# MAC not detecting my USB key



## Valem (Jun 10, 2008)

Hello all, 

Every time I plug in my USB key, my MAC doesn't detect it, like it doesn't pop up on my desktop, I even check in my Macintosh HD Drive and it isn't there. It use to work but now it has stopped.

Another thing, for some reason I can't install updates for my MAC. I also can't even right click on my dock, but I can left click on my dock to start applications. Another thing, my MAC takes an awful long time to boot up and every time I go and play WoW, it randomly crashes and I would have to restart my MAC, which I hate doing because it takes too long. Every time I try and update it, it says there's a problem with my Installer app. I was thinking of reinstalling MAC OS X but I have stuff to back up, hence the problem with my USB key. (I have OS X Tiger)

Any help with what I mentioned above will be appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## MisterMe (Jun 10, 2008)

Valem said:


> ...
> 
> Every time I plug in my USB key, my MAC doesn't detect it, ...


First off, it is _Mac_, not _MAC_. The Mac is a line of computers from Apple. MAC is an acronym for *M*edia *A*ccess *C*ontrol, which identifies every device on an Ethernet network. Read more about it here.

But, I digress. You gave absolutely no information about your USB key. I presume that it is a USB thumb drive or Flash drive. It would really be helpful if you would say something about this USB key.


----------



## nixgeek (Jun 10, 2008)

Some more information about your Mac (which is short for "Macintosh" ) would help as well, such as the model (eg: "Power Macintosh G4", "600 MHz slot-loading iMac G3 Snow", etc.) and any other information you can give (RAM, OS X version, hard drive size, etc.).

There are some Macs that have USB ports that don't have enough power to mount the USB flash drive.  I just had this happen to me on an old iMac G3 when I connected a particular USB flash drive to the USB port on the keyboard.  Once I plugged it to the USB port on the Mac itself, it worked.  Try a different USB port (specifically one on the computer itself) and see if it works.


----------

