Fix USB Device not recognized in windows 10 / 11

How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized Issue in Windows 10: – It is practically impossible to find someone who doesn’t use external drives like USB, external hard disks or mouse. Anyone who have ever used an external drive must have come across some of the error messages like “USB device not recognized”. This problem persists irrespective of which operating system the user is using. Usually, as soon as an external drive is connected to the computer, a pop-up box appears saying “The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.” It sometimes gets annoying when we wanted to do something really important with the external drive. There are a number of troubleshooting options available to fix the problem. We are trying to provide you with the most feasible ones.

Also read: – Top Free USB data recovery software for windows

Why does the “USB not detected” message pops up?

The “USB not detected” message pops up due to a variety of reasons. Some of which are:

  • After the USB is safely removed from the port, the computer disables the particular port which might be the reason for this error message.
  • The currently loaded device driver has become corrupt or unstable.
  • Outdated drivers.
  • The external drive is entering selective suspend.
  • The USB controllers have become corrupt or unstable.
  • Outdated system hardware.

How to fix a “USB device not recognized” issue?

Method 1 –  Reboot your PC

Whatever the problem maybe, the first step is to reboot your PC. This is because, in most of the cases, a simple restart of your PC resolves most of the problems. So remove the external drive which is causing the problem and restart. Now reinsert the external drive and the issue will be fixed, most probably.

Method 2 –  Change USB ports

Try to Insert your USB device into another port and see if it works or not.

Method 3 – Reinstall your external USB driver

If the problem occurs due to corrupted or unstable nature of the external hard drive, then you will need to reinstall and reconnect again. To do that follow these steps:

1 – Now,  Go to: windows 10 search box and search device manager.

device-manager

 



2 – Expand Universal Serial bus controllers.

Now, Locate your USB device driver. Most probably, it will be having a yellow sign to the left of it.

Right-click on that usb driver and Click on Uninstall.

 

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3 – When the driver is uninstalled, Click on Action and then click on scan for hardware changes. The driver will again get reinstalled.

 



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Now, Plug your USB again and see if it works.

If it does not work try installing driver from internet

1 –Right click on the faulty USB driver and click on properties

 

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2 -Now, click on Events Tab.

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3 – Now, copy the device ID (It in information section, just copy the id before & symbol)

4 – Now, copy the id and Google it. In my case it is VEN_8086

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5 – Now, match the other strings in the events Tab with the details given in the download website

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Note that in my case, I tried to match other details and found the driver required to download.

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When you are sure, It is the same driver, Just download it and install it on your PC.

Also Read: USB Device Descriptor Failure in Windows PC

Method 4 –  Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

There is a USB selective suspend setting which might be causing the trouble. To disable the USB Selective Suspend Setting, follow these steps:

1 – Search Edit Power Plan in Windows search box.

2 -Now, click on Edit Power Plan.

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3 – Now, Click on Change advanced power settings

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4 – Go to USB settings and click on [+] expand button. Expand the USB selective suspend setting.

 

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5 – Click on Plugged in and choose disabled as the option.

 

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If you are using a laptop , choose disabled as the option under on Battery too. Click Apply then on OK.

 

Usb Selective Suspend Settings

Method 5 – Reinstall every USB driver in Universal Serial Bus controllers

1 – Go to windows search box and search device manager.

device-manager

 

2 – Expand Universal Serial bus controllers.

3 – Right click on every item and click Uninstall.

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4 – Click on Action and then click on Scan for hardware changes

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Method 6 – Disconnect any other removable disk to avoid conflict

Using multiple USB connections simultaneously can cause many problems. It is safer to remove all other connections and use a single USB connection at a time to avoid conflict.

Method 7 – Run the Hardware and Device trouble-shooter

1 – Go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/17614/automatically-diagnose-and-fix-windows-usb-problems

2 – Click on Download to download WinUSB.DiagCab (Windows USB troubleshooter)

3 – Now, run the troubleshooter on your PC to automatically detect and fix USB problems on your PC.

 

Windows10 Usb Troubleshooter

 

 

Method 8 –  Repair the “USB not recognized” issue with Hotfix

There is an official repairing program by Microsoft known as Hotfix. The Hotfix is a troubleshooting software that is present as default in Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Using Hotfix will most probably solve your issue. To use Hotfix, follow these steps:

For Windows 8:



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  • If a user account control permission appears, click on Continue > click Yes. Accept the license agreement. On the next page, check the box beside Windows 8 RTM. Enter your email address then click on Request Hotfix.

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  • An email with the download link to the requested Hotfix will be sent to your email.

For Windows 7:

Method 9 – Scan for Hardware changes

Scanning for hardware changes will most probably fix your issue of USB not getting recognized. To scan for hardware changes, follow these steps:

1 – Go to Control Panel -> Device Manager.

2 – The Device Manager window will now appear. Select the drive that is causing the problem. Now click on Action menu and then click on Scan for hardware changes. If any update for the hardware appears, perform it.

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Method 10 – Install your motherboard chipset drivers

The last method to fix the issue of “USB not recognized” is to install your motherboard chipset drivers. To do the same, follow these steps:

  • Find the name of the motherboard manufacturer.
  • Go to the computer manufacturer website to find the appropriate drivers.
  • You can also contact your computer manufacturer if it is possible.

Method 11 – Update your PC drivers

One of the main reasons why “USB not recognized” trouble occurs is having an outdated driver.

In such a case, search for device manager in windows 10 search box.

 

device-manager

 

If you find a driver with an error message like “Unknown Device” or “Unidentified USB device”, then right click the particular driver and click update.

 

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