USB device is not detected, you can find 6 solutions in this article so that you can solve the problem of unrecognized USB devices. Try one by one if you get the error message ‘The last USB device connected to this computer did not work properly and is not recognized by Windows’.
USB device is not recognized – how to fix the problem?
USB device does not work properly or cannot be recognized by Windows? After connecting a USB flash drive to a PC. could be the problem "USB device is not displayed" occur under Windows 11/10/8/7/XP. In this case you will not be able to access this device or your data.
There are several descriptions for this USB device not recognized error:
"A USB device connected to this computer does not work properly and is not recognized. Click on this message if you need help to fix the problem."
"The last USB device connected to this computer did not work properly and is not recognized by Windows."
Many Windows users have experience with the error "USB device is not recognized". If you are one of them, you can try the six free solutions in this article to solve the problem and get your USB device recognized again.
USB device is not recognized – How to fix the problem
If your device is not recognized at the moment, you can try the following 6 solutions to make it appear again. You don’t have to try every method, but we strongly recommend you to follow the order, which our experts have tried more times. Solutions are presented from the most working to the most likely to work.
Solution 1. Disconnect your computer from the power supply
It sounds like a piece of cake, but it works! For most USB devices that can’t be recognized, there is usually nothing wrong with them. Restarting the computer might solve the problem. But note that you must not use the computer’s power switch to turn it off, but turn off the computer at its source. This means unplugging your computer from the power outlet.
This will reboot the motherboard to which all the computer hardware is connected, including the USB ports. Rebooting the motherboard usually helps to solve the temporary insufficient power supply for external devices. Leave the computer alone for a few minutes, and then plug it back in for a reboot.
This time, check if the computer is able to recognize the USB device and assign it a drive letter. If it fails, don’t panic, the next fixing methods are also doable.
Solution 2. Change the USB cable or USB port
If the computer’s USB ports are working properly? You need to check the available USB ports one by one to determine whether it is the problem with the computer hardware or the problem with the device itself. If switching to another port solves the problem, then there is something wrong with that port and you can abandon it or get it fixed. Why don’t you just fix a non-functioning USB port as an attempt?
Also, some people who don’t have enough USB ports will probably buy a USB hub. If the device is connected via the additional USB hub, do not forget to connect it directly to the PC. With this solution, you can solve most of the problems of unrecognized USB device.
Solution 3. Reboot and disconnect USB devices
Next you can try to disconnect all USB devices and restart the computer. After reboot, try to connect the USB device that caused the problem.
If the USB port in question does not recognize the device, try it on another one. If the device is detected from another USB port, there may be a hardware problem with one of the USB ports. If no USB port recognizes the device
Solution 4. Update/reset a device driver
Running in Device Manager is another commonly recommended method in Youtube and IT forums to fix problems with an undetectable USB device.
Step 1. First open the Device Manager.
Step 2. Enter Device Manager in the search and double click on the result to get in. Then the Device Manager will open. In other Windows operating systems, including Windows 11/10, press the keys at the same time Windows + R, type devmgmt.msc in the search bar and press Enter to access Device Manager.
Step 3. Right-click on Unknown device, click on Properties, then click on the tab Driver and then click Update drivers.
If this does not work, you can also try to download the driver for your device from the manufacturer’s website. If the USB device is only a flash drive, it is probably not a driver problem. However, if you are using a USB printer, drawing pad, etc. install, it may be worth downloading the driver for that particular device.
Solution 5. Install the USB device driver again
Step 1. Open the Device Manager (Click on Start, then right-click Computer > Manage).
Step 2. Find and expand now USB controller. Now right click on USB driver and click on Uninstall. Do for all USB drivers one by one.
Step 3. Now restart your PC. The USB drivers will be automatically reinstalled and the problem of broken USB devices will be solved.
Solution 6. Adjust the settings for selective USB power saving
Step 1. Go to Control Panel > All Control Panel items > Power Options > Edit power plan settings.
Step 2. Find Change advanced power settings.
Step 3. In the window"Power Options" find and expand USB settings, then expand Selective USB power saving settings and disable both settings"On battery" as well"Mains operation".
Step 4. Then click on Apply and OK, to save the settings.
To recover your lost data on the USB device
These four solutions are helpful for troubleshooting USB device malfunctions. If none of them work for you, please try to recover your data with third-party software.
For this, EaseUS free data recovery software can help you if your USB device is listed in Disk Management but not displayed on your computer. The program works well on Windows 11/10/8/7/XP and other previous versions.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and select the affected storage device for recovery. Then click "Scan".
Step 2. After the scan, you can preview all the found data and select the files you want to download. Search through the directory tree, filter for specific file types and search for the desired file name in the search box. If your searched files can’t be found, look into "RAW" folder to search files whose metadata is corrupted or lost.
Step 3. At last, click "Restore" button. In this step, save the recovered data to another location so that nothing is overwritten at the original location and you can still retrieve other lost data from here later on.