How to Fix Unknown USB Device in Windows

How to Fix Unknown USB Device in Windows – USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a connector that is often used to connect one device to another. For example, connecting a keyboard, printer, mouse, or similar devices to a computer.

In addition, when you connect a USB device to your PC or laptop, your PC cannot recognize the device. Usually because the USB device description error or doesn’t work, and you will get a message like “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)”.

This problem often appears on devices with Windows 10 OS, and usually the unknown USB device message appears suddenly. The result is that the USB device that you connect to your computer or laptop is not detected.

Fix Unknown USB Device

Before going to how to solve an unkown USB device, you must first know the cause of the problem. There are basically two causes of the unkown USB device error, namely a problem with the USB hardware, or even a problem with the Windows system.

If the problem is hardware, it’s possible that the USB port or connector isn’t working or is damaged, and it could also be that the device you’re using, such as the keyboard, mouse, etc., is damaged. While on Windows systems it is caused by corrupted files, USB driver errors, incorrect configurations, and so on.

To solve Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) please refer to the methods that we have written below.

#1. Reinstall USB Driver

Basically the default USB driver must have been installed automatically on your Windows PC or laptop OS. However, sometimes the installed USB driver has problems, so here it doesn’t hurt if you try to reinstall the USB driver.

This can be the first step in overcoming the unkown USB Device problem. Well, here are the steps to do it:

• First, open Device Manager by pressing the Windows + R combination key.
• In the Open section, please type devmgmt.msc then press Enter.
• After that, please open the Universal Serial Bus controllers column.
• If so, look for the USB device that you connected and the message “descriptor request failed“.
• Then after finding it, right-click on the device and Uninstall Device.
• Finally, restart your laptop or computer and the USB driver will automatically be installed again. Don’t forget to retest the device that had an error.

#2. Update USB Driver

In addition to reinstalling, you can also update drivers from USB devices connected to your laptop or computer. Because sometimes drivers that have not been updated will cause errors and can be the cause of unkown USB devices.

Here’s how to update the USB driver you’re using:

• Open the start menu, then in the search field, please type Device Manager.
• Double click on the menu.
• After that a new tab will appear, please select the USB device you are using. For example, here my USB device is a mouse so I choose Mice and other pointing devices.
• Next, right-click on the device you are using, and select Update Driver.
• Then select the Search automatically for drivers option. Then, follow the next process.
• Finished.

#3. Turn off the Fast Startup Feature

The fast startup feature on a computer or laptop has the benefit of speeding up the Windows boot process. By using this, Windows will be accelerated faster than usual, but sometimes this causes bugs to appear that cause some Windows functions to crash.

This is also one of the triggers for problems with USB, namely unkown USB devices. To fix this, please turn off the feature by following the steps below:

• First, enter the Windows search field menu.
• After that type Control Panel.
• After the results appear, please double-click to open the Control Panel.
• Enter the search field, type Power Options, then enter.
• Then click on the Change what the power button do menu.
• Then click Change Settings Currently Unavailable.
• Uncheck Turn on Fast Startup.
• Restart your laptop or computer, and you’re done.

#4. Update Generic USB Hub Driver

One of the things that Windows users don’t pay much attention to is that the generic USB hub drivers installed on their devices are out of date, so they don’t function properly. The function of the generic USB driver is to read USB devices connected to a laptop or computer.

By updating the driver you can fix the unkown USB device error. Here’s how to do it:

• Open the start menu, then in the search field, please type Device Manager.
• Double click on the menu.
• Then open the Universal Serial Bus Controller column.
• After that right-click on Generic USB Hub, then select the Update option.
• Next, please follow the steps in the wizard window that appears. Good luck.

#5. Turn off USB Selective Suspend

In Windows operating systems, the USB selective suspend feature is used to put one of the USB ports into suspend mode, but does not affect the functionality of the other USB ports. This feature can work properly if the USB device driver already supports selective suspend.

Sometimes there are people who use this feature but the USB device does not support selective suspend, causing an error and the message “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” appears. So, turning off this feature is the solution to this problem.

Below is how to do it:

• First, enter the Windows search field menu.
• After that type Control Panel.
• After the results appear, please double-click to open the Control Panel.
• Enter the search field, type Power Options, then enter.
• Then click on the Change power saving settings menu.
• Then click Change Plan Settings on the power option of your choice.
• If so, click Change Advanced Power Settings, and
• Change the USB Selective setting to Disabled.
• Done, then restart your laptop or PC.

#6. Try Doing Troubleshoot

If you have tried the methods above but you still can’t solve the Unknown USB Device problem, there is a chance that you should Troubleshoot Windows. It aims to find the source of the problem systematically and eliminate the potential causes of the problem.

Below are the steps to do it:

• First, first open the Control Panel.
• After that type the keyword Troubleshooter in the search field in the Control Panel.
• Then click on the Find and Fix Problems section.
• After that you will be taken to a new tab, please select Additional troubleshooters.
• Scroll down to see and start troubleshooting options, please click on the problematic device and click on Run the troubleshooter below it.
• Wait for the problem to be detected, and the window will bring up the problem at hand.

When you’re done, you just have to run the commands listed on the screen instructions. Because the problems that arise can vary, each laptop or computer is different and under specific conditions will cause different problems.

#7. Check External USB Device

If you have tried all the methods above but the Unknown USB Device problem has not been resolved, there is a possibility that the problem is not with the Windows system on your laptop or PC. But it is located on an external USB device, or it could be your faulty USB port.

Try checking the USB of the device you are using whether the USB connector is dirty or damaged. If the USB connector is dirty, please clean it with a small brush or use a cotton swab. Because it could be a dirty USB could be a factor causing the problem.

Next, if the USB connector on the device you are using is damaged, please replace the USB cable with a new one. If it has been replaced but it still doesn’t work, then please try it on a laptop or other device, to make sure the USB device you are using really works or not.

After you try it on another computer or laptop and it works well, then make sure that the USB port on the motherboard of your laptop or computer is damaged and needs to be replaced. So, take your laptop or computer to the nearest computer service center.

Conclusion

Maybe there are enough articles on how to solve Unknown USB Device in Windows 10 that we can share. Hopefully the methods that we have written above can be a guide and help you in overcoming the problem of unkown USB devices.