How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows 10

We all use a USB device to transfer data like photos, files, music, etc., from PC to phone or vice versa. But there comes a time when you see an error while connecting the USB to your computer. Even you connect the USB to Windows 10 PC, it doesn’t show up. What is the reason for getting this error, and How to solve it?

“USB device not recognized” error can occur due to different reasons. You can get this error if your hardware system is not up to date, the controllers are corrupted or unstable, outdated drivers or the PC has disabled the port after the USB is safely removed from the port.

There are few fixes to this error that helps you to use the USB device properly on your Windows 10 computer. Here are the most effective solutions.

How to fix a “USB device not recognized” Error in Windows 10?

If your windows 10 pc cannot recognize your USB device, then try out the following solutions to fix it. If any of them doesn’t work, they try another one as we have provided four-five different methods.

Method 1: Restart PC

One of the first and possible solutions to any problem is restarting your PC. In most cases, just rebooting the computer resolves the problems. If this doesn’t help you, then try out another method.

Method 2: Update PC Drivers

Even if your system has an outdated driver, your PC will not recognize the USB device. Follow the steps to update the drivers.

  1. Open your computer and search for device manager in the search box
  2. Click on the arrow beside Disk Drivers; if you find a driver with an error message like “Unknown device” or Unidentified USB device, then do right-click on it and click on Update.

Once the driver is updated, check out if the USB device is connected or still giving an error.

Method 3: Try Different Computer

Checking the USB on a different computer will help you to find out that the problem is in the USB or in your Computer. If the USB works on a different PC, then your first PC is at fault.

Method 4: Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

The USB selective suspend setting can be the reason for this error. So, try to disable it by following the steps:

  1. In the search box beside the Start Menu, type Control Panel and open it
  2. On the top right side, there is a search box, their type Power Options
    Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting
  3. Click on the Power Options and then click on Change Plan Settings as shown in the picture.
    Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting
  4. A new window will be opened, where you must click on Change advanced power settings.
    Change settings for the plan
  5. In Advanced settings, go to USB settings, expand it and expand the USB selective suspend setting.
    Disable power options
  6. Click on Plugged in and disable it. ( If you are using a Laptop, then disable both the options On Battery and Plugged in).
  7. Click on Apply and OK.

Method 5: Reinstall the External USB Driver

There might be a problem if the external USB driver is corrupted or unstable. So, try to reinstall it by following the steps:

  1. Open the Device Manager on your Windows 10
  2. Click on Disk Drives. Do right-click on the driver that is causing the problem.
  3. Now, click on Uninstall.
    Reinstall USB driver on windows 10
  4. Once you uninstall the driver, click on the Action in Device Manager, which is at the top of the screen beside the File option.
  5. Then click on Scan for hardware changes
    Scan for hardware
  6. The driver will be reinstalled again.

Now, check whether your USB is connecting to your Windows 10 PC or not.

Conclusion

So, these are some of the methods that will help you to connect your USB device to your PC if you are getting an error message saying “USB device not recognized.” We hope this article was helpful to you.

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