How to check which USB sticks have been connected to the PC
How to check which USB sticks have been connected to pc. Sometimes it is important to know what USB sticks have been connected to our PC to keep track of the devices external parties who have had access to our files. Fortunately, there is a simple and direct way to verify this information in Windows. Through the »Device Manager», we can access a detailed list of all the USB devices that have been connected to our computer. In this article, we will show you step by step how to access this information and keep your PC secure.
Step by step -- How to check what USB sticks have been connected to the PC
- Connect the pen drive: To check connected USB flash drives to your pcFirst, you need to make sure you have a USB flash drive ready to connect.
- Insert the USB memory into the port: Find a free USB port on your computer and carefully insert the usb memory in it.
- Open the start menu: Click the start icon in the bottom left corner of your screen or press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the start menu.
- Look for the “Device Manager” option: In the search field of the start menu, type “Device Manager” and select the corresponding option that appears in the search results.
- Expand the section »Universal Serial Bus Controllers»: Once Device Manager opens, look for the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” section and click the down arrow icon to expand it.
- Find the USB memory in the list: Within the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” section, look for the devices listed. Look for a device that may have the name of your USB flash drive or some other similar description.
- Check the details of the USB flash drive: Right-click on the USB flash drive device and select the “Properties” option from the drop-down menu. A window will open with detailed information about the USB flash drive and its connection status.
- Review connection information: Within the properties window, check the “Device Status” tab to verify if the USB stick is connected correctly and if there are any connection problems.
- Close the properties window and Device Manager: Once you have reviewed the information, close the properties window and Device Manager.
FAQ
1. How can I check which USB drives have been connected to my PC?
- Open the control panel of your PC, you can do this by pressing the “Windows + R” keys and typing “control” in the dialog box.
- Click "System and Security" and then "Device Manager."
- In the Device administrator, expands the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” category.
- You will see a list of controllers, look for devices that have “USB” in their name.
- These are the USB devices that have been connected to your PC.
2. Is there any way to view the history of USB flash drives connected to my PC?
- Press the »Windows + R» keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Windows Registry Editor.
- In Registry Editor, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetEnumUSBSTOR.
- In the USBSTOR folder, you will see a list of subfolders with names in hexadecimal format. Each subfolder represents a USB stick connected to your PC.
- These subfolders are the history of USB drives connected to your PC.
3. What can I do if I can't find Device Manager on my PC?
- Press the “Windows + R” keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter.
- The Device Manager will open and you can follow the steps above to verify the USB drives connected to your PC.
4. Is there any way to know if someone plugged a USB stick into my PC without my knowledge?
- Open the Control Panel from your pc and click on “System and security”.
- Select “Administrative Tools” and then double-click “Event Viewer.”
- In Event Viewer, click “Windows Logs,” and then click “System.”
- Looks for events with the source »Kernel-PnP» and the description “The USB mass storage device has been connected or disconnected.”
- These events will indicate if someone has plugged in a USB flash drive on your PC.
5. How can I check connected USB drives on a Mac?
- Click the Apple menu at the top left of the screen.
- Select “About This Mac,” then click “System Information.”
- In the System Information window, click “USB” in the left column.
- On the right, you'll see a list of USB devices connected to your Mac.
- These are the USB devices that have been connected to your Mac.
6. Can I see the history of connected USB drives on a Mac?
- Click the Apple menu at the top left of the screen.
- Select “System Preferences” and then click “Users & Groups.”
- Select your username in the left column and click “Login”.
- Click “Home Items” and then click the “+” sign at the bottom.
- Now you can select the “Volumes” folder and click “Add”.
- From now on, every time you connect a USB stick, it will be saved in the Volumes folder and you can access its history from there.
7. How can I check connected USB sticks in Linux?
- Open a terminal in Linux.
- Type the following command and press Enter: lsblk
- A list of storage devices will be displayed, look for those with the type “usb”.
- These are the USB devices that have been connected to your Linux PC.
8. How can I view the history of connected USB drives in Linux?
- Open a terminal in Linux.
- Type the following command and press Enter: dmesg | grep -i usb
- A list of events related to USB devices will be displayed.
- These events represent the history of USB flash drives connected to your Linux PC.
9. Can I check the connected USB sticks on my PC without opening Device Manager?
- Press the “Windows + X” keys and select “Device Manager” from the menu.
- The Device Manager will open directly and you will be able to verify the USB sticks connected to your PC.
10. Is there a way to check the connected USB sticks on my PC using software?
- Yes, there are several third-party programs that can help you verify the USB flash drives connected to your PC.
- Some popular programs include USBDeview, DevManView, and USBLogView.
- You can download and install any of these programs on your PC.
- Once installed, you will be able to run the software and verify the USB drives connected to your PC.
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