Macbook Pro no longer recognizes flash drives

[mr hat]

I own a 2016 Macbook Pro, purchased new about 5 months ago. It has suddenly stopped recognizing flash drives and external hard drives which are plugged into the USB-C ports. I have tested it with 5 different flash drives and 1 external drive, all of which worked fine the last time I used them on this computer. I've confirmed that both ports still work to charge the device. I considered that maybe the problem was that my USB-C adapter cable stopped working, but I think that is unlikely since the cable has been sitting on my desk literally untouched since the last time it worked. However, since I don't know anyone else who owns a device with these annoying USB-C ports, I cannot easily test whether the adapter cable is still working or not. I've tried the simple fixes like changing the settings in finder preferences and rebooting the computer several times. When I run Windows on my Mac using bootcamp the flash drives still do not appear. I would really appreciate any insights you might have on this problem or a possible solution. Thank you.

 

[EugW]

Buy a new cable.

Or something simpler like this (if appropriate):

 

[mr hat]

I really really doubt the cable is the problem, it just doesn't make sense unless it was faulty all along, which doesn't seem to be the case. How can a cable that was working perfectly a few days ago break if it hasn't been moved or touched since then? I certainly don't want to spend $20 on a new adapter cable when that seems like a very unlikely cause of the problem.

 

[DeltaMac]

hmm... Drive "not recognized"? or just does not mount and appear on the desktop?
How did you determine that your MBPro no longer recognizes USB storage devices?
If you insert your device, does it appear in the USB tab of your System Information utility?

If so, does your USB drive appear in the Storage tab (still in System Information)?

If you get nothing, does another kind of device work in the USB port? This would be a great test with a USB mouse.
Did you test ALL USB ports, not just one that you usually use?
(If another device works, and you are STILL trying to use the same adapter, that's your next step --- try a different USB adapter.

 

[EugW]

Lots of cheap crappy USB-C cables out there.

And you don't need to buy a cable. If you just want to convert USB-A to USB-C, you can get $3 adapters.

 

[mr hat]

When I plug in a drive absolutely nothing happens. It does not appear anywhere that I am aware of.

 

[DeltaMac]

USB-C connector is reversible. Be sure to try "flipping" it

Plug in your USB flash drive. Boot into Safe boot mode. (restart, holding the shift key)
Log in (you will get a login screen even if you normally don't see one)
Go to your System Information, and check for your external drive in the USB tab.
Double-check in the Storage tab.

Check another USB device (not storage, could even be a printer, or a USB mouse). Borrow something if you don't have any other device, or take to a shop where you might try out several different devices, etc.
If you get nothing, then you have a bad USB cable, or a bad USB-C adapter, or your USB port has simply failed.

 

[mr hat]

USB-C connector is reversible. Be sure to try "flipping" it

Plug in your USB flash drive. Boot into Safe boot mode. (restart, holding the shift key)
Log in (you will get a login screen even if you normally don't see one)
Go to your System Information, and check for your external drive in the USB tab.
Double-check in the Storage tab.

Check another USB device (not storage, could even be a printer, or a USB mouse). Borrow something if you don't have any other device, or take to a shop where you might try out several different devices, etc.
If you get nothing, then you have a bad USB cable, or a bad USB-C adapter, or your USB port has simply failed.

Thanks, I will try plugging in a USB mouse when I get home to see if that works. I'm fairly sure that the ports themselves have not failed because both ports still work to charge the Mac. I'm using a USB to USB-C adapter from Apple (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter) which is only a few weeks old and has never experienced any significant wear and tear, so if the adapter has already gone bad that would be kinda unacceptable.