Is the USB not recognized problem happening to your Windows PC? We can help you figure out and fix the problem. Sometimes we're curious to access some files on a USB drive, but we're stopped by a horrible sound with the "USB device not recognized" error notification, rendering the USB device useless. If you're currently experiencing this same issue on your Windows PC, don't worry. This article encompasses about 8 things to do when your USB drive is not showing up on a Windows PC. Ensure to follow the steps carefully to yield excellent results.
Update Device Driver
When USB is not detected on your Windows PC, it's presumably the device driver error. Maybe it's outdated. To verify that's not the cause of the problem, we suggest you update the device driver. Follow the instructions below to do so.
- Hit the Start button on your PC, then enter Device Manager into the search box. Now open Device Manager from the search result.
- You'll see various drivers in the window. Look for "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" and expand it.
- Right-click on the USB driver that you'd like to update, then tap Update driver.
- You'll see two options to search automatically for the updated driver software or select a driver software from your computer. If you're connected to the internet, you can choose the first option to let Windows automatically check and update the driver. You can also select the second option to update the driver on your computer manually.
Restart your computer after updating the driver.
Restart the PC
Restarting your PC might sound too simple to you, but it works in most cases. For your computer not to recognize a USB device at first doesn't mean anything is broken. A simple restart might fix it. When you restart your PC, it shuts down the overall system - including software and hardware. It could also solve some temporary issues like your USB device not working. Follow the steps below to restart your PC.
- Unplug the PC from the power source. Also, unplug all other peripherals plugged into the system.
- After that, shut down the PC from the power menu.
- When the PC is completely off, wait for a minute before booting it up with the power button.
Now test the USB again to see if your PC will recognize it.
Disconnect And Plug the USB Again
Receiving an error message when you plug in a USB cable to your Windows computer could be a result of poor connection/contact between the PC and your cable. To ensure that's not the problem, simply unplug and plug in the USB again. If the problem persists, you can check other available ports one by one to see if the USB port you're using is faulty.
If your USB works without issues in another port, that means the first/previous port is faulty. Kindly visit a repair centre to fix it.
Use Another USB Cable
As well as reinserting the USB and changing the port, try using another USB cable to ascertain where the problem is really coming from. If you're trying to connect your phone to the PC over USB, you can try another USB cable. If switching to another USB cable fixes the problem, then the previous cable is no longer valid.
On the other side, if the supplementary USB cable still doesn't bring a decent result, try another solution below.
Fix USB Root Hub
- Click the Start button on your computer and enter "device manager" into the search bar. Open Device Manager from the search result to view a list of drivers instant on your phone.
- Look for Universal Serial Bus controllers and tap to expand it.
- Now, locate USB Root Hub from the expanded category. Right-click on it and select
- On the Properties window, navigate to the Power Management tab and disable "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".
Change The Power Supply Setting
If you set your windows power plan to be in power saving mode always, your PC might have problems recognizing a USB device. Follow the steps below to change the power supply settings.
- Find the Windows icon on your taskbar and right-click on it. You'll see a pop-up menu, select Power Options from there.
You can also tap the Start button and search for Power Options to locate it directly.
- In the Power Options window, ensure you're on the Balanced (recommend) In case your PC is set to Power Saver by default, simply click on Balanced to ensure all the functions of the PC are running.
Meanwhile, your PC might enter the Power Saver plan automatically when the battery is low. So, do ensure to recharge your PC to go back to the Balanced plan.
Change the USB Selective Suspend Settings
As well as changing the power supply settings to Balanced, you should also disable USB selective suspend settings. This setting is useful on a PC to conserve battery power. But it can also affect the USB functionality in some cases. So, we recommend you disable it by following the steps below.
- Find the Windows icon on your taskbar and right-click on it. You'll see a pop-up menu, select Power Options from there.
- When the Power Options window is opened, click on the Change plan setting.
- From there, locate and select Change Advanced Power Settings.
- After that, find the USB settings drop-down and collapse it. Also, expand the USB selective suspend setting and turn off both options there.
- After disabling both "On battery" and "Plugged in" settings, click Apply in the bottom right corner of the screen to save the changes, then click ok to close the window.
USB Port Issue? Find the Service Center for PC.
If none of the above fixes could restore the functionality of your USB, we recommend visiting the service centre. But before you go, kindly double-check if the problem is coming from the USB port or the USB itself. You can connect the USB device to another port on the PC to check if it works. If it works, that means the earlier USB port is faulty. If non of the ports on your PC could recognize the USB device, you can try using it on another computer to see if it works. If the other computer couldn't recognize the USB device as well, then the USB device/cable of faulty. Change it.
