Are you getting a "USB device not recognized" error whenever yous plug in a USB mouse, keyboard, camera, or other device? I can't alive without USB ports and currently have 5 ports on my estimator so that I tin can connect my mouse, keyboard, camera, phone, and printer to it all at once!

For those of you with even more USB gadgets, you probably have continued a USB hub to ane of your USB ports so that can you lot connect fifty-fifty more devices. Near of the fourth dimension this works corking, only occasionally your computer might stop recognizing USB devices. The odd matter nigh this error is that the ports are working merely fine, as I was able to still accuse my cell telephone without a problem, merely couldn't get my photographic camera recognized using the same port.

usb device not recognized

Later spending a lot of time and trying a bunch of different ways to prepare the trouble, just one solution ended upward working for me. I'll mention that solution first, merely will too mention the other possible solutions, as the first solution may not fix the problem for anybody.

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

Method 1 – Unplug Computer

So how did I finally gear up the problem? Well, if you are lucky, it'south a super simple solution! Try this method first and if it works, you'll have saved a lot of fourth dimension.

Merely unplug your reckoner from the ability supply. Yes that is it! Note that this does not mean but turning off your estimator using the ability button because about modern computers don't really turn off completely and the motherboard will still get power. This is useful sometimes if you want to remotely wake up a reckoner, etc.

 The motherboard is where all of hardware of the estimator connects to, including the USB ports. Sometimes the motherboard needs to exist "rebooted" considering things can get wrong, i.e. all or some USB ports suddenly stop working. The small microprocessor on the motherboard will reload the drivers and your USB ports should hopefully exist recognizing devices again.

So first plow off your estimator using the Close Downwardly option in Windows or pressing the power button and then UNPLUG the PC from the wall outlet. Let it sit for several minutes and then plug it back in.

Method ii – Update Device Driver

If Windows is not able to recognize the device, you may also see in Device Manager that the device shows upwards as an "Unknown Device". You can get to Device Managing director by clicking on Start and typing in devmgmt.msc or by going to Control Panel and clicking on Device Managing director.

unknown usb device

In that case, yous should correct-click on Unknown Device, click on Properties, then theCommuter tab and and then click Update Driver.

update driver

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

Method iii – Restart & Disconnect USB Devices

The adjacent affair y'all tin effort is to disconnect all USB devices and so restart the car. once you take restarted, try to connect the USB device that was causing the problem.

If that particular USB port doesn't recognize it, try another one. If the device is recognized past a dissimilar USB port, in that location could be a hardware problem with one of the USB ports. If no USB port recognizes the device, then keep reading considering it's probably something else.

Method 4 – USB Root Hub

Another affair y'all can try is to open Device Manager, aggrandize USB Serial Passenger vehicle Controllers, right-click on USB Root Hub and then click on Properties.

usb root hub

Click on the Ability Management tab and uncheck the Allow the estimator to plow off this device to save ability box. If yous have more one USB Root Hub listed, y'all need to repeat these steps for each one.

usb root hub prop

Click OK and then restart your estimator. Endeavor to reconnect the USB device and see if information technology is recognized. If not, become back to the power management tab for each one and check the box once more. If it does recognize the device, and so get out them unchecked.

Method 5 – Connect Direct to PC

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

I guess this proved too much for his computer and it just started sporadically not recognizing diverse devices. Afterwards removing the hub and connecting the device directly to the computer, it worked just fine.

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

If yous are having this trouble with Windows 8 or Windows 8.one, then you might be in luck. Microsoft has released a set up for Windows 8 non detecting USB devices properly. Brand sure to install this hotfix if running Windows eight.

Method 6 – USB Troubleshooter

If nothing has worked so far, you can download the Windows USB Troubleshooter Fixit tool. It's a free tool that works with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

windows usb troubleshooter

You can either have the troubleshooter fix the problems for you or select the fixes yourself. I would just allow it ready them for y'all since the choices tin can sometimes be confusing and technical for the novice user.

