data.

Storage Capacity

Depending on the method used to format the drive, an Ativa flash drive can offer less than its billed memory due to how the method compresses memory. For instance, an 8GB flash drive that is formatted using the FAT32 formatting method will actually only provide you with about 4GB of memory. In addition to FAT32, common flash drive formatting methods include FAT16 and NTFS. Each method makes about the same amount of memory available on your Ativa flash drive.

Write Limitations

Most USB flash drives, including Ativa drives, come with a limit on many times they can save data, also known as "writes." Typically, flash drives are capable of accepting 10,000 writes before they are unable to accept data any longer. If your Ativa USB flash drive is not working and it has been used extensively, the drive may have simply exhausted its lifespan. Insert the flash drive into another computer to see if you experience the same problem. If so, your flash drive may have expired.

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