Solving the Issue of Unrecognized USB Devices in Windows 10

"USB device not recognized in Windows 10, need assistance!"

When attempting to access an external hard drive on Windows 7/8/10, you might encounter the "USB Device Not Recognized" error. Here are some real scenarios regarding this issue.

Scenario 1: USB device not recognized when connecting to Windows 10

"Help needed! Does anyone know how to fix the issue of an unrecognized USB drive when connecting it to a Windows PC? This morning, I attempted to connect my USB drive to a Windows 10 computer to transfer some documents saved on the USB drive to the PC. However, the issue is that when I plug it into the computer, Windows 10 displays a warning message stating that the USB device is not recognized. Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?"

Scenario 2: USB drive won't open, and Windows 10 shows "USB Device Not Recognized"

"My USB drive won't open on my Windows computer. It was working perfectly fine yesterday, but this morning when I tried to access it on my PC, it wouldn't open, and a window popped up warning me that the USB device is not recognized. How can I get my USB drive to work again?"

Incorrect connections, bad sectors, outdated drivers on the USB drive, or anything else might cause a USB drive to go undetected or unrecognized by a Windows PC. So, how do you fix the "USB device not recognized" error and get your drive working again on Windows 10/8/7? Don't worry! Just follow the methods and solutions provided below to resolve the issue.

• 1. Fix USB Root Hub to Address Unrecognized USB Device Issues
• 2. Update or Reinstall USB Drivers to Solve Unrecognized USB Device Problems
• 3. Adjust Power Settings to Recognize USB Drive

Quick Fix for an Unrecognized USB Device in Windows 10/8/7

When your USB drive shows up as “Unknown” on a Windows PC, don't worry. You can try these quick fixes to make your USB drive detectable again:

1. Restart your Windows PC or reboot the computer to see if the USB device can be read. 2. Try a different USB port: Connect the USB drive to another USB port to see if it functions properly. 3. Connect the USB drive to another healthy computer or laptop to check if it works correctly.

If none of the above quick fixes worked for you, don't worry. The three solutions below should help you fix the “USB device not recognized” error.

Method 1: Fix the USB Root Hub to Address the Undetected USB Device Issue

Step 1: Open Device Manager > locate and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.

Step 2: Find and right-click on "USB Root Hub" and select "Properties."

Step 3: Click on Power Management and uncheck the box for Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, then click OK.

Please turn off the device to conserve power and allow it to be recognized by USB again.

Step 4. Repeat this for any additional USB root hubs, and then click OK to complete the process.

5. Restart your computer and plug the USB device back into your computer to see if Windows 10 can read your USB drive.

If not, check all your computers to see if the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option is enabled.

Method 2: Update and Reinstall USB Drivers to Fix the USB Device Not Recognized Issue

Outdated USB drivers or bad sectors on the USB drive can cause it to malfunction. Updating, reinstalling the USB driver, and fixing bad sectors on the USB drive might help!

1 - Update and Reinstall USB Drivers

Step 1: Open Device Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers category.

Step 2. Find the correct USB hub for your USB drive, right-click on it, and select “Update Driver Software.”

Update the drivers to fix the unrecognized USB issue.

Step 3: Select “Search automatically for updated driver software,” and Windows will help you update to the latest driver.

Step 4. Restart your computer and see if it recognizes the USB device.

If it does, right-click on the USB Root Hub for your USB drive and select “Uninstall.”

Restart your computer again, and the USB device driver should reinstall, fixing the drive.

2 - Repair bad sectors on USB drive

To fix bad sectors on USB drive, we recommend you try Free Edition of Partition Master. This tool supports fixing bad sectors on USB drive with only 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the partition you want to check.

Step 2: Select Tools > Check File System.

Step 3: In the Check File System window, select the option to Attempt to repair errors if found.

Click “Start” to begin checking for errors on your partition.

Method 3: Change the Power Settings to Recognize the USB Drive in Windows 10

1. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.

Step 2: Click "Choose what the power buttons do," and then click "Change settings that are currently unavailable."

Step 3. Clear the Turn on fast start-up check box > Save changes.

Disable USB Quick Boot to recognize it:

Step 4. Restart your computer and test your USB device to see if it's working properly.

If that doesn't help, try changing the USB selective suspend setting:

1. Go to "Control Panel" > "Power Options" > "Change Plan Settings." 2. Click "Change advanced power settings" > Find and expand "USB Settings" > Expand "USB selective suspend setting." 3. Disable both "Battery" and "Plugged in" settings > Apply > OK.