Are y'all getting a "USB device not recognized" fault whenever you plug in a USB mouse, keyboard, camera, or other device? I can't live without USB ports and currently have 5 ports on my reckoner so that I can connect my mouse, keyboard, camera, phone, and printer to it all at one time!

For those of you with even more USB gadgets, you probably take connected a USB hub to 1 of your USB ports so that can you lot connect even more than devices. Most of the time this works bully, but occasionally your calculator might stop recognizing USB devices. The odd thing about this error is that the ports are working just fine, as I was able to yet charge my jail cell telephone without a problem, but couldn't become my camera recognized using the same port.

usb device not recognized

After spending a lot of time and trying a bunch of unlike ways to fix the problem, only one solution ended up working for me. I'll mention that solution first, merely will besides mention the other possible solutions, as the first solution may not gear up the problem for everyone.

Likewise, check out our YouTube video if your USB drive is not showing up on your Windows computer.

Method 1 – Unplug Computer

And so how did I finally fix the problem? Well, if yous are lucky, it'southward a super simple solution! Try this method first and if it works, y'all'll take saved a lot of fourth dimension.

Simply unplug your calculator from the power supply. Aye that is it! Notation that this does not mean just turning off your calculator using the ability push considering near modern computers don't actually turn off completely and the motherboard volition nonetheless become ability. This is useful sometimes if you desire to remotely wake upwardly a figurer, etc.

 The motherboard is where all of hardware of the computer connects to, including the USB ports. Sometimes the motherboard needs to exist "rebooted" because things can go wrong, i.e. all or some USB ports all of a sudden stop working. The minor microprocessor on the motherboard will reload the drivers and your USB ports should hopefully be recognizing devices again.

So outset turn off your estimator using the Shut Down option in Windows or pressing the power push and then UNPLUG the PC from the wall outlet. Let it sit for several minutes and so plug information technology back in.

Method 2 – Update Device Commuter

If Windows is non able to recognize the device, you may also meet in Device Manager that the device shows upwards as an "Unknown Device". You can get to Device Manager past clicking on Outset and typing in devmgmt.msc or by going to Command Panel and clicking on Device Managing director.

unknown usb device

In that instance, you should correct-click on Unknown Device, click on Properties, then theDriver tab and then click Update Commuter.

update driver

If this doesn't work, you can also effort to download the driver for your device from the manufacturer's website. If the USB device is just a flash drive, and then it'due south probably not a driver issue. Yet, if you are installing a USB printer, drawing pad, etc, so it might be worth downloading the driver for that specific device.

Method 3 – Restart & Disconnect USB Devices

The next affair you tin can endeavor is to disconnect all USB devices and and then restart the machine. one time you have restarted, endeavor to connect the USB device that was causing the problem.

If that particular USB port doesn't recognize it, attempt some other i. If the device is recognized past a unlike USB port, in that location could be a hardware problem with i of the USB ports. If no USB port recognizes the device, then go along reading because information technology's probably something else.

Method iv – USB Root Hub

Another thing yous can try is to open Device Managing director, expand USB Serial Autobus Controllers, right-click on USB Root Hub so click on Properties.

usb root hub

Click on the Power Direction tab and uncheck the Allow the figurer to turn off this device to salve power box. If you accept more than one USB Root Hub listed, y'all demand to repeat these steps for each ane.

usb root hub prop

Click OK and so restart your computer. Attempt to reconnect the USB device and come across if it is recognized. If non, go back to the power management tab for each ane and cheque the box again. If information technology does recognize the device, then get out them unchecked.

Method 5 – Connect Directly to PC

A friend of mine ran into this issue and the crusade concluded up being his USB hub. He only had 3 USB ports on his computer, so he bought a hub where he could connect an additional eight USB devices.

I estimate this proved too much for his computer and it just started sporadically not recognizing various devices. Afterward removing the hub and connecting the device straight to the reckoner, information technology worked only fine.

We oasis't really been able to find any other solution to this trouble other than reducing the number of items continued to the hub. Really, 1 other solution worked, but it meant having to purchase a new USB hub with more power.

If yous are having this problem with Windows eight or Windows 8.i, then y'all might be in luck. Microsoft has released a set for Windows viii not detecting USB devices properly. Make sure to install this hotfix if running Windows viii.

