Error turning off USB device. The computer does not see a USB flash drive or an unidentified device

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USB is the most common way to connect any peripheral components to a computer. Flash drives, hard drives, keyboards, mice and much more - we connect all this to our PCs and laptops via USB. Therefore, when some problems and connection problems arise, this can seriously interfere with the user’s work at the computer. In this article, we will look in detail at what to do if the “USB device is not recognized” error occurs. Let's get started. Let's go!

Error correction required to work with USB.

So, if you encounter problems connecting a flash drive or any other device to your computer, the first thing you need to do is make sure that the device is working. Always start with this so as not to waste a lot of time if it turns out that the flash drive, mouse or something else is simply broken. The problem may also be a malfunction of the computer connector. Therefore, try reconnecting the device through other connectors or, even better, to another computer to be sure.

Now let's look at how to fix the situation if the device is working. Remove the USB drive from the connector. Then turn off the laptop and disconnect it from the power source. Press and hold the PC power button for up to 5 seconds. This is done in order to remove any remaining charges from the computer components. Turn on the laptop and try to connect the USB flash drive again.

Another method is suitable for those who have desktop computer, not a laptop. Try disconnecting some of the devices connected via USB and insert the flash drive into the connector located on the back side system unit.

If the methods described above did not help get rid of the error, try the following. When a device does not work, you should always keep in mind that the drivers may be to blame. The solution to the problem presented below is suitable for Windows 7 and 8.

First you need to open the Run window. Use the Win+R key combination for this. Then write the command (without quotes) “devmgmt.msc”. Now that you are in Device Manager, go to the USB Controllers section, if you do not find the problematic device, look in the Other Devices section. Having found the desired item, right-click on it in the menu that opens and select “Update drivers”. After this the operating room Windows system I have to find and install it myself necessary drivers, but if this does not happen, you will have to do it yourself. Fortunately, finding drivers for any device is not at all difficult. Just enter search query with the exact and complete name of the product, supplemented with the word “drivers”.

Another situation is when an unidentified device appears on the taskbar with an exclamation mark. Then you need to proceed as follows. Click on the device icon right click mouse and select "Properties". Then go to the Driver tab. Click on the “Roll Back” button if it is active; if not, click “Delete”. Once done, open Device Manager, then go to the Action menu and select Update Hardware Configuration. You can also try opening the properties of each device with the name “Generic USB Hub” and on the “Power Management” tab, uncheck the “Allow” option.

For newer operating rooms Windows systems 8.1 and Windows 10 the following method may work. As in the cases discussed above, open Device Manager, right-click on the one you need and update the drivers, only then you will need to select “Search for drivers on this computer”, and in the next step specify one of the previously installed ones. After that, click "Next".

Probably everyone has at least once encountered a problem when, when connecting a USB device, an error pops up: USB device not recognized. A similar error occurs when using both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices.

Let's try to figure out the reasons.
There can be many reasons for such an error. And there are many solutions too. Therefore, we do not guarantee that you will be able to solve this problem using our recommendations.
Perhaps this article will help you solve the problem.

Resolving the “USB device not recognized” error.

Also sometimes (rarely, but it happens) such a problem can occur if you connect a USB 2.0 device to the USB 3.0 port.

Method 1. This error often occurs when using a USB extension cable. In this case, try connecting a USB device without an extension cable. Or replace the extension cord. The second common reason is a malfunction of the device itself or USB port. Try testing USB devices on known working USB ports.

Method 2. This method can help if everything worked fine before and such failures have never happened with this device. Disconnect the problematic USB device. Turn off the power to the computer, unplug the cord from the outlet and hold down the PC power button for a few seconds. If you have a laptop, unplug it and remove the battery. this action will remove residual charges from the computer motherboard.
Then turn on the computer and connect the problematic device. There is a chance that the device will work.

Method 3. If you have too many USB devices connected to your computer, and moreover, some through a splitter, try disconnecting some of the equipment, restarting the computer and turning on the required USB device. Also note that if the USB device has an external power source (for example, some removable hard drives), connect it.

Software solution to the problem

Now let's try to solve the problem using software.
Run "Device Manager". (For Windows 7 - “Computer” - “Management” - “Device Manager”)

The unidentified device will most likely be located in the following sections device manager:

USB controllers
-Other devices (and called " Unknown device»)

Method 1. If the unknown device is in partition D other devices, you can right-click on it and select "Update drivers" and perhaps operating system She will install everything she needs. Or select the menu "properties" unknown device and open the tab "Intelligence". Select an item from the list Equipment ID. Try searching the Internet by ID (simply typing ID in search engine) what exactly is this equipment, and what driver is possibly required for it.

