If your computer is not recognizing a USB device, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take.
1. Check if the USB device appears in Device Manager
The first step is to check if the USB device appears in the Device Manager. If it does, then the problem may be with the driver. To open the Device Manager, press Windows+R to open the Run window. Type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and press Enter. The Device Manager will open. Look for your USB device in the list of devices.
2. Uninstall and reinstall the USB device
If the USB device appears in Device Manager, right-click on it and select ‘Uninstall’. Confirm the uninstallation and restart the computer. Reconnect the USB device and see if it is now recognized.
3. Check the power management settings
Sometimes the power management settings can interfere with USB devices. To check the power management settings, right-click on the ‘Start’ button and select ‘Device Manager’. Click on the ‘Power Management’ tab and make sure that the ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’ option is unchecked.
4. Check the USB ports
Sometimes the USB ports can become damaged or loose over time. Try connecting the USB device to a different port and see if it is recognized.
5. Update the drivers
If the USB device is still not recognized, then it may be an issue with the drivers. To update the drivers, open the Device Manager. Right-click on the USB device and select ‘Update Driver’. Follow the prompts to install the latest drivers.
6. Disable USB selective suspend setting
USB selective suspend setting is enabled by default in Windows. This feature can sometimes interfere with USB devices. To disable USB selective suspend setting, press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type ‘powercfg.cpl’ and press enter. In the ‘Power Options’ window, click on the ‘Change plan settings’ link next to the active power plan. Click on the ‘Change advanced power settings’ link. Expand the ‘USB settings’ section and set ‘USB selective suspend setting’ to ‘Disabled’. Click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’.
7. Reset the USB controllers
If none of the above steps have worked, then you can try resetting the USB controllers. To do this, open the Device Manager. Expand the ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ section. Right-click on each USB controller and select ‘Uninstall’. Confirm the uninstallation and restart the computer. The USB controllers should then be reinstalled automatically when the computer starts up.
8. Run a hardware troubleshooter
If the USB device is still not being recognized, you can try running a hardware troubleshooter. To do this, press the Windows key + I to open the ‘Settings’ window. Select ‘Update & Security’ and then select ‘Troubleshoot’ from the left menu. Under the ‘Find and fix other problems’ section, select ‘Hardware and Devices’ and then select ‘Run the troubleshooter’. Follow the prompts to run the troubleshooter.
If none of these steps have worked, then it is likely that the USB device is faulty or incompatible with your computer. You may need to contact the manufacturer of the USB device to get further assistance.