Do you get a ” USB device recognized” error when you plug in a USB mouse or keyboard, camera, or another device? I cannot live without USB ports. I have five ports on my computer, so I can connect my phone, mouse, keyboard, camera, printer, and phone all at once.
If you have more USB devices, you may have connected a USB hub directly to one of your USB ports. This allows you to connect more devices. Although this is usually a good idea, sometimes your computer may not recognize USB devices. This error is odd because the ports work perfectly. I could charge my phone with no problems, but my camera couldn’t be recognized by the same port.
I tried many different solutions to the problem and spent a lot of time trying them all. Only one solution worked for me. This solution will be the first to be discussed. However, I will also discuss other solutions as possible options, since the first solution might not work for everyone.
USB DRIVE DOES NOT SHOW UP IN Windows.
If your USB drive doesn’t show up on Windows, you can also check out our YouTube video.
Method 1 – Unplug Computer
How did I solve the problem? It’s easy if you’re lucky! This method will save you a lot of time if it works.
Just unplug the computer from its power source. That’s it! This does not mean that you should turn off your computer by pressing the power button. Most modern computers do not shut down completely, and the motherboard will still receive power. This can be useful if you need to remotely wake up a computer.
The motherboard houses all the hardware, including the USB ports. Sometimes, the motherboard must be “rebooted” to prevent things from going wrong. Sometimes, the motherboard needs to be “rebooted” because things can go wrong. Your USB ports will hopefully recognize devices again after the microprocessor on your motherboard reloads the drivers.
First, turn off your computer by using the Shutdown option on Windows or pressing the power button. Next, unplug the PC from the wall outlet. Allow it to cool for a while before plugging it back in.
Method 2 – Update Device Driver
Windows may not be able to identify the device. In Device Manager, the device might show up as ” Unknown Device“. Click on Start, and type in devmgmt.MSC. Or go to Control Panel and click on Device Manager.
You should click right-click Unknown device and click Properties. Next, click the Driver tab, then click update driver.
If that fails, you can download the driver from the manufacturer’s site. It’s unlikely that the USB device has a driver problem if it is a flash drive. If you’re installing a USB printer or drawing pad, it may be worthwhile downloading the driver.
Method 3 – Restart & disconnect USB devices
Next, disconnect all USB devices from the computer and then reboot it. Once the machine has been restarted, you can reconnect the USB device that caused the problem.
Try another USB port if the USB port you are using doesn’t recognize your device. The USB port that recognizes the device may not be the right one. This could indicate a problem with the USB port. Continue reading if the USB port does not recognize the device.
Method 4 – USB Root Hub
You can also open Device Manager and expand USB Serial Bus Controls. Next, click on USB Root hub and then click Properties.
To save power, click on the Energy Management tab. You will need to do this for each USB Root Hub you have listed.
After clicking OK, restart your computer. Reconnect the USB device to verify that it is being recognized. Go back to each tab and check the box again. If the device is recognized, you can leave them unchecked.
Method 5 – Connect directly to your PC
My friend had this problem and his hub was the solution. The only USB ports available on his computer were three, so he purchased a hub that could connect eight additional USB devices.
It was too much for his computer, and it started to stop recognizing different devices intermittently. It worked perfectly after removing the hub and connecting directly to the computer.
Other than reducing the number of items that are connected to the hub, we have not been able to find any other solution. One other solution was found, but it required the purchase of a new hub with greater power.
This problem may be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Microsoft has released a fix to Windows 8’s inability to properly detect USB devices. If you are running Windows 8, make sure to download this hotfix.
Method 6 – USB Troubleshooter
You can also download the Windows USB Troubleshooter Repair tool if nothing works. This tool is free and works with Windows XP or Vista.
The troubleshooter can fix your problem for you, or you can choose the fixes yourself. Since the options can sometimes be confusing or technical for novice users, I’d recommend that you let the troubleshooter fix them.
Method 7 – Update Generic USB Hub
You can try another thing if you get the Unknown device error message in Device Manager. Open Device Manager, then expands Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
At least one item should be called Generic Ubiquity Hub. You might see more than one of these items on some computers. Right-click the first one to choose Update Driver Software.
The update dialog will open. Select Browse My Computer for Driver Software.
Click on Now, and let me choose from the list of device drivers for my computer at the bottom.
Select Generic USB Hub from the list. There won’t normally be any other choices than the one you have selected. After it has finished installing, click Next.
The Device Manager screen should then refresh. Either the unknown device will still exist or it might be recognized. If the device is still not recognized, you can repeat the procedure for each generic USB Hub.
Method 8 – Disable USB Devices
You can also uninstall all USB devices from the system and restart it. This is important because Windows does not automatically recognize USB hubs and controllers. Sometimes, however, Windows can fail, and your USB ports may stop working.
A computer that had 6 USB ports was not working properly. I removed everything from Device Manager under USB Serial Bus Controllers and then restarted. Instead of re-detecting everything, I found that there was no USB port working.
Start by going to Device Manager, and then uninstall each item under USB serial bus controllers. Be sure to uninstall any items that have exclamation marks or are listed as Unknown devices before you begin with anything that is working.
Method 9 – Uninstall Hidden Devices
Device Manager does not display all devices installed on the system by default. It only displays the devices that are connected at the moment. If you have an older USB printer and no longer use it it will still be installed but it won’t appear in Device Manager.
This error can be caused by hidden or ghost USB devices that may cause conflicts with USB devices. To view hidden devices in Device Manager, first, open a command prompt. Then type the following commands:
set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.MSc
After Device Manager loads, click on View and then on Show Hidden Devices.
You now want to expand Image Devices and Universal Serial Bus Controllers. You can uninstall any device that you see listed there, or if it is greyed out. It is possible that the older devices can be removed and the newer ones will work correctly.
Other Possible Solutions
If it hasn’t worked, the hardware problem is likely a serious one. It is best to connect the device with another computer to verify if it works. If it doesn’t work, there is a problem with the device.
Other solutions You can also buy a cheap USB cable at Amazon: A to B or A to Micro B. A to Mini B. A to A. Although this is not a common problem, I have seen it happen a few times in my years of technical support.
Possible solution # 2 Another option is to remove the device from the computer and connect it to another computer. If it recognizes the device correctly, you can then disconnect it from the computer. This problem has been seen with flash drives that had not been properly ejected. After connecting the flash drives to another computer, and properly ejecting them from that computer, they suddenly began to appear on the original computer which was not recognizing them.
Solution #3 A few people have had success with this solution by updating their BIOS. Although I have written an article on whether or not it is a good idea to update the BIOS, this time it may be worth a try. It is also possible to disable USB in the BIOS, then restart your computer and enable it again. If your keyboard or mouse is connected via USB, you will need to ensure that there is a PS2 port available on your computer.
One of the solutions listed above should solve your USB problem. If you are not satisfied with the solutions, please leave a comment so I can help. Enjoy!