Method 2. Right click on the device, select "Properties", then on the tab "Driver" Click the "Roll Back" button if available, and if not, click the "Uninstall" button to remove the driver. After that, in Device Manager, click “Action” - “Update hardware configuration” and see what happened to the unknown USB device.

Method 3. Try going to the properties of all devices with names Generic USB Hub, USB Root Hub or USB Root Controller and tab "Power Management" uncheck "Allow this device to turn off to save power."

Another option is that a USB 3.0 flash drive or external hard drive is not recognized in Windows 8.1.

This problem is solved like this:
Go to Windows control panel - power supply, select the power plan you are using and press "Change additional options nutrition". Then, in the USB settings, disable temporary disabling USB ports.

We hope you were able to resolve this issue. If not, most likely the problem is with the device itself.

Today, USB is one of the most common data transfer protocols between a computer and a connected device. Therefore, it is very unpleasant when the system does not see devices connected to the corresponding connector. Especially many problems arise if interaction with a keyboard or mouse occurs on a PC via USB. Let's figure out what factors cause this problem and determine methods to eliminate it.

In this article we will not discuss problems with the visibility of the device associated with its inoperability, because in this case this equipment should be replaced or repaired. The article will concern those cases when the problem is caused by malfunctions or incorrect settings system or PC hardware. In fact, there can be many reasons for such a malfunction, and each of them has its own solution algorithm. We'll talk about specific ways to fix this problem below.

Method 1: Microsoft Utility

In many cases, the problem with the visibility of USB devices can be solved by a utility specially created for this purpose from Microsoft.


Method 2: "Device Manager"

Sometimes an issue with USB hardware visibility can be resolved simply by updating the configuration in "Device Manager".

  1. Click "Start". Click "Control Panel".
  2. Come in "System and Security".
  3. Now open "Device Manager" by clicking on the corresponding inscription in the block "System".
  4. The interface will launch "Device Manager". The problematic device in the list can either be displayed in a block "Other devices", or absent altogether. In the first case, click on the block name.
  5. A list of devices will open. The problematic equipment may be indicated there either under its real name or listed as "USB Mass Storage Device". Click on its name with the right mouse button ( RMB) and select "Update configuration...".
  6. Device search will be activated.
  7. After it is completed and the configuration is updated, it is quite possible that the system will begin to interact normally with the problematic device.

If the required equipment is not displayed at all in "Device Manager", click on the menu item "Action" and then select "Update configuration...". After this, a procedure similar to that described just above will occur.

Method 3: Update or reinstall drivers

If the computer does not see only a certain USB device, then there is a possibility that the problem is due to incorrect installation of drivers. In this case, they need to be reinstalled or updated.


If this option does not help, then there is another method.

  1. Click in "Device Manager" by device name RMB. Select "Properties".
  2. Go to the tab "Driver".
  3. Click on the button "Roll back". If it is not active, click "Delete".
  4. Next, you should indicate your intentions by pressing the button "OK" in the dialog box that appears.
  5. The procedure for removing the selected driver will be performed. Next click on horizontal menu windows by position "Action". Select from the list "Update configuration...".
  6. Now the device name should appear in the window again "Device Manager". You can check its functionality.

If the system was unable to find the appropriate drivers or the problem was not solved after installing them, then you can use the services of specialized ones. They are good because they will find matches on the Internet for all devices connected to the PC and perform automatic installation.

Method 4: Setting up USB controllers

Another option that can help solve the problem under study is setting up USB controllers. It is still performed in the same place, that is, in "Device Manager".


If this does not help, then you can reinstall the drivers for the group elements listed above "USB Controllers", using the same methods that were described in the presentation Method 3.

Method 5: Troubleshooting the port

It is possible that your computer does not see USB devices simply because its corresponding port is faulty. In order to find out if this is so, if your desktop PC or laptop has several USB ports, try connecting the equipment through a different connector. If this time the connection is successful, it means that the problem is in the port.

To resolve this problem, you need to open the system unit and see if this port is connected to motherboard. If it is not connected, then connect. If there is mechanical damage or other damage to the connector, then in this case it is necessary to replace it with a working version.

Method 6: Relieving Static Stress

In addition, you can try to remove static voltage from the motherboard and other PC components, which can also cause the problem we are describing.


There is also a possibility that the computer does not see the equipment due to the fact that many USB devices are already connected to it. The system simply cannot cope with such a load. In this case, we recommend that you disconnect all other devices and connect the problematic equipment to the back of the system unit if there is an appropriate connector there. Perhaps this recommendation will help solve the problem.

