15 Ways to Overcome USB Device Not Recognized Error

 Today, most computers and laptops have Universal Serial Bus or USB connectors. These ports are mostly used on computers & laptops to connect USB devices such as flash drives, keyboards / mice, speakers, webcams, joysticks, Android, etc.

Modern computers and laptops have at least two or three USB Ports and they support a wide range of devices. You may know that when you connect a USB device for the first time, a Windows computer will install the appropriate driver.

When the Windows operating system fails to detect and install the connected device, it shows the 'USB Device Not Recognized' error message. This is a general error message and can happen to anyone. So, in this article, We are going to share some of the best methods which will help you to fix the 'USB Device Not Recognized' error message easily.

How to Overcome USB Device Not Recognized Error in Windows

The method that I will share below is quite easy to follow. So, let's check out some of the best methods to fix the USB Device Not Recognized error message in Windows.

Unplug the Computer Power Supply

Unplug the Computer Power Supply

Unplugging the computer's power cord doesn't mean you perform a standard shutdown, it means you have to unplug the power cord from your computer. Sometimes the motherboard needs to be restarted to help resolve inadequate power supply to outside devices.

Leave the computer alone for a few minutes, then plug the computer power cord back in. Then check if the computer can detect the USB device. If it fails, don't panic, use the next method.

Use Troubleshoot

The Windows operating system provides you with a troubleshooter utility to deal with various hardware & software errors. The Windows troubleshooter utility can fix most of the hardware related problems including the 'USB Device Not Recognized' error. To access the utility, open Settings and go to Update and Security > Troubleshoot. Scroll down and select Hardware and Devices, then click Run the troubleshooter

Hardware And Device Troubleshooting Tool

If you don't find Hardware and Devices in the Troubleshoot tool, you can open Command Prompt with admin privileges then type the command msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic then follow the instructions.

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

Disconnect And Connect USB Device

Disconnect And Connect USB Device

This is a simple method that you can do. Because sometimes re-plugging the device can fix the problem because when reconnecting you are actually refreshing the connected device.

Disable Fast Startup Options

If you have a laptop and you are facing problem regarding USB device then you must disable Fast Startup option. Follow this step to do it:

1. First of all, go to Power option and then select 'Change what the power buttons do'

Change what the power buttons do

2. Now you need to click on “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”

Change settings that are currently unavailable

3. After that you navigate to Shutdown settings and then uncheck the “Turn on Fast Startup” option

Turn on fast startup (recommended)

4. Simply, click Save changes and restart the computer. That will probably solve the problem.

Remove USB Drive And Insert In A Different USB Port

Unplug the USB Drive

If you keep getting the “USB Device Not Recognized Error” dialog box. There is a possibility that your USB port has a problem. USB ports may malfunction and break as they get older. So, plugging and USB drive in a different port will fix this problem. If you find a problem in your USB port then make sure to replace it to avoid future errors.

Restart Computer

Restart Computer

Every time we start our PC, all programs, drivers and processes run automatically in the background. However, if any of the important processes or drivers fail to load at Windows start-up, then your PC may misbehave. So, it is better to restart your computer and check if your computer is still showing the “USB device Not Recognized” error.

USB Controller Error

USB Controller Error

USB Controller is a part of your PC motherboard which also includes USB ports or other electronic devices. These components often require software drivers to run properly.

However, these types of drivers are mostly detected and installed automatically. In some cases, you will need to find and install drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's website.

Update Device Drivers

Windows device not recognizing it just means that your Windows cannot recognize the connected device. Sometimes, updating device drivers fixes the problem. So, let's find out how to update device drivers.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box and type devmgmt.msc . You will see Device manager.

2. Now expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers and you can see unknown devices “Unknown devices“ .

3. Right-click on the problematic device marked with a yellow exclamation mark, then right-click and click Update Driver Software.

Update Device Drivers

This will most likely fix the USB Device Not recognized error message.

Uninstall Drivers

1. First open Windows Run by pressing Windows Logo key + R and then type “devmgmt.msc” there and click OK.

2. Now double click on Universal Serial Bus controllers to see the list. Now insert your USB pen drive into it and all drivers list will be refreshed.

