Note: On rare occasions Windows may not install Device Drivers and you may end up with no USB Ports working. Right-click on Start button and then click on Device Manager. On the Device Manager screen, expand the entry for Universal Serial Bus Controllers. The Unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed) in Windows Device Manager on HP and Lenovo would stop your USB devices like an Android mobile, flash drive or pen drive from being properly detected for use in Windows 10, 8 or 7, but we finally resolved the USB not recognized problem for you. You must care about these things when in face of unknown USB drive problem, right? Taking this into account, I decided to show you how to recover data from unknown USB device and the way to deal with the unknown USB device in Windows 10 properly. Here is a real case of unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) code 43 in Windows 10. Device Managers – Windows. Then, right click on the device and select Uninstall. Remove the USB device after the uninstallation. Restart the computer or laptop. Connect your USB device once again, and it will automatically reinstall the device. This way also your unknown USB device problem gets solved.

How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized Issue in Windows 10: – It is practically impossible to find someone who doesn’t use external drives like USB, external hard disks or mouse. Anyone who have ever used an external drive must have come across some of the error messages like “USB device not recognized”. This problem persists irrespective of which operating system the user is using. Usually, as soon as an external drive is connected to the computer, a pop-up box appears saying “The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.” It sometimes gets annoying when we wanted to do something really important with the external drive. There are a number of troubleshooting options available to fix the problem. We are trying to provide you with the most feasible ones.

Also read: –Top Free USB data recovery software for windows

Why does the “USB not detected” message pops up?

The “USB not detected” message pops up due to a variety of reasons. Some of which are:

• After the USB is safely removed from the port, the computer disables the particular port which might be the reason for this error message.
• The currently loaded device driver has become corrupt or unstable.
• Outdated drivers.
• The external drive is entering selective suspend.
• The USB controllers have become corrupt or unstable.
• Outdated system hardware.

How to fix a “USB device not recognized” issue?

Method 1 – Reboot your PC

Whatever the problem maybe, the first step is to reboot your PC. This is because, in most of the cases, a simple restart of your PC resolves most of the problems. So remove the external drive which is causing the problem and restart. Now reinsert the external drive and the issue will be fixed, most probably.

Method 2 – Reinstall your external USB driver

If the problem occurs due to corrupted or unstable nature of the external hard drive, then you will need to reinstall and reconnect again. To do that follow these steps:

First of all Unplug your USB device from your computer.

1 – Now, Go to: windows 10 search box and search device manager.

2 – Click on Disk Drives. Right-click on the usb driver which is causing the problem. Click Uninstall.

3 – When the driver is uninstalled, Click on Actionand then click on scan for hardware changes. The driver will again get reinstalled.

Now, Plug your USB again and see if it works.

Method 3 – Update your PC drivers

One of the main reasons why “USB not recognized” trouble occurs is having an outdated driver.

In such a case, search for device manager in windows 10 search box.

If you find a driver with an error message like “Unknown Device” or “Unidentified USB device”, then right click the particular driver and click update.

Method 4 – Disconnect any other removable disk to avoid conflict

Using multiple USB connections simultaneously can cause many problems. It is safer to remove all other connections and use a single USB connection at a time to avoid conflict.

Method 5 – Scan for Hardware changes

Scanning for hardware changes will most probably fix your issue of USB not getting recognized. To scan for hardware changes, follow these steps:

1 – Go to Control Panel -> Device Manager.

2 – The Device Manager window will now appear. Select the drive that is causing the problem. Now click on Action menu and then click on Scan for hardware changes. If any update for the hardware appears, perform it.

Method 6 – Run the Hardware and Device trouble-shooter

1 – Go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/17614/automatically-diagnose-and-fix-windows-usb-problems

2 – Click on Download to download WinUSB.DiagCab (Windows USB troubleshooter)

3 – Now, run the troubleshooter on your PC to automatically detect and fix USB problems on your PC.

Method 7 – Repair the “USB not recognized” issue with Hotfix

There is an official repairing program by Microsoft known as Hotfix. The Hotfix is a troubleshooting software that is present as default in Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Using Hotfix will most probably solve your issue. To use Hotfix, follow these steps:

For Windows 8:

• Visit https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/2830154 to get Hotfix. Click on Hotfix Download Available.

• If a user account control permission appears, click on Continue > click Yes. Accept the license agreement. On the next page, check the box beside Windows 8 RTM. Enter your email address then click on Request Hotfix.

• An email with the download link to the requested Hotfix will be sent to your email.

For Windows 7:

• Go to the link https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/974476 and follow the same steps as above.

Method 8 – Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

There is a USB selective suspend setting which might be causing the trouble. To disable the USB Selective Suspend Setting, follow these steps:

1 – Go to Control Panels and search for “Power options”.

2 – Click on Change plan settings.

3 – Click on Change advanced power settings.

4 – Go to USB settings and click on [+] expand button. Expand the USB selective suspend setting.

5 – Click on Plugged in and choose disabled as the option.

If you are using a laptop , choose disabled as the option under on Battery too. Click Apply then on OK.

