USB Device Not Recognized Error Fix for Windows PC

While some devices are adopting the wireless mode of communication, however, this shift is going to take a while. In the meantime, the wired connection (via USB cable) is the go-to choice for both the users and devices alike. Be it a mouse, external hard-disk, camera, or your Android device, all of them respect this USB connection for interacting with the PC.

However, in some instances, you might have to face a few issues in establishing a successful connection between your device and the PC. When that happens, you might be notified about it via the USB Device not recognized pop-up. Along with that, you could also get an accompanying error message that reads out “The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it”.

Unfortunately, this message doesn’t paint a clear picture as to the root cause of the underlying issue or the steps to rectify it. With that said, there do exist a few handy workarounds that are known to fix this error. So without any further ado, let’s check them out.

The Basic Fixes to Try First

Before moving on with the advanced ones, here are some easy-to-execute methods that could work out in your case.

• First off, unplug the device and restart your PC. Once it boots up, wait for a few minutes and then reconnect your device via USB cable to the PC and see if the issue is fixed or not.
• Furthermore, it is recommended to use the cables that came shipped with the device itself. If your device didn’t come with a USB cable, then make sure that you are using the one manufactured by a trustworthy brand.
• Likewise, you should also try connecting the device to some other port on your PC. It is also advised not to connect your device to USB 3.0 and rather use the 2.0 port itself. This is because some devices still have compatibility issues when it comes to using the latest USB port.

Try out the aforementioned tweaks and see if it is able to fix the USB Device not recognized error. If you are still getting this bugged with this issue, then here are a few other methods that deserve your attention.

How to Fix USB Device Connected malfunctioned?

Here are Few Methods to Fix the USB Device you Connected to this Computer Malfunctioned, and Windows does not Recognize it Error

Update Drivers

If you are using an old or outdated driver for the connected device, then the latter might not be able to be recognized by your PC. Hence you should consider updating it to the latest version right away. Here’s how it could be done (make sure the affected device is connected to the PC via USB cable).

1. Use the Windows+R shortcut keys to bring up the Run dialog box.
2. Then type in devmgmt.msc and hit Enter. This will take you to the Device Manager page.
   
3. Now head over to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section, right-click on your device, and select Update Drivers (if your device isn’t listed there, then make sure to check the Other Devices and the Portable Devices section as well).
   
4. Then select “Search automatically for updated driver software” from the subsequent dialog box.
   
5. Windows will now search for the latest available drivers and will install them as well.

Once that is done, restart your PC and check if it is able to recognize the USB device.

Disable USB Selective Suspend Settings

If you (or your PC for that matter) haven’t interacted with the connected device for quite a while, then the latter might go into a hibernation mode. As a result, some of its functionalities would be limited. And this could well be the reason for your PC not being able to recognize the USB device.

So the best bet, in this case, is to prevent your USB drive from getting powering off or even going to the sleep state. For that, you will have to disable the USB selective suspend settings, which could be done as follows:

1. Launch Control Panel, change its View Type to Large Icon, and select Power Options.
   
2. Then click on Change Plan Settings followed by Change Advanced Power settings.
   
3. Expand the USB Drivers section and double click on USB selective suspend settings.
   
4. Now change the On Battery state from Enabled to Disabled and click Apply > OK.

Once that is done, remove your device and reconnect it to your PC. Check if it is able to fix the USB Device not recognized issue.

Reinstall Drivers

If none of the aforementioned methods worked out in your favor, then there is a possibility of the drivers getting corrupted. If that happens, then even updating them might not be able to fix the underlying issue. Rather you should consider uninstalling and then reinstalling these drivers from scratch. Here are the required instructions for the same.

1. With the device connected to the PC via USB cable, right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
2. Within that, scroll to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers (or Other Devices or Portable Devices section) right-click on it, and select Uninstall Device.
   
3. Again, click on the Uninstall Option from the confirmation dialog box and wait for the process to complete.
   
4. Once the drivers have been removed, unplug the device and reboot your PC
5. Then connect your device to PC and the drivers shall automatically be installed (make sure that you are connected to the internet).
6. However, if the drivers don’t get installed, then launch Device Manager.
7. Right-click on your PC name situated at the top and select Scan for hardware changes.
   
8. Windows will now search for the missing drivers and will install them accordingly. Your device shall now be identifiable by the PC.

With this, we conclude the guide on how to fix the USB Device not recognized issue. We have listed four different methods to rectify this issue. Do let us know in the comments section which one spelled out success in your case.