USBs are storage devices , they were invented at the beginning of the year 2000, all this in order to create a safe and portable medium, by which you can store photos from the PC , information, files , documents, etc. and that in turn is removable.
For this reason, this is known as a storage device, which is available to be transported in various ways.
Likewise, these devices are known as flash memories , which are connected through a USB port to a computer, this is an excellent way to have all your documents without the need to saturate your devices with so many files, photos or videos.
Its acronym in English means: Universal Serial Bus, which refers to the storage capacity and portability of these devices.
What is known as flash memory, is semiconductor, for this reason it is not volatile, that is, this is a memory which has the same characteristics as a RAM memory, but unlike RAM memories , the data that there are stored, they will not be lost if it is disconnected from the PC .
Having clarified all this information, in this post we will leave you a detailed guide so that you can solve the error “the USB device is not recognized”, which is very common in some desktop computers and also in laptops that use Windows.
How to know if your Windows PC does not recognize the USB device?
The first indication that our device is not working correctly is when once we have inserted it into the USB port, we cannot see the unit once we access the “My Computer” folder.
It may happen that on some occasions, it takes a while for this icon to appear, and therefore we must update the page, however, the normal and usual thing is that the operating system recognizes the folder automatically, and that it also has the assigned folder Leta D, E or a letter that is representative of the name of the manufacturer.
In this sense, when one of the USB devices that is connected to the computer has a malfunction and that Windows does not recognize it , the steps to follow are very simple and we will explain it to you below:
Begin by connecting and disconnecting the USB
Many times it happens that readers fail suddenly and with this, they do not recognize said devices the first time, if this is what happens, the first thing you should do is pay attention to the response that the computer is going to generate, to so you can continue with the next steps.
If it does not give you any kind of response, you must enter the “Control Panel” , then go to the “Systems” section and after that, enter the “Device Administration” tab.
Within this window, you will be able to verify whether or not your PC has recognized the pendrive that you have placed in your system; If the message you see below is “Unknown USB device” , we recommend that you take the following steps.
Start by uninstalling the driver.
- Once this is done, proceed to reinstall it again with the driver that corresponds to it.
- Once you have completed the previous steps, the last thing you should do is reconnect the USB device that you have tried to place previously.
If this error continues to persist, we recommend applying the CHKDSK command , which you must enter within the console, in order to check that everything inside the external memory unit is in excellent condition. To carry out this action, you just have to do the following:
- Start by entering the start menu, then enter “search” and then be able to write the following: CHKDSK D
- There you will see that a black window will appear, with which you will simply have to type in the letter S and thus be able to hit the den, and thus be able to start the diagnostic process.
- This is where you can check if the flash memory is in good condition.
Fixing a USB device not recognized by a Windows PC involves several steps. Here’s a tabular guide to help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue:
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check USB Ports | Try plugging the USB device into a different port to rule out a faulty port. |
| 2 | Restart Computer | Sometimes a simple restart can solve the issue as it resets the USB ports. |
| 3 | Update Device Drivers | Go to Device Manager, find the USB device (if listed), right-click, and select ‘Update driver’. |
| 4 | Check Device in Another PC | Test the USB device on another computer to see if the issue is with the device itself. |
| 5 | Run Hardware Troubleshooter | Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Hardware and Devices. |
| 6 | Disable USB Selective Suspend | Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings, then expand USB settings and disable USB Selective Suspend. |
| 7 | Reinstall USB Controllers | In Device Manager, uninstall all devices under Universal Serial Bus controllers, then restart the PC to reinstall them. |
| 8 | Check for Windows Updates | Ensure your Windows is up-to-date as some updates can resolve hardware issues. |
| 9 | Scan for Hardware Changes | In Device Manager, right-click on your computer’s name and select ‘Scan for hardware changes’. |
| 10 | Try a Powered USB Hub | If your device requires more power, a powered USB hub may resolve the issue. |
Remember, the exact steps might slightly vary depending on your Windows version. If these steps don’t work, the USB device itself might be faulty or incompatible with your PC.
