Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

The error " USB Device Not Recognized " is one of the common errors, often appearing when you connect a USB drive on Windows XP, Windows 7, 8 and even Windows 10. In the article below, WebTech360 will introduce and guide you through some solutions to quickly fix this " USB Device Not Recognized " error.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

USB device not recognized error message on Windows 7 and Windows 10

Table of Contents

Causes of USB Device Not Recognized error

When a user connects a USB to his system and the error USB Device Not Recognized appears, it means that the contents of the USB are not recognized. This does not mean that the USB is damaged and cannot be used further. The cause of such an error may be due to some settings or permissions granted to the hardware or software in the system and can be easily fixed.

Different reasons that cause USB Device Not Recognized error include:

  • USB cannot be fully loaded into the system.
  • USB can contain any malicious file; therefore, the system does not read it.
  • Due to low system battery, Root hub settings may not recognize USB.
  • There may be any errors in the driver that need to be updated.
  • Windows may need to be updated with the latest patches and fixes.

1. Restart your Windows computer

In many cases, the simplest way to fix errors on Windows 10 is to restart your Windows computer. Note that before restarting your Windows computer, save all documents you are working on and close all open application programs.

After the boot process is complete, connect the USB drive to your computer.

2. Disconnect the computer power and reconnect after 15 minutes

This solution may sound silly but in some cases it can help you fix the USB device is not recognized error.

To disconnect the computer power, the first thing to do is to turn off your computer, then unplug the power outlet. Wait about 10 to 15 minutes, then plug the power back in, turn on your computer and reconnect the USB drive to see if the error is fixed.

3. Connect the USB drive to a different port

This is only a temporary solution. If you get the "USB device not recognized" error while connecting your USB drive, you can connect your USB drive to a different port to see if the error is resolved.

4. Disable Fast Startup feature on Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

To disable Fast Startup on Windows 8, 8.1 and 10, follow the steps here .

5. Update USB driver

Step 1:

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and then clicking Device Manager .

Step 2:

Expand Universal Serial Bus and check for any unknown USB devices. If you see an unknown USB device, right-click it, click Update Driver Software , and then click Search automatically for updated driver software to have Windows 10 automatically download and install the latest driver version.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

You can also refer to the article:

6. Update Generic USB Hub driver(s)

Step 1:

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Device Manager. Then expand Universal Serial Bus to see if there are one or more Generic USB Hubs.

Step 2:

Right-click on the first Generic USB Hub line (if there are multiple Generic USB Hubs), then click Update Driver Software => Browse my computer for driver software => Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer , select Generic USB Hub and then click Next .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Wait until the message “Windows has successfully updated your driver software” appears on the screen.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

7. Reinstall USB driver

Note:

Before reinstalling the USB driver, you should create a system restore point or image backup to prevent errors during the driver installation process on your Windows 10 computer.

- Open Device Manager. To do this, follow the steps below:

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run command window.

On the Run command window, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

- Next, in the Device Manager window, expand the Disk Drives section .

Right-click External USB 3.0 Disk , then select Uninstall .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

- Next expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section .

Right-click USB Mass Storage Device and select Uninstall . You can also uninstall any Unknown USB Device from this list.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

- From the Action Menu, select Scan for hardware changes .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

- After the scan is finished, open Windows Explorer and find your connected USB drive.

If the Not Recognized error still occurs, then you open Device manager again and update the USB driver. To do this:

- Expand Disk Driver.

Right-click your USB 3.0 drive, then select Update Driver Software .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Wait for Windows to automatically find the latest driver version for your USB 3.0.

- Do the same to update the driver for USB Mass Storage Device .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Once done, check if your USB 3.0 is recognized.

8. Restore Windows to its previous working state

If your USB 3.0 drive was previously recognized, then you can restore your computer to its previous working state to fix the error.

Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 to a previous working state:

Access Windows 8 System Restore mode:

1. Move your mouse cursor to the lower right corner of the screen to open Settings.

2. Hold down the Shift key , then click the Power button.

3. Select Restart .

4. When your computer restarts, click on the Troubleshoot option.

5. On the Troubleshoot window, click Advanced options .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

6. On the Advanced options window, click System Restore .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

7. Select an account with Admin rights.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

8. Enter your account password, then click Continue.

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

9. On the System Restore screen, click Next.

10. Select a previous restore point, then click Next .

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

11. Confirm your selection and click Finish.

12. Wait until your computer is restored to the restore point you selected.

13. Once the system restore process is complete, restart your computer and you're done.

9. Use support software

Use genuine Microsoft tools and software:

  • Hardware and Device Troubleshooter : open it by following the path Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Troubleshooting :

Summary of some ways to fix USB Device Not Recognized error on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Click Configure a device

These 2 tools will automatically find and fix USB connection errors for you.