Method half dozen – USB Troubleshooter

If zip has worked and then far, y'all can download the Windows USB Troubleshooter Fixit tool. It's a costless tool that works with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

windows usb troubleshooter

You can either have the troubleshooter set up the problems for you or select the fixes yourself. I would just allow it set up them for yous since the choices can sometimes exist confusing and technical for the novice user.

Method seven – Update Generic USB Hub

If you lot are getting the Unknown Device error in Device Manager, you can also try one other thing. Open Device Director and then expand Universal Serial Jitney Controllers.

You should run into at least 1 item called Generic USB Hub. On some computers, y'all might see two, three or more of these. Right-click on the offset i and choose Update Driver Software.

update generic usb hub

When the update dialog pops up, choose Browse my computer for commuter software.

pick driver

Then click on Allow me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer at the bottom.

generic usb hub

From the listing, select Generic USB Hub. Normally, there won't be anything else listed except for that 1 selection. Click Next and and then click Close once it finishes installing it.

At this point, the Device Manager screen should refresh and either the unknown device volition still exist there or it may now be recognized. If it's nevertheless showing as not recognized, so yous echo the procedure for each Generic USB Hub listed.

Method eight – Uninstall USB Devices

As a concluding resort, you can likewise try uninstalling all USB devices from your system and then restarting. I mention this concluding considering fifty-fifty though Windows is supposed to automatically recognize the USB controllers, hubs and devices automatically, it can sometimes fail and you'll finish up with no USB ports working.

I had a estimator with half dozen USB ports and only one port would non piece of work properly. I uninstalled everything under USB Serial Double-decker Controllers in Device Manager and restarted. Instead of re-detecting everything, I was left with no USB port working, and then be careful when using this method.

Get to Device Director and offset uninstalling each item from under USB Serial Bus Controllers. Before you start with anything that is already working, uninstall the items with exclamation points or that are listed as Unknown Device.

uninstall usb

Method 9 – Uninstall Hidden Devices

By default, Device Manager doesn't bear witness all devices that take been installed to the organisation. It basically only shows the ones that are currently connected. Nevertheless, if you installed a USB printer earlier and now no longer use it, it will still be installed, but won't show upward in Device Director.

Certain hidden or ghost USB devices can cause conflicts with current USB devices and therefore lead to this error. You lot can view hidden devices in Device Managing director by showtime opening a command prompt and and so typing the following 2 commands:

hidden devices

set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1

prepare DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=one

start devmgmt.msc

Once Device Managing director loads, you need to click on View and then click on Show Subconscious Devices.

show hidden devices

Now y'all desire to aggrandize Imaging Devices, Universal Serial Bus Controllers and Unknown Devices. If you see anything listed there that is greyed out or that says unknown device, get ahead and right-click on them and choose Uninstall. Hopefully, removing the older devices volition permit the newer devices to work properly.

Other Possible Solutions

If nothing has worked until this point, information technology'southward pretty prophylactic to say there could be a trouble with the actual hardware. The all-time matter to practise is to connect the device to some other computer and run into if information technology works or not. If not, so it's definitely an upshot with the device.

Possible Solution #1 – The other possible solutions are to endeavor a dissimilar USB cable, if you have one lying around. If not, just buy a new cheap USB cable from Amazon: A to B, A to Micro B, A to Mini B, or A to A. This is a fairly rare trouble, but I have seen it occur a few times over my many years doing technical support.

Possible Solution # 2 – Another possible solution is to take the device, connect information technology to another motorcar and if it does recognize the device properly, to then eject it properly from that computer earlier reconnecting it to the original computer. I've seen this problem occur with several flash drives that were unplugged without ejecting properly. Subsequently connecting them to another estimator and ejecting them properly from at that place, they suddenly started to show up on the original figurer that was not recognizing them.

Possible Solution #3 – A few people accept had luck getting rid of this trouble by updating the BIOS. I've already written an article about whether information technology's a expert thought or non to update the BIOS, but in this case, it might be worth a try. Y'all can besides go into the BIOS and disable USB, restart the estimator and so enable USB over again. The only matter you demand to brand sure is that you have a PS2 port on your calculator, otherwise yous won't be able to practice annihilation once you disable USB in the BIOS if your keyboard and mouse are continued via USB.

Hopefully, one of the many solutions above will solve your USB problem. If not, postal service a annotate and I'll try to help. Enjoy!