Method 9 – Install your motherboard chipset drivers

The last method to fix the issue of “USB not recognized” is to install your motherboard chipset drivers. To do the same, follow these steps:

• Find the name of the motherboard manufacturer.
• Go to the computer manufacturer website to find the appropriate drivers.
• You can also contact your computer manufacturer if it is possible.

The Unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed) in Windows Device Manager on HP and Lenovo would stop your USB devices like an Android mobile, flash drive or pen drive from being properly detected for use in Windows 10, 8 or 7, but we finally resolved the USB not recognized problem for you. In case any USB malfunction could endanger data, let EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard recover data from the inaccessible USB drive.

Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) is a Windows Device Manager error under the 'Universal Serial Bus controllers' section. The current device status is demonstrated as 'Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43). A request for the USB device descriptor failed.'

What Is a Device Descriptor?

The device descriptor (USB_DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR) is the root of the descriptor tree and contains basic device information. idVendor and idProduct of which are the unique members for the Windows operating system to identify the connected device and determine which device driver must be loaded.

Anyway, we don't care about the tech-savvy's jargon, but only get to know - how do I fix the device descriptor when the request failed?

How Do I Fix Device Descriptor Request Failed?

Driver issues take the most responsibility for an unknown USB device on HP, Lenovo, Dell, and many computers. As you've concerned, the device descriptor request failed error is a generic unknown USB problem, so it's reasonable to suspect a driver issue at present. The USB device here mentioned can be a flash drive, pen drive, Android, digital camera, and any digital gadget that is supposed to use on a Windows machine.

In the next part, we mainly show you the common troubleshooting methods for the device descriptor request failed error in Windows 10. As a matter of fact, Windows 7 and Windows XP users are also having the same problem. Never mind applying the solutions to your own Windows operating system. They're all-OS-versions compatible.

3 Quick Fixes to Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) in Windows 10

In case that unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed) error happens because the USB port is not working or USB device is damaged, the following three fixes are significant to try before going to further troubleshooting.

1. 1. Try plugging in a working USB drive to check whether the USB port is working or damaged.
2. 2. Plug your USB into a different PC to check whether the USB drive is working or damaged.
3. 3. Check if the USB device shows up in Disk Management. As long as the data matters, download EaseUS free data recovery software to recover data from the inaccessible USB device in advance.

Step 1. Run USB data recovery software.

Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch EaseUS USB data recovery software on your PC. Select your USB drive which marks as a removable disk, and click 'Scan' to start finding your lost files.

Step 2. Scan all lost files from USB.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all your lost data on it. After the scanning process, use the Filter feature to filter a specific file type. You can check and preview found USB files in this program.

Step 3. Restore all lost files from USB.

A double-click will allow you to preview the file results. Choose the target files and click 'Recover' to save them to a secure location on your PC or other external storage devices.

5 Advanced Fixes to Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) in Windows 10

Due to the uncertainty of the exact factor that causes your USB drive malfunctioning in this way, the demonstrated solutions are not all supposed to take effect. Hence, take some patience to implement each solution until the problem solved.

1. Use Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

Unknown Usb Device Win 10

• Press Win+R, type Control Panel and hit Enter.
• Inside Control Panel in the search box type troubleshooter and select Troubleshooting.
• After that select Configure a device under Hardware and Sound and follow the on-screen instruction.
• Click on Apply this fix if any problem is found.

If the unknown USB device error is triggered by hardware issues, it will no longer appear after you try the above steps. If not, you need to move on to the next method to find a fix.

Unknown Usb Device Error

2. Try to Uninstall USB Drivers

• Open Device Manager (Right Click on Windows Logo and Click Device Manager).
• Now find and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Now right-click on USB drivers and click Uninstall. Do for all USB drivers one by one.
• Restart your PC then Windows will reinstall the device automatically.

Some people would find that uninstalling and reinstalling the driver only works once. The next time they plug in the drive, and the device descriptor request failed appears again. According to an experienced user who has been suffering the problem for long but finally found the cause of why this method does not work and how to make it work.

3. Disable Fast Startup

• Press Win+R, type Control Panel and hit Enter.
• Click on Power Options and select Choose what the power buttons do in the left pane.
• Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Under Shutdown settings, uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended). Then click on the Save changes button.

4. Turn on Plug and Play in Windows Services

• Press Win+R, type services.msc and hit Enter.
• In Windows Services, find the name Plug and Play. Double-click on it to open the Properties window.
• If the Startup type is currently Manual and the Service status is Running, try to turn it to Disabled and Stopped, save the changes; later change the Disabled and Stopped to Manual and Running again. Click OK and Apply.
• If the Startup type is currently Disabled and the Service status is Stopped, switch to Manual and Running. Click OK and Apply.

Restart your PC and see if the unknown USB device problem has been resolved in Windows 10. if it doesn't work, try to perform a system restore to get rid of this issue.

5. Restore Your PC To Previous Recovery Points

• Press Win+R, type Control Panel and hit enter.
• Now find and open the Recovery option.
• Select System Restore, follow the on-screen guide and wait until all the recovery points are shown.
• Restore your PC from the right recovery point.