This post will explain usb device not recognized. When you plug in a USB mouse, keyboard, camera, or other device, do you get a “USB device not recognized” error? I couldn’t live without USB ports, so my computer has 5 of them so I can plug in my mouse, keyboard, camera, phone, and printer all at once!
If you have plenty of USB devices, you’ve definitely linked a USB hub to one of your USB ports so that you may connect even more. Most of the time, this works fine, but your computer may periodically stop recognizing USB devices. The strange thing about this mistake is that the ports are still functional; I was able to charge my phone without issue, but my camera could not be recognized using the same connection.
How to Resolve a USB Device That Isn’t Being Recognized in Windows
In this article, you can know about usb device not recognized here are the details below;
Only one option worked for me after I spent a lot of time and tried a lot of various approaches to the problem. I’ll start with that solution, but I’ll also describe the other options because the first method may or may not solve the problem for everyone.
Method 1: Disconnect the computer
So, how did I finally resolve the issue? If you’re lucky, it’ll be a really simple answer! First, try this strategy; if it works, you’ll save a lot of time.
Simply disconnect your computer’s power supply. That’s correct! It’s important to note that simply shutting off your computer with the power button won’t do the trick because most current computers don’t turn off entirely, and the motherboard will continue to receive electricity. This can be beneficial if you need to remotely wake up a computer, for example.
All of the computer’s hardware is in the Motherboard, including the USB ports, is connected. Because things can go wrong, such as all or some USB ports suddenly not working, the motherboard may need to be “rebooted.” The drivers will be reloaded by the motherboard’s little CPU, and your USB ports should start detecting devices again.
So, first, switch off your computer by hitting the power button or using the Shut Down option in Windows, and then unplug it from the wall outlet. Allow it to wait for a few minutes before plugging it back in.
Method 2: Install a new device driver
If Windows is unable to recognise the device, it may appear as a “Unknown Device” in Device Manager. Device Manager can be accessed by going to Control Panel and clicking on Device Manager, or by going to Start and typing devmgmt.msc.
In this scenario, right-click Unknown Device, select Properties, then the Driver tab, and finally Update Driver.
If it doesn’t work, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the Driver for your device. If the USB device is only a flash drive, the problem is unlikely to be caused by a driver. If you’re installing a USB printer, drawing pad, or other device, it’s a good idea to get the Driver for that device.
Method 3 – Restart & Disconnect USB Devices
The next step is to disconnect all USB devices and then restart the computer. After the computer has rebooted, attach the USB device that was creating the issue.
If that USB port doesn’t recognize it, try another one. If the item is identified by a different USB port, one of the USB ports may have a hardware issue. Keep reading if no USB port recognizes the device because it’s most likely something else.
Method 4 – USB Root Hub
You can also go for opening Device Manager, expanding USB Serial Bus Controllers, right-clicking on USB Root Hub, and then selecting Properties.
Unmark the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power box on the Power Management tab. You must repeat these instructions for each USB Root Hub if you have more than one listed.
After that, press OK and restart your computer. Check to check if the USB device is detected by reconnecting it. If not, go back to each one’s power management tab and double-check the box. Leave them unchecked if it does recognize the device.
Method 5 – Connect to PC Directly
This was faced by my friend, and the problem turned out to be his USB hub. Because his computer only had three USB ports, he purchased a hub that allowed him to connect an additional 8 USB devices.
I guess this was too much for his computer, and it began to randomly refuse to recognize various devices. It worked perfectly after removing the hub and attaching the device straight to the PC.
Other than lessen the number of items connected to the hub, we haven’t been able to find a solution to this problem. Actually, there was another solution that worked, but it required purchasing a new USB hub with more power.
You might be in luck if you’re having this issue with Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. Microsoft has released a fix for Windows 8’s inability to detect USB devices properly. If you’re running Windows 8, make sure you install this hotfix.
Method 6 – USB Troubleshooter
The Windows USB Troubleshooter Fixit tool can be downloaded if nothing else has worked so far. It’s a free application that runs on Windows XP, windows Vista, and windows7.
You can have the troubleshooter fix the issues for you, or you can choose your solutions. Because the options can be confusing and technical for a novice user, I would just let it fix them for you.
Method 7 – Generic USB Hub Update
You can also try something else if you’re getting the Unknown Device error in Device Manager. Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers in Device Manager after opening it.
You should see at least one item termed Generic USB Hub. You might see many of these on any computer. Right-click on the first one and decide Update Driver Software.
When the update dialogue pops up, choose to Browse my computer for driver software.
Then click on Let me choose from a listing of device drivers on my computer at the bottom.
From the list, pick Generic USB Hub. Usually, there won’t be anything else listed except for this one option. Click Next and later click Close once it ends installing it.
The Device Manager screen should renew, and either the unknown device will yet be there, or it may soon be recognized. If it’s still showing as not recognized, you repeat the process for each Generic USB Hub listed.
Method 8 – Uninstall USB Devices
As a last resort, you can also seek uninstalling every USB devices from your system and then go for system restart. I discussed this last because even though Windows automatically recognizes the USB controllers, the hubs, and all devices automatically, it can result in failure, and you’ll end up finding that no USB port works.
I used to have a computer with 6 USB ports, and only one port would not work correctly. I restarted after uninstalling everything under USB Serial Bus Controllers in Device Manager. Instead of re-detecting everything, this method left me with no USB port working, so proceed with caution.
Start deleting each item under USB Serial Bus Controllers in Device Manager. Remove any things with exclamation points or that are marked as Unknown Device before proceeding with anything that is already working.
Method 9 – Uninstall Hidden Devices
Device Manager does not display all of the devices that have been installed on the system by default. It essentially only displays those who are currently connected. However, if you previously installed a USB printer but no longer use it, it will remain installed but will not appear in Device Manager.
Certain hidden or ghost USB devices can interfere with current USB devices, resulting in this error. By first opening a command prompt and then putting the following two commands into it, you may view hidden devices in Device Manager:
- set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1
- set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
- start devmgmt.msc
After Device Manager has loaded, click View, then Show Hidden Devices.
You now wish to add Imaging Devices, Universal Serial Bus Controllers, and Unknown Devices to your list of devices. If you find anything mentioned there that is greyed out or indicates an unknown device, right-click on it and select Uninstall. Hopefully, by eliminating the older equipment, the newer gadgets will be able to function properly.
Alternative Approaches
If nothing has shown positive result up to this point, it’s safe to assume there’s a problem with the hardware itself. The best action is to connect the gadget to a different computer and check whether it works. If not, it’s almost certainly a problem with the gadget.
Possible Solution #1 – If you have another USB cable lying around, you could try it. If not, simply purchase a new A to B, A to Micro B, A to Mini B, or A to A USB cable from Amazon. This is a rather uncommon issue, but I’ve encountered it a few times in my many years of providing technical support.
Possible Solution # 2 – Another option is to take the device, connect it to another computer, and if it recognizes it correctly, properly eject it from that computer before reconnecting it to the original computer. This has happened to me with multiple flash drives that were unplugged but not properly ejected. After attaching them to another computer and correctly ejecting them from there, they began to appear on the original machine, which had previously refused to recognize them.
Possible Solution #3 – Updating the BIOS has helped a few users get rid of this problem. I’ve already published an article regarding whether or not updating the BIOS is a good idea, but in this case, it might be worth a go. You can also disable USB in the BIOS, restart the computer, and then allow USB. The only thing you need to make sure of is that your computer has a PS2 port; otherwise if your keyboard and mouse are linked via USB, you won’t be able to do anything once you disable USB in the BIOS.
