Help for error message “USB device not recognized”

USB devicenot recognized is a common problem.  There are a few easy solutions you can try yourself to fix the problem causing the error “USB device not recognized”.  Use the information below as a guide.

Unplug or Remove Power Supply

There are many errors that occur that can be simply fixed by restarting your computer.  So as a rule of thumb, when you receive an error, the first step is always to restart your PC.  If you still have the error after restarting, the next step is to shut down and unplug or remove the power supply for a few minutes.  For desktop computers, you will need to unplug the system from its power source.  If you are experiencing the error on your laptop, shut it down and remove the battery.  The purpose of removing the power supply is to stop all power going to your mother board.  This will allow the drivers for the USB ports, which are stored on the motherboard, to reboot when the computer is turned back on. 

Uninstall and Reinstall USB Drivers

If you are still receiving the error message after you have removed the power supply and restarted the computer, the next thing to try is uninstall and reinstall the USB drivers.  Sometimes drivers become corrupt or simply need to be updated.  Follow the steps provided for uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers.

1. Navigate to: Start Menu > Control Panel > Device Manager

2. Review the list of devices that are being used to find and select the device you are having problems with. 

3. With the device selected, choose the Uninstall option.

4. After it’s uninstalled, shut down the PC.

5. Unplug the device from your PC.

6. Start the PC with the device unplugged.

7. After startup, plug in the device.

8. Install the drivers.

Installing & Updating Drivers

1.    Search for the official site of the device you need drivers for.

2.    Locate their download or drivers section.

3.    Look for the device you need drivers for.

4.    Click the link to download the drivers’ install file.

5.    Open the install file to launch the automated install wizard.

6.    Select a location for the drivers, click next.

7.    Select the install options, click next.

8.    Select Agree for the licensing agreement.

9.    Wait for installation to finish.

10.  Restart the PC.

Use PC Repair Software

If you are still getting the error message, there is another easy fix you can try.  There are PC repair software programs available online that you can try.  The repair tool is designed to scan your computer, identify problems and repair them.  These repair tools are automated to make it easy to use, no matter what your computer experience is.  And to make it even easier, there are steps below to help guide you along.

1.    Search online for “PC Repair Software”.

2.    Choose a reputable site from the search results.

3.    Click on the link provided to download the repair tool.

4.    Open the downloaded file to start installation.

5.    Choose a location for the software to be installed.

6.    Choose the install option.

7.    Read and agree to the licensing agreement.

8.    Wait for installation to complete, then restart the PC.

9.    Open the repair tool to begin running the program.

10.  Choose scan your computer.

11.  If it identifies any problems, choose the repair option.

12.  Restart the PC.

Adding USB devices to your system is easy to do. Have fun with the wide range of products to available.  Have confidence knowing that if you experience an error message “USB device not recognized”, you know what to do!