3. Now you will see an error sign on the Serial Bus Controller which is making this error.

4. Simply right-click on the driver and then uninstall it. Next, restart your computer and it will automatically install the drivers again.

Uninstall Drivers

Check Power Management Settings

To save device power, Windows usually turns off several devices that are considered not important. So, you need to check if your Windows 10 computer is blocking the device to save power.

1. First of all, press Windows key + R simultaneously and it will open the Run dialog box. There you need to type devmgmt.msc and then press Enter key.

2. In the next step, you need to search for Universal Serial Bus controllers then look at the list inside. Then you need to right click on the USB Root Hub option and select Properties.

USB Root Hub

3. Now you have to select the Power Management tab and then disable the option 'Allow the computer to turn off this device' and then click 'Ok'

USB Root Hub Properties

4. Apply the same for the other USB root hub. Now plug in your USB device to check if it recognizes it or not.

This might solve the problem if your computer turns off the USB device to save power.

Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

For those who don't know, the USB Selective suspend setting allows the USB hub driver to suspend a port without affecting other ports on the computer. Sometimes, disabling this feature fixes the 'USB Device Not Recognized' error message. Follow some of the simple steps given below to disable USB Selective Suspend Setting.

1. First open power Options

2. Now click on 'Change Plan Settings' near the active power plan.

Change plan settings

3. On the next page, click the 'Change advanced power settings' option.

Change advanced power settings

4. Expand 'USB Settings' option and disable 'On battery' and 'Plugged in' .

Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

This is one of the best methods to Fix USB Device Not Recognized error message on Windows 10 computer.

Uninstall Existing Hidden Devices

Windows Device Manager does not show all devices in the list. It only shows the devices connected to the PC while you are operating. For example, a printer that was once installed on a PC and is no longer displayed in the device manager list. So, some hidden devices can create problems for current USB devices. So, let's know how to show hidden devices and uninstall them to avoid errors.

1. First of all, you need to open a command prompt. For this you need to press Windows key + R and in the run box type CMD .

2. Now you need to type the command below correctly.

set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1

set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

start devmgmt. msc

Set DEVMGR

3. Now device manager will load on your screen and you have to select “View” tab and then enable “Show Hidden devices” option

Show hidden devices

Now, you can find a list of all unused device drivers and uninstall them to fix the “USB Not Recognized” error window.

Using USB Troubleshooter

Windows USB Troubleshooter is a software from Microsoft which provides users to fix USB problems, it gives users two options “Detect problems and apply the fixes for me” (Automatic) and another one is “Detect problems and let me select the fixes to apply” ( Manually).

Windows 10 USB Troubleshooter

You can select manual mode to find out what the problem is as it gives you full details of the error it is causing. Or you can select the recommended ones to fix errors automatically. This will solve the problem and notify you of the error.

Check for Physical Damage

If all the above methods don't seem to work. It's also possible that you have a faulty USB device. Check your USB port as well as the USB drive, check for any physical damage. If you find, then you should replace it.

Some Other Solutions To Fix USB Device Not Recognized Error

The above method will fix the USB Device Not Recognized error. However, if the USB Device not recognized error still appears after applying all the above methods then you need to try some other solutions which might fix it.

1. If you are getting USB Device not recognized error after plugging in your USB cable then you can try a different USB cable. Since the lifespan of USB cable is quite short, we need to use a different USB cable to check if the error persists.

2. Check the USB Cable or USB device on another computer. You can take the help of your friends for that. If the USB cable or USB Device is working fine on another computer. You only need to confirm whether the problem occurs from the computer or USB side.

3. Try to remember the last time you used a USB device. Did you guys delete it in a hurry without properly removing the USB? If yes, then you need to reinstall the USB drivers.

4. If you have technical knowledge, then you may consider updating the BIOS. However, tweaking BIOS settings may throw some other unknown errors. So, update BIOS only if you know what you have to do.

Conclusion

So, these are some simple solutions to fix USB Device Not Recognized Error on your computer. Admin hopes that this guide will help you solve the problem.

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Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.