USB Device Not Recognized Windows 10: 7 Ways to Fix It

You plug something in and Windows 10 answers with "USB device not recognized." Annoying, but you're far from the only one, and it's usually fixable in a few minutes. Below are seven fixes for usb device not recognized windows 10 that work for most people.

You probably won't need all of them. Start at the top and work down until your device shows up. (If it's a wireless gadget you're trying to connect, see how to turn on bluetooth on windows 10.)

1. Restart Your PC

It sounds too simple, but a restart fixes an unrecognized USB device surprisingly often. Unplug the device, wait a couple of minutes, restart the computer, then plug the device back in.

2. Try a Different Computer

Plug the USB device into another computer. If it doesn't work there either, the device itself is probably faulty and may need repairing or replacing.

3. Unplug Other USB Devices

Having lots of USB devices on one machine can cause conflicts that stop some of them from working. Unplug everything else, then check whether the device you need is recognized.

4. Change the Power Management Setting for the USB Root Hub

Windows sometimes switches USB hubs off to save power, and they don't always wake up properly.

1. Press the Windows logo key + R, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Click the arrow to expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Right-click USB Root Hub and click Properties. Image: drivereasy.com
3. Go to the Power Management tab, untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and click OK.

If you have more than one USB Root Hub, repeat this for each one and click OK every time.

Then plug your device back in and see if Windows recognizes it. If it still doesn't, you can tick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power again, since this wasn't the cause.

5. Update the USB Port Driver

If none of the above helped, you may simply have the wrong or an outdated USB driver.

Updating the driver manually: go to your PC or motherboard manufacturer's website, find the latest USB/chipset driver for your model and install it. Make sure you pick the driver that matches your version of Windows.

6. Turn Off Fast Startup

Fast Startup doesn't fully shut down your hardware, and that can leave USB ports in a confused state.

1. Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Image: drivereasy.com
2. Click Choose what the power button does. Image: drivereasy.com
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable. Image: drivereasy.com
4. Untick Turn on fast startup and click Save changes. Image: drivereasy.com
5. Restart your computer and plug in the USB device again.

If that doesn't help, switch Fast Startup back on and move to the next fix.

7. Change the USB Selective Suspend Settings

1. Open Control Panel and click Power Options.
2. Click Change plan settings next to your current plan.
3. Click Change advanced power settings.
4. Expand USB settings, then USB selective suspend setting. Image: drivereasy.com
5. Set both On battery and Plugged in to Disabled, then click OK. Image: drivereasy.com

USB Device Not Recognized Notification Keeps Popping Up

Some people get the message over and over, even when nothing seems wrong. These are the fixes that readers tell us work best.

Run the Hardware Troubleshooter

A problem with the USB device itself is the most common reason the "USB device not recognized" message keeps coming back. The easiest first check is Windows' built-in troubleshooter:

1. Press the Windows key and type troubleshoot.
2. Click Troubleshoot settings.
3. In the Settings window, scroll down and choose Hardware and Devices, then run the troubleshooter.

It will try to detect and fix the problem with your USB device. Afterwards, see whether the notification still appears.

Reinstall Your USB Device Driver

A driver glitch can cause both the "USB device not recognized" message and the "Code 43" error in Windows 10. Try these steps in order.

Update the device driver

Installing the latest driver for the device often clears up Code 43.

Step 1. Click Search, type device manager and open Device Manager. You'll see your computer's name at the top with a list of installed devices underneath.

Step 2. Find the problem device, right-click it and select Properties.

Step 3. Open the Driver tab and click Update Driver.

Step 4. Click Search automatically for updated driver software.

Roll back the USB driver

If the error started right after a driver update, rolling back to the previous version may fix it.

Step 1. Open Device Manager.

Step 2. Right-click the device and select Properties.

Step 3. Go to Driver > Roll Back Driver.

Uninstall and reinstall the device driver

Plenty of users have fixed Code 43 in Windows 10 by reinstalling the driver from scratch:

Step 1. Open Device Manager.

Step 2. Find the faulty device in the list, right-click it and click Uninstall device. When Windows warns that you're removing the device, click OK.

Step 3. Right-click your computer name at the top of Device Manager and click Scan for hardware changes. Windows will find the device and reinstall it automatically.

Step 4. Right-click the device and click Properties. On the General tab, Device status should now say "This device is working properly."

Turn Off the Notification

If your USB device actually works fine but the "USB device not recognized" alert keeps popping up, you can simply switch the notification off.

Step 1. Press Windows + I to open Settings and choose Devices.

Step 2. Click USB in the left panel.

Step 3. Untick Notify me if there are issues connecting to USB devices.

Still getting the message? The fixes above solve it for most people, but the cause isn't always the same. In rare cases a failing port, a weak power supply or a damaged cable is to blame, so try another port (ideally one on the back of the PC) and another cable before giving up on the device.

References: drivereasy.com, easeus.com