Method 7: Disk Management

Problem with the visibility of the connected USB device, in in this case exclusively flash drive or external hard drive, can be solved using the built-in tool of the system "Disk Management".

  1. Click Win+R. Enter in the field of the shell that appears:

    Apply by pressing "OK".

  2. The tool interface starts "Disk Management". You need to monitor whether the name of the flash drive appears and disappears in the window when it is connected to the computer and disconnected. If nothing new happens visually at all, then this method will not work for you and you need to solve the problem using other methods. If changes occur in the list of connected drives when attaching new media, then you can try to solve the problem with visibility using this tool. If next to the name of the disk device there is an inscription "Not distributed", then click on it RMB. Next, select "Create a simple volume...".
  3. Will start "Simple Volume Creation Wizard...". Click "Next".
  4. Then a window will open where you need to specify the volume size. Since in our case we need the volume size to be equal to the size of the entire disk, then click here too "Next" without making changes.
  5. The next window requires you to assign a letter to the media. In the corresponding field, select a character that differs from those letters that are already assigned to other drives in the system. Click "Next".
  6. The following settings window opens. Here in the field "Volume Label" You can enter a name that will be assigned to the current volume. Although, this is not necessary, since you can leave the default name. Click "Next".
  7. The next window will provide a summary of all the data entered in the previous steps. To complete the procedure, just click on the button "Ready".
  8. After this, the volume name and status will appear opposite the media name "Fixed". Next click on it RMB and select “Make partition active”.
  9. Now the computer should see the flash drive or external hard drive. If this does not happen, then restart your PC.

There are situations when when opening a tool "Disk Management", the volume that belongs to the flash drive already has the status "Good". In this case, create new volume it is not necessary, but it is necessary to perform only those manipulations that are described starting from point 8.

If, when opening the tool "Disk Management" you see that the disk is not initialized and has a single volume that is not allocated, this means that, most likely, this drive physically damaged.

Method 8: Setting up the power supply

You can solve the problem with the visibility of USB devices by making some manipulations in the power settings. This method especially often helps when using laptops that interact with connected equipment via the USB 3.0 protocol.

  1. Go to "Control Panel" and then to the section "System and Security". We discussed how to do this during analysis. Method 2. Go here by position "Power supply".
  2. In the window that opens, find the current power plan. There should be an active radio button next to its name. Click on the position "Set up a power plan" near the named position.
  3. In the shell that appears, click “Change advanced settings...”.
  4. In the window that appears, click "USB Settings".
  5. Click on the inscription "Temporary shutdown option...".
  6. The specified option will open. If the value is specified there "Allowed", then you should change it. To do this, click on the indicated inscription.
  7. From the drop-down list, select "Forbidden" and then click "Apply" And "OK".

Now you can check whether USB devices will work on this PC or whether you need to move on to other ways to solve the problem.

Method 9: Eliminating the virus

We should not exclude the possibility that the problem with the visibility of USB devices arose as a result of a virus infection of the computer. The fact is that some viruses specifically block USB ports so that they cannot be detected using an anti-virus utility connected from a flash drive. But what to do in this situation, because if the standard antivirus missed malicious code, then it is now of little use, but you can’t connect an external scanner for the above reason?

In this case, you can make hard check disk antivirus utility from another computer or use a LiveCD. There are quite a few programs designed for these purposes, and each of them has its own nuances of operation and management. But there is no point in dwelling on each of them in detail, since for the most part they have an intuitive clear interface. The main thing when detecting a virus is to follow the prompts that the utility displays. In addition, our website has a separate article dedicated to such programs.

There are quite a few ways to restore the visibility of USB devices in Windows 7, but this does not mean that all of them will be effective in your particular case. Often you have to try many options before finding the right way to solve the problem.

The error message “USB device not recognized” appears when connecting via the interface USB flash drives, printer, keyboard or any other equipment may be due to a number of factors. Therefore, it is impossible to suggest any one way to resolve the problem: you may have to try all the methods presented below.

Equipment diagnostics

First of all, you need to make sure that the connected USB device is working properly. Try connecting the equipment to another computer (if possible).

If the error appears on all machines, then you need to look for the cause of the problem in the device itself, the computer has nothing to do with it.

The ports may also be broken. If the equipment is detected on another computer or when connected to another USB connector, then you should. If there is no second computer, you can try the following troubleshooting method:

  1. Remove the USB device from the port.
  2. Disconnect power from the computer by turning it off and unplugging the plug from the socket. Press the power key on the system unit and hold it for 10 seconds to relieve residual voltage.
  3. Turn on your computer and try connecting the equipment again.

Don't forget also about elementary rules work with devices connected via USB interface.

