Windows 10 media creation tool can't find USB

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I have the same problem. I'm trying to create a USB installation flash drive for Windows 10 which I have successfully installed on my PC but I want to do a fresh install. My USB flash drive shows in File Explorer, I've formatted it in Windows 10 but when it comes to the Media Creation Tool it does not find the USB drive. No mention of error messages to contact manufacturer. I've checked for drivrer updates and the latest drivers are installed. A USB memory stick should not be this difficult to track down. Thanks in anticipation.

I have this issue on 2 systems. There are no problem with the drivers. I already have Windows 10 running on both systems. All ports, drives, USB, everything is running fine. I can use a USB in any of the 3 USB ports available on my laptop system. (2-USB 3.0 and 1-USB 2.0), and on the desktop there are 6 USB ports, (USB 2.0) There is nothing wrong with any of them. When I try and do a create the USB for a clean install using MediaCreationToolx64 downloaded from Microsoft, it tells me there is no USB on both systems. No errors only the option to refresh the list and that does no good. I can then exit out of the MediaCreationToolx64 installation and use that USB normally. An alternative method outlined here on CNET explains that if you have Windows 10 already installed, which I do on both systems, you can navigate to Settings > Update & security > Recovery >Reset this PC > Remove everything. I chose to remove my files and clean the drive. Then I click Reset. This only works on my desktop but not on my laptop. When I perform this on my laptop, I get the message, Something went wrong. No changes were made.

I was having the exact same issue reported here.  I read in another forum about Windows not recognizing Sandisk drives for the creation of recovery drives, with the recommendation to try another brand.  I just succeeded in creating my Win10 installation USB drive simply by using the only non-Sandisk thumb drive I had, which happened to be a Toshiba.  It worked on one of the front USB 3.0 ports on my system, too!

So, it appears that, for some mysterious reason, Windows 8.1 (maybe other versions as well) will happily recognize Sandisk USB drives, write to them, and read from them, but won't create recovery drives or installation drives on them.

***UPDATE*** Please read!!!

I have read on several websites, do not try to install Windows 10 from 7 or 8.1 using the method outlined on CNET. Basically what could happen is that During Installation/Activation, Windows 10 will ask you for a product license key! You don't have one, it's an upgrade from Microsoft for Windows 10. Allow your computer to automatically update itself to Windows 10 that way Microsoft will update their database with your information they already have for that specific system and during Installation/Activation so you will not be asked for any license key. 

This makes perfect sense to me as an advanced user. I thankfully did not get the USB method outlined on CNET to work for some reason and by what their comments reflect, it's a good thing that I didn't. Also check out this article for more information on ZDnet about Microsoft and their activation steps.

Has anyone had any progress on this issue. I upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 and installed all updates etc. I just want to do a clean install right now using media creation tool and a sandisk 16gb usb flash drive. The media creation tool is not seeing the flash drive when opting to use usb over dvd iso. I can recognize flash drives of the same type on my computer and read/write data onto them. Does the usb need to be pre-formatted a certain way or can it not exceed a certain size? I would really like an answer from Microsoft on this, even if it is "this is a problem we are aware, in the meantime do not use a usb" or something instead of the generic contact your pc manufacturer.

I spent a couple of hours experimenting with my Sandisk thumb drives, re-formatting them to see if that would make Windows 8.1 accept them as recovery disks or as destinations for the Windows 10 ISO.

I tried it on a 4GB, a 16GB, and a 32 GB.  No matter what I did, I could not get these tools to see the drives, despite their being available to Windows for all other purposes.  Toshiba and Kingston drives work every time without a problem (I used a Toshiba for my Windows 10 ISO).  I don't have experience with other brands.

I don't know what the nature of the Sandisk incompatibility is, but it does exist.  I have seen theories about it all over the web, but so far nothing concrete.  To the best of my knowledge, neither company has made official statements about it.

I just installed Windows 10, and have not tried for Sandisk compatibility under it, so I don't know if the problem goes away under the new OS.

rgdow86 Yes an acknowledgement from Microsoft would be helpful. In the meantime, I would not use the USB method at all. Please read the update I posted on August 6th. I would use the following method AFTER the update to Windows 10 from Microsoft, that way you don't risk needing an activation key.

Go to All settings > Update & security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Remove everything. This will remove all your files, apps, and anything that does not come with Windows 10 and will give you a fresh / clean install. However I could not get this to work on one of my 3 systems. I received an error that simply stated, "Something Went Wrong. No Changes Were Made". As usual here, nobody has provided an answer for that specific issue.

Since upgrading to Windows 10 it won't recognize any usb 2.0 flash drives.

Trying to update the driver via device manager, it says it could not find any drivers (on the net).

This despite me configuring non-signed drivers to be accepted.

Do Microsoft read these threads ?

Oh I tried the Microsoft USB Fixit utility and get the message "not supported on this operating system"

Well it's more important to get it out now than waiting until it works, isn't it ?

I wish history didn't keep repeating itself

This question was also brought up on SanDisk Forums I came across. Its how SanDisk made the drives. Way the Firmware bit value was set so windows will see it as a hard drive not flash drive. What one guy said the reason for this was to conform to Microsoft Go Drive Standards. So Really the problem isn't with the drive its Microsoft. I think the media creation software program should have an option to see ALL DRIVES . To over come this issue.  I'm sure if you have any other flash drive that conformed to Microsoft Go Drive standards. Which someone said avoid all drives that say Designed for Windows 8 / 8.1 cause It should give you the same problem. I'm trying to use a third party software to write the iso to my sandisk usb drive.  This is probably the best answer I can dish up from different sources.