USB device not recognized in Windows 10 [Fixed Now]

by Milan Stanojevic

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Windows & Software Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Read more

Updated: Mar 3, 2021

Posted: June 2020

We use USB devices on a daily basis, but some Windows 10 users have reported that Windows 10 doesn’t recognize their USB devices.

This can create all sorts of problems, but fortunately, there is a way to fix that.

USB problems are relatively common, and many users reported that Windows 10 doesn’t recognize USB. Speaking of USB issues, users reported the following problems as well:

• USB not detected, not showing up Windows 10 – This is a relatively common problem, and if your USB isn’t detected or if it’s not showing, you should be able to fix that issue using one of our solutions;
• USB drive not showing up Windows 10 – Many users reported that their USB drive isn’t showing after connecting it to their PC. If you have this problem, we strongly advise you to try the solutions from this article;
• External hard drive not recognized Windows 10 – This issue can affect both flash drives and external hard drives. However, the solutions are the same for both flash and external hard drives;
• Windows USB not working – If your USB is not working on Windows, the problem might be your drivers, so be sure to update them and check if that solves the problem;
• Windows USB ports not working – Users reported that USB ports aren’t working on their Windows PC. If you have this problem, be sure to try one of the solutions from this article.

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What to do if the USB device isn’t recognized in Windows 10?

1. Update your chipset drivers

1. Open Windows search bar and type device manager.
2. Open Device Manager in order to manually update your drivers.
3. Locate the drivers, right-click on each of them and select Update.

You should always keep your drivers up to date in order to stay away from any errors generated by outdated drivers or incompatible ones. Sometimes Windows will automatically install them.

Most of the time you have to download drivers manually. But this is a process that carries the risk of getting the wrong driver installed, which may lead to serious malfunctions.

The safer and easier way to update drivers on a Windows computer is by using an automatic tool, that scans your computer hardware and automatically finds the correct drivers.

DriverFix

Keep your chipset drivers updated and never worry about USB devices issues thanks to DriverFix!

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2. Delete unnecessary keyboard drivers from Device Manager

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Locate your keyboard drivers. You might have a few of them available instead of just one.
3. Delete them all by right-clicking the driver and choosing Uninstall from the menu.
4. After you’ve deleted all the drivers, restart your computer and your keyboard should start working again.

If Windows 10 doesn’t recognize your USB keyboard after you have unplugged it and plug it again while your computer was running. , you might need to delete its drivers from Device Manager.

Users have reported that they had multiple keyboard drivers installed, and if you have the same problem, it’s advised that you delete unnecessary keyboard drivers.

Also, make sure that the USB controller is not disabled. To fix this issue you need to open Device Manager, find the disabled USB controller, right-click it, and choose Enable.

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3. Install Logitech SetPoint

This solution might work for owners of Logitech keyboard, so if you own a Logitech device, download and install Logitech SetPoint software.

Some users have reported that Windows 10 has successfully recognized their USB keyboard after installing this tool, so make sure that you try that out.

We don’t know if this solution will work with other brands of keyboards, but it won’t hurt if you try it out.

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4. Check your keyboard power management settings

1. Open Device Manager and locate your keyboard.
2. It might be in Universal Serial Bus controllers or in Human Interface Devices section.
3. After you’ve found your keyboard, right-click it and choose Properties.
   
   
4. Go to Power Management tab and make sure that Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is not checked.
   
   
5. Save changes and restart your computer.

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5. Restart your computer / remove the battery

Users report that sometimes restarting your computer a few times fixes issues with USB keyboards. In addition, some users advise that you unplug your computer and remove its battery for a few minutes.

We have to warn you that you will break your warranty if you remove your computer’s battery, so maybe it’s best to take it to the repair shop and ask an expert to do it for you.

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6. Disable USB3 support from BIOS

1. While your computer boots, press F2, F8 or Del to enter BIOS. The key might be different on your computer, so you might need to repeat this step a few times.
2. When BIOS opens, go to Advanced Settings > USB configuration.
3. Disable USB3 support and save the changes.
4. If your keyboard still isn’t recognized, try plugging it to a different USB port. You might have to try that several times.
5. If the problem still persists, go to Device Manager > USB Controllers section.
6. If there’s a controller with an exclamation mark, right-click it and choose Disable. Right-click the same controller again and choose Enable.

If your laptop is new, chances are that it came with USB 3.0 ports. Most of the peripherals devices do not support this new standard for USB. So, you can try to disable it and see if the issue disappear.

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7. Uninstall AiCharger + and Kaspersky antivirus

It has been reported that certain software such as AiCharger+ can cause issues with your USB keyboard, so before you upgrade to Windows 10 make sure that this software is uninstalled.

We have to mention that this issue can be also caused by your antivirus, so if you’re using Kaspersky antivirus, make sure that you uninstall it before you upgrade to Windows 10.

If you still have problems with your antivirus, you might want to switch to a different antivirus solution in order to solve this problem.

⇒ Get BullGuard

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8. Turn off Fast Startup

1. Enter Control Panel in the Search bar and choose Control Panel from the list of results.
   
   
2. When Control Panel opens, go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
   
   
3. When Power Option opens, click on Choose what the power button does.
   
   
4. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
   
   
5. Find the Fast-Startup option and disable it.
   
   
6. Save your changes and restart your PC.

Sometimes, due to Fast Startup feature, your USB hard drive might not be recognized by Windows 10. This can create all sorts of problems, especially if you use USB storage to store important data.

