USB Not Recognized in Windows 10 – A Fix
Is your USB device not recognized by Windows 10? It can be frustrating when you keep getting a “USB device not recognized” message when you plug in your device. Fear not, we can help. It’s often a simple fix.
How to fix USB device not recognized error in Windows 10
Follow our step-by-step process below.
Step 1: Test the Drive
Test the drive while connected to another port, as well as with another cable (if available) to rule out a faulty connection.
Step 2: Find new hardware icon
Look in your System Tray for the Found New Hardware icon. If it’s not there, reboot the computer, and look for the icon again. If it’s still not there, take the drive to another computer and see if it works there.
Step 3: Find Drive
If the icon is in System Tray, go to File Explorer. The drive should be listed there as a removable device. If it isn’t, move on to step 4.
Step 4: If not found, Find drive in Disk Management
Right-click on My Computer and select Manage. Click on Disk Management and look for the drive in the lower pane on the right. If it is there, right click on it and select Change Drive Letter, follow the steps to assign a new drive letter, and then check My Computer for the removable drive again.
Step 5: Open Device Manager
If the drive isn’t in Disk Management, open Device Manager. Once in Device Manager, look for a yellow ? or ! under the category Universal Serial Bus Controller.
Step 6: Uninstall unwanted icons
If you see any yellow ? or ! icons, right-click on that line and select Uninstall. After the uninstall, reboot the computer with the drive still connected.
Step 7: Reboot
If the drive still isn’t recognized by Windows, unplug all other USB devices (except mouse and keyboard), and then reboot the computer again, with the storage as the only connected USB device.
Hopefully, one of our steps helps Windows recognize your device. But what next? If your device is now detected and you are struggling to format your USB, check out our guide on formatting your USB on Windows.
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