The computer is giving conflicting information – that can be for a variety of reasons but usually means that it’s unable to communicate with the drive properly or the drive’s directory is damaged.
Some people believe that because USB flash drives have no moving parts they will never break down – that’s not true. They do in fact break down but what you want to do is figure out whether it’s the drive or the computer and then see if you can fix either.
First try general troubleshooting:
-Format the USB drive (right-click on it and click ‘Format’ or ‘Erase’). Backup your data to the computer’s C drive first if it’s important.
-Restart the computer
-Try the USB key on another USB port, particularly the ones at the back of your computer rather than ones on a hub, keyboard, or the front.
-Some drives have a physical ‘write-protect’ toggle switch: make sure it’s set to allow ‘write’ operations
If it still doesn’t work then does the drive work properly connected to another computer? If the USB drive works somewhere else then the computer you’re using it is probably the issue.
If the same problem occurs on another computer after all of that then the drive itself is the issue. If formating it doesn’t work then you need a replacement. Keep in mind that many reputable USB flash drive brands have a lifetime return policy too.