Fortunately, you can easily fix this by following the steps above. After disabling Fast Startup, your Windows 10 might start a bit slower, but all USB hard drives should be properly recognized.

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9. Partition your USB storage and assign a letter to it

1. Press Windows Key + S, type Computer Management and choose Computer Management from the list.
   
   
2. When Computer Management starts click Disk Management.
   
   
3. Now you need to find your USB hard drive. The easiest way to do that is to check the size of the drives in Disk Management.
   
   
4. If your USB hard drive is unpartitioned, you should see a drive with Unallocated space. Right-click it and choose New Simple Volume. Follow the instructions in order to partition your hard drive.
5. If your USB storage is partitioned but still isn’t recognized in Windows 10, you have to make sure that it has a letter assigned to it.
6. Find your USB hard drive and right-click it.
7. Choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
   
   
8. Click Add and assign a letter to this partition.

Before Windows 10 can recognize your USB hard drive or USB storage, it has to be partitioned and it needs to have a letter assigned to it. The steps written earlier show you how to achieve that.

We have to mention that Windows 10 can only work with NTFS and FAT32 file systems, so when you partition your hard drive, make sure that you use NTFS file system.

If you find this process too confusing, you can easily partition your drive by using a third-party application such as Acronis Disk Director.

⇒ Download Acronis Disk Director

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10. Uninstall hidden devices from Device Manager

1. Press Windows Key + R and type cmd. Press Enter or click OK.
   
   
2. When Command Prompt starts, paste the following lines and press Enter after each line in order to run it:
   • set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
   • cd
   • cd windowssystem32
   • start devmgmt.ms
3. Device Manager should start. Click View and choose Show hidden devices.
   
   
4. Now you need to expand all sections and delete all grayed-out entries.
5. After you’ve done that, restart your PC and re-connect your USB hard drive.

Sometimes, devices that aren’t recognized might be hidden in Device Manager, so let’s see how to show them and uninstall them. To do that, follow the instructions from above.

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11. Delete Unrecognized device from Device Manager

1. Open Device Manager and go to Universal Serial Bus controllers.
2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers section and find Unrecognized device.
3. Right-click it and choose Uninstall device.
4. Click Scan for hardware changes button. Windows will not install missing drivers.
   
   
5. Close Device Manager.
6. Assign a letter to your USB storage by following the steps in solution 9.

If you can’t find an Unrecognized device in Device Manager just skip that step and try changing the assigned letter.

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12 . Connect your USB hard drive to the USB ports in the back

Users have reported some issues with Seagate hard drive, and according to them, the USB hard drive isn’t recognized if it’s connected to the USB ports on the front of your computer.

Even if you don’t use Seagate hard drive, try connecting your USB hard drive to the port on the back of your computer to see if it works.

According to the users, sometimes ports on the front don’t produce enough power, so this is why it’s better to use USB ports on the back.

In addition, if you have USB hub, don’t use it, and connect your USB storage directly to your computer.

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13. Replace the hard drive letter using the Diskpart tool

1. Press Windows Key + R, and type diskpart in the Run dialog. Press Enter or click OK to run it.
   
   
2. Command Prompt will open. Type list volume and press Enter to run the command.
3. Find your USB storage in the list. It shouldn’t have a drive letter assigned to it.
4. Type select volume 2 (we used volume 2 in our example, but you need to use the volume number that matches your USB storage) and press Enter.
5. Now type assign letter Z (or any other letter that isn’t used) and press Enter.
   
   
6. Close Command Prompt and check if your USB storage is recognized.

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14. Add printer manually

1. Open Control Panel and select Devices and Printers.
   
   
2. Choose Add printer.
   
   
3. Click The printer that I want isn’t listed.
   
   
4. Choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings and click the Next button.
   
   
5. Select Use an existing port: USB0001 and click on Next.
6. Now select the printer manufacturer and model. Click Next.
   
   
7. Choose Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended) and enter the name of your printer.

If Windows 10 doesn’t recognize your USB printer, you might need to add it manually. To do that, follow the steps above.

Keep in mind that your printer might not be recognized if you don’t have the latest drivers for it. Visit your printer manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers.

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15. Check Power Management for USB Root Hub

1. Open Device Manager, go to Universal Serial Bus controllers section and find USB Root Hub.
2. If you have multiple USB Root Hubs you’ll have to repeat this step for each one of them.
3. Right click USB Root Hub and choose Properties.
   
   
4. Go to Power Management section and make sure that Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is unchecked.
   
   
5. Save the changes and repeat the steps for all USB Root Hubs that you have in Device Manager.

If Windows 10 doesn’t recognize USB ports on your computer, you might want to check power management settings for USB Root Hub.

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16. Change USB selective suspend settings

1. Open Control Panel and choose Power Options.
   
   
2. Find your currently selected plan and click Change plan settings.
   
   
3. Click Change advanced power settings.
   
   
   
   
4. Find USB Settings > USB selective suspend setting and change it to Disabled for all entries. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
   
   

Since we’re speaking about Power Options, we should mention that some users have reported that issues with ports are fixed after disabling Fast Startup, so you may want to try that as well.

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As you can see, there are many cases where Windows 10 doesn’t recognize USB, and if you have problems with USB devices on Windows 10, we hope that our solutions can be helpful to you.

If you have any other suggestions or solutions that we should add here, please write us a comment below.

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