How to Fix ‘There is No Media in the Specified Device’ USB Error

When the user tries to format their USB drive with the help of the Format UI tool or Diskpart, they face an error saying, ‘There is no media in the specified device.’ When you get this error message, you won’t be able to use your USB driver or format it.

So how can this issue be fixed? This article will discuss various ways to help fix ‘There is no media in the specified device’ on the USB drive, but before that, we will also discuss various reasons why you may encounter this issue. 

Reasons to Face USB Error ‘There is No Media in the Specified Device’

The ‘There is no media in the specified device’ error can occur for various reasons. Some of them are mentioned below –

• If the user has outdated, faulty, or corrupted USB drivers, then the user will face the issue. 
• This can occur if too many USB drivers are connected to your PC. A few temporary glitches can cause this issue.
• Another reason behind the ‘There is no media in the specified device’ error can be a damaged/corrupted Master Boot Record (MBR).
• The error can also occur due to file system errors. 

Ways to Fix ‘There is No Media in the Specified Device’ Error

There are several troubleshooting methods to fix this error, which are listed below-

1. Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Before taking the advanced troubleshooting steps mentioned in this article, you should try the basic troubleshooting methods. Users can check their USB drive with another computer to see if the error still occurs.

If the USB drive works on another PC, then there might be some software-related issues or an issue with the port. However, if it does not work on another PC, then that means there is an issue with your USB drive, which is on the hardware side.

If the USB drive works on another PC, try changing the port. If switching the port helps, then the port is faulty. If it does not work on another port, move to the next troubleshooting steps in this article. 

2. Update USB Device Driver

You may face the issue due to an outdated USB device driver. If that is the reason behind facing this error, then you should try updating the USB device driver and then check if the issue is fixed or not. To do so, follow the steps given below-

1. Press the Windows + X combo and then click on Device Manager.
2. Double-click on Disk Drives to expand it.
3. Right-click on the USB drive you are having trouble with, and then click on Update Driver. Then, click on Check automatically for drivers.
4. Once you have performed the above steps, reconnect the USB and check whether the error has been solved. 

3. Reinstall USB Device Driver

Buggy USB device drivers may also cause this issue. You should try reinstalling the USB device driver and check if that solves the issue. This can be done by following the steps given below-

1. From the Start Menu, open Device Manager. 
2. Here, expand the Disk Drives section.
3. Right-click on a USB drive you are facing an issue with, then click on Uninstall Device. Click on Uninstall to uninstall the driver.
4. Now, restart your PC to reinstall the driver. The issue should be fixed by now. 

4. Run Windows Disk Checker Tool

Users can also run the Windows Built-in Disk error checking tool to fix the ‘There is no media in the specified device’ error. The steps for the same are as follows-

1. Press the Windows + E combo to open Windows Explorer. Then right-click on the USB drive you are facing an error with and click on Properties.
2. Head to the Tools tab, and then click on the Check button under the Error Checking section.
3. There, check the checkbox for Automatically fix file system error and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. 
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to run the Windows Disk Checker tool.
5. Lastly, check whether the error has been solved or still occurring. 

5. Rebuild MBR

The ‘There is no media in the specified device’ error can occur due to the Master Boot Record (MBR). In that case, the user needs to fix it by Rebuilding MBR or Repairing MBR. To rebuild MBR, follow the steps given below-

1. Get the Installation media for your version of Windows. 
2. Now, open the Settings app on your PC by pressing Windows + I key combo. 
3. Here, under the System tab, click on Recovery.
4. Click on Restart Now button right next to the Advanced startup. You will be headed to the Windows Recovery Menu.
5. Here, click on the Troubleshoot option and then click on Advanced Options.
6. Next, click on the Command Prompt option.
7. You will now have to use the Bootrec.exe tool. To do so, follow the steps given below-
   • bootrec /RebuildBcd
   • bootrec /fixMbr
   • bootrec /fixboot
8. This will rebuild MBR. Now restart your PC normally, and then check if the issue is fixed or not. 

6. Run SFC Scan

Another reason for facing USB Error ‘There is no media in the specified device’ can be corrupted system files. Corrupted system files can easily be fixed by running SFC. To do so, follow the steps given below-

1. Press the Windows key, search for CMD and run it as administrator. 
2. Here, type and execute the command sfc /scannow
3. Wait for the process to complete, and then restart your PC.

Conclusion

These were some troubleshooting steps to help fix the USB Error ‘There is no media in the specified device.’ This issue is generally caused by drivers, so updating and reinstalling the drivers should probably fix it.