Method seven – Update Generic USB Hub

If you are getting the Unknown Device error in Device Manager, yous can besides try one other matter. Open Device Manager and so expand Universal Serial Omnibus Controllers.

You should meet at least one particular called Generic USB Hub. On some computers, you might encounter two, three or more than of these. Correct-click on the get-go i and choose Update Driver Software.

update generic usb hub

When the update dialog pops up, choose Scan my estimator for commuter software.

pick driver

Then click on Let me pick from a listing of device drivers on my figurer at the bottom.

generic usb hub

From the list, select Generic USB Hub. Normally, there won't be anything else listed except for that one selection. Click Next and and so click Close one time information technology finishes installing it.

At this point, the Device Manager screen should refresh and either the unknown device will nevertheless exist there or information technology may now be recognized. If information technology's still showing every bit not recognized, then yous repeat the process for each Generic USB Hub listed.

Method 8 – Uninstall USB Devices

As a concluding resort, yous tin also effort uninstalling all USB devices from your arrangement and and so restarting. I mention this last considering even though Windows is supposed to automatically recognize the USB controllers, hubs and devices automatically, information technology can sometimes fail and you'll end upwards with no USB ports working.

I had a calculator with half-dozen USB ports and merely one port would non work properly. I uninstalled everything under USB Series Bus Controllers in Device Manager and restarted. Instead of re-detecting everything, I was left with no USB port working, so be conscientious when using this method.

Become to Device Manager and start uninstalling each particular from under USB Serial Bus Controllers. Earlier you outset with anything that is already working, uninstall the items with assertion points or that are listed as Unknown Device.

uninstall usb

Method 9 – Uninstall Hidden Devices

By default, Device Manager doesn't prove all devices that take been installed to the system. It basically only shows the ones that are currently connected. Still, if you installed a USB printer earlier and now no longer employ it, information technology will still exist installed, but won't show up in Device Manager.

Certain hidden or ghost USB devices tin can cause conflicts with electric current USB devices and therefore lead to this fault. You can view hidden devices in Device Manager past commencement opening a command prompt and and so typing the following two commands:

hidden devices

set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=one

set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

outset devmgmt.msc

Once Device Director loads, yous demand to click on View and then click on Evidence Subconscious Devices.

show hidden devices

At present you lot want to expand Imaging Devices, Universal Serial Coach Controllers and Unknown Devices. If you see anything listed there that is greyed out or that says unknown device, go alee and right-click on them and choose Uninstall. Hopefully, removing the older devices volition permit the newer devices to piece of work properly.

Other Possible Solutions

If cipher has worked until this point, information technology's pretty condom to say at that place could be a problem with the bodily hardware. The best matter to do is to connect the device to another computer and run across if it works or not. If non, then information technology's definitely an result with the device.

Possible Solution #1 – The other possible solutions are to effort a different USB cable, if you take one lying around. If not, simply buy a new cheap USB cablevision from Amazon: A to B, A to Micro B, A to Mini B, or A to A. This is a fairly rare problem, 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 it to some other machine and if it does recognize the device properly, to then eject it properly from that computer earlier reconnecting information technology to the original computer. I've seen this problem occur with several wink drives that were unplugged without ejecting properly. Later on connecting them to some other computer and ejecting them properly from at that place, they all of a sudden started to show up on the original computer that was not recognizing them.

Possible Solution #3 – A few people have had luck getting rid of this problem by updating the BIOS. I've already written an commodity about whether it'due south a good thought or non to update the BIOS, but in this case, it might be worth a effort. You tin besides go into the BIOS and disable USB, restart the computer and so enable USB again. The only matter yous need to make sure is that you lot have a PS2 port on your computer, otherwise you won't be able to practice annihilation once you disable USB in the BIOS if your keyboard and mouse are connected via USB.

Hopefully, one of the many solutions above volition solve your USB trouble. If not, post a annotate and I'll endeavour to assist. Enjoy!