Devices should be connected to the ports that are located on the back panel of the system unit, directly to the motherboard (this does not apply to laptops, they have all the ports on the motherboard).

Also, if you are using a splitter that has many devices connected to it, then unplug the unnecessary devices.

Checking drivers

If the hardware is working properly, then the cause of the problem is probably a software error, which can be fixed through the device manager. To open the manager, press the Win+R key combination on your keyboard and enter “devmgmt.msc”.

Unidentified equipment should be looked for in the “USB Controllers” and “Other Devices” sections. If the connected device is marked as "Unknown Device", right-click on it and select "Update Drivers". It is important that you have an Internet connection: the system will independently search for suitable drivers.

If the connected device is located in the “Controllers” section, and next to it you see exclamation mark, that is, there are two ways to fix the problem. The first is updating the configuration:

The second method is to prohibit the device from turning off to save energy:

If the drivers are not installed automatically, you can reinstall them manually:


The list will display a compatible driver that is already installed. Select it and continue adding. After such a peculiar reinstallation, the problem with identifying the equipment will be solved. If it doesn’t help, download the device driver from the manufacturer’s website (applies to printers, some keyboards) and add them to the system manually. The procedure is the same, only you do not need to select from the installed ones, but specify the path to the downloaded driver.

Changing power settings

On laptops running Windows control 8.1 and Windows 10, the “USB device not recognized” error occurs quite often when connecting external drives and flash drives that use USB 3.0. This problem is solved by changing the power supply parameters:


After a reboot, the problem with detecting USB devices on a laptop usually disappears. If we are talking about a flash drive, then sometimes using special software for recovering removable media helps:

Hi all! Not everyone, but most users have encountered such a problem as “the system does not recognize USB devices.” Let’s figure out why it does not recognize it and how to fix this problem.

Let's consider a situation such as a complete failure of the system to recognize USB devices. So, you connect any USB device (some kind of flash drive), but instead of access you receive the message: USB device not recognized. One of the USB devices connected to this computer is not working properly, and Windows cannot recognize it. By the way, there are often cases when at first everything worked fine, but the problem began to arise over time. Question: why, exactly?! Why does the system suddenly refuse to carry out your command?


First, you should check the adequacy of the USB device itself: there may be a problem with it, and not with the system. Try testing the device on another computer. But if it is not defined there either, then that is where the problem lies. But if the device is detected on another computer without any problems, then the problem is in your hardware. Chances are, you may have unplugged the device incorrectly the last time you took it out.

Typically, to remove a USB device, you need to carry out some kind of algorithm to disconnect the device itself, and only then, when the system displays the message “The device can now be removed,” it is time to perform this action. It also happens that the drivers in the system fail.
In any case, if the problem is not with the media, i.e. USB device, then it is easily solved. The main thing, of course, is to know exactly how to do it. So how?

Let's take a quick look at the standard ways to fix this problem.

1. The simplest thing is to simply restart your computer.

2. In Device Manager, update the hardware configuration.

3. In Device Manager, remove all USB controllers and restart the computer.

4. In Device Manager, update the USB controller drivers.

5. On root USB hubs, uncheck the Power Management item (allow the computer to turn off this device to save power).

There is another way, we’ll talk about it in more detail. There is one file in the system called INFCACHE.1 - this is exactly what you need. This file contains information about system drivers. Depending on the OS, the file search address looks like this: for Vista OS - C:Windowsinf; for Windows 7 - C: Windows/System32/DriverStore. That is, the DriverStore folder is an analogue of the INFCACHE.1 file. In short, look for what you need and open the file.

Now look: if some kind of failure occurs, then you need to fix it like this. Find and delete the faulty file: simply scroll the mouse wheel down and look for the file of the same name. Example: having opened the C: Windowsinf folder, carefully look at the list and look for the line INFCACHE.1. Remove the problematic file from the list. Don't be afraid: nothing bad will happen, because when reconnection the system will automatically create a new (correct) file in this list.

Attention: Before deleting a file, you must disconnect the USB device! And remember that the file may be hidden, so you need to make it visible.

This can be done in the following way: open control Panel. Next, click on the tab button Service and select the line Folder Options(buttons at the top of the folder). A window will open Folder properties. There you will see three more tabs. Your tab - View, click on it and open it. You will see a list where you should find the line Hidden folders and files. Just below you will see two more lines: Not And Show hidden files and folders.

By default, a feature is enabled that prevents files and folders from being shown. And your task is to turn it on: put a dot opposite Show hidden files and folders and press Apply And OK. Everything: now all yours hidden folders became visible!

This is where I end, bye everyone and see you again.

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