Resolving Unknown USB Device - Descriptor Request Failed

The "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)" is an error displayed by the Windows Device Manager under the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" section. The current device status indicates that "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43). USB Device Descriptor Request Failed."

What is a Device Descriptor?

The Device Descriptor (USB_DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR) is the root of the descriptor tree and contains basic information about the device. The idVendor and idProduct values are unique identifiers that the Windows operating system uses to recognize a connected device and determine which driver to load for it.

Technicalities aside, we don't really care – we just want to know how to fix a broken device descriptor when a request fails.

How to solve the problem of Device Descriptor Request Failed?

On HP, Lenovo, Dell, and many other computers, driver issues are the most common culprits behind unknown USB devices. As you might have feared, the Device Descriptor Request Failed error is a generic USB issue, so it's reasonable to suspect a driver problem at this point. The USB device in question can be a flash drive, pen drive, Android device, digital camera, or any other digital gadget that should work on a Windows machine.

In the next part, we'll mostly focus on presenting you with the most common solutions to fix the Windows 10 Device Descriptor Request Failed error. The same issue affects Windows 7 and Windows XP users as well. Don't worry about applying these solutions to your Windows OS. They're compatible with all versions.

3 Quick Fixes for Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) in Windows 10

If the Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) error is due to a non-functional USB port or a damaged USB device, try these three solutions before proceeding with further troubleshooting.

1. Try plugging in a known working USB drive to check if the port is functioning correctly or has been damaged. 2. Insert the USB device into another computer to determine if the USB drive itself is functioning properly or has been damaged. 3. Check if the USB device is shown in "Disk Management." If your data is critical, download a free data recovery software to retrieve the data from the inaccessible USB device beforehand.

Step 1: Select the USB drive to scan

Launch the tool Data Recovery Wizard, select the USB drive where you lost your important files, and click “Scan” to start.

Step 2: Preview and check the data on USB Drive

Once the scan is complete, you can use the “Filter” feature and the “Search” option to locate specific file types quickly.

Step 3: Recover Data from Flash Drive

After the scan is complete and the lost USB drive files are found, click on “Recover” to restore them. You should save the recovered files to a secure location on your computer, instead of back to the USB drive.

5 Advanced Fixes for 'Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)' in Windows 10

Since the exact cause of this issue with USB drives can be uncertain, not all provided solutions may work. Hence, try each of these solutions patiently one by one until the problem is resolved.

1. Utilize hardware and device troubleshooting tools

1. Press `Win+R`, type `Control Panel`, then hit `Enter`. 2. In the Control Panel search box, type `troubleshooter` and select **Troubleshooting**. 3. Under **Hardware and Sound**, choose **Set up a device** and follow the on-screen instructions. 4. If any issues are found, click **Apply this fix**.

Fix device descriptor request failed by using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooting tool

If the Unknown USB Device error is due to a hardware issue, it shouldn't reappear after you've tried the above steps. If it does, you'll need to move on to the next method to find a fix.

2. Try uninstalling the USB driver

1. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows icon and selecting Device Manager. 2. Now locate and expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers.” Right-click on a USB driver, then select Uninstall. Do this for all USB drivers. 3. Restart your PC so that Windows can automatically reinstall the devices.

Some users have found that only a clean install of the driver does the trick, only for the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” error to reappear the next time they plug in the drive. According to an experienced user who struggled with the problem for a long time before finding the cause and the solution.

3. Disable Fast Startup

1. Press the Win + R keys, then type `Control Panel` and hit Enter. 2. Click on **Power Options** and then choose **Change what the power buttons do** on the left panel. 3. Click on **Change settings that are currently unavailable**. 4. Under the "Shutdown settings" section, uncheck the box next to **Turn on fast startup (recommended)**. Then click on **Save changes**.

4. Enable Plug and Play in the Windows Service

1. Press `Win+R`, type **services.msc** and hit `Enter`. 2. In the "Windows Services" window, locate the service named **Plug and Play**. Double-click it to open its Properties window. 3. If the Startup Type is currently set to **Manual** and the Service Status is **Running**, try changing it to **Disabled** and then **Stop**. Save the changes; later, switch back to **Manual** for Startup Type and **Running** for Service Status. Click OK and Apply. 4. If the Startup Type is currently **Disabled** and the Service Status is **Stopped**, change it to **Manual** and **Start**. Click OK and Apply.

Restart your computer and check if the Unknown USB Device issue is fixed in Windows 10. If not, try performing a System Restore to resolve the problem.

5. Restore your computer to a previous restore point

1. Press `Win+R`, type `Control Panel` and hit **Enter**. 2. Find and open the **Recovery** option. 3. Choose **Open System Restore**, follow the on-screen instructions, and wait for all restore points to appear. 4. Select the appropriate restore point to revert your computer.