Note:

If you are using one of the following Windows versions:

  • Windows 8
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012

It is also very possible that you will encounter the USB device not recognized error as above. The main reason is that after you remove the USB using the Safely Remove USB feature (right-click on the USB icon in the system tray > Eject Mass Storage ), the USB port will be switched to Disable mode . To fix this, download and install the HotFix version below from Microsoft:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to reset USB port?

It is possible that your hardware is working fine, but the USB port is having some issues, so it is best to use other ports on your system. If you want, you can reset the USB port using the steps mentioned below.

  • Right-click on the Windows button and select the "Device Manager" option.
  • Click on the “Universal Serial Bus controller” option .
  • A list of options for different ports will be available.
  • Click on the available "Uninstall" option .
  • Now restart your system and then Windows will reinstall the driver on your system.

2. How to check if USB device is working?

Some USBs come with a small LED light that will blink when the drive is connected to the system and is in use. But if your USB doesn’t have an LED light, then you can follow the steps mentioned below.

  • Right-click on the Windows button and then click “Device Manager” .
  • Click ''Universal Serial Bus controller'' .
  • Click on the port settings that the USB is connected to.
  • From the list of options, click Scan for hardware changes .
  • Check the USB Device option to see if it works.

Hopefully the above steps will help you fix the USB Device Not Recognize error on Windows. The above method can be applied to USB drives, external hard drives, USB mice... in short, almost all devices connected via USB ports.

Good luck!

See more articles below:

Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

28 Windows 11 shortcuts you should know and use often

28 Windows 11 shortcuts you should know and use often

28 new Windows 11 shortcuts in addition to familiar Win 11 shortcuts will help you work faster and more efficiently.

Restore Missing Sleep Option on Windows 11/10/8/7

Restore Missing Sleep Option on Windows 11/10/8/7

How to restore the Sleep option on the Power Menu, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.

Microsoft is making Windows the ideal operating system for music makers.

Microsoft is making Windows the ideal operating system for music makers.

At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit on October 22, Microsoft announced a series of improvements coming to Windows PCs that will improve the overall experience for musicians, music producers, and other audio professionals.

Adobe Fresco official free animation tool

Adobe Fresco official free animation tool

Previously, Adobe Fresco only supported devices with touchscreens and styluses.

What does the red “X” on Windows folders mean?

What does the red “X” on Windows folders mean?

Do you see a red circle with a white cross to the left of your files, folders, or Windows drives? If so, it means OneDrive is out of sync and the folders affected by this issue are not syncing properly.

How to turn off background applications on Windows

How to turn off background applications on Windows

Turning off background applications on Windows 10 will help your computer run less sluggishly and save system resources. The following article by WebTech360 will guide readers on how to turn off background applications on Windows 10.

How to turn off mouse acceleration on Windows 11

How to turn off mouse acceleration on Windows 11

If you only use your mouse for common tasks, it is not necessary to enable mouse acceleration. Here are instructions for turning off mouse acceleration in Windows 11.

Learn About File Pilot: The Super Fast File Manager That Replaces Windows File Explorer

Learn About File Pilot: The Super Fast File Manager That Replaces Windows File Explorer

File Pilot is a lightweight, clean, and feature-rich file manager that outperforms the Windows default tool in every way.

Customize Default User Profile in Windows 7 – Part 1

Customize Default User Profile in Windows 7 – Part 1

In this series of articles we will introduce you to how to customize the default user profile in Windows 7.

How to enable Ransomware Protection on Windows

How to enable Ransomware Protection on Windows

Ransomware Protection is a useful feature that comes with Windows 11 to help secure users' devices against Ransomware attacks.

How to Use Windows Advanced Boot Options to Troubleshoot Faster

How to Use Windows Advanced Boot Options to Troubleshoot Faster

When your Windows PC has problems booting, Advanced Boot Options can help you figure out what's wrong.

8 reasons to choose Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

8 reasons to choose Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

Windows 10 is well supported. Software and hardware compatibility issues are rare. On the other hand, there have been major compatibility issues with Windows 11.

The Easiest Ways to Find Large Files on Windows

The Easiest Ways to Find Large Files on Windows

A quick and effective solution is to identify and delete large, space-consuming files that are hiding on your computer.

Download and experience Windows 11 SuperLite, super smooth, super light

Download and experience Windows 11 SuperLite, super smooth, super light

Like other Windows operating systems, Windows 11 still contains software and components that make the machine heavy.

How to display weather widget on Windows 10 Taskbar

How to display weather widget on Windows 10 Taskbar

If you want to review weather information, show the weather widget again on the Windows 10 Taskbar, follow the instructions below.