The USB device was invented in the early 2000s, it is a removable storage medium where you can store all types of files: photos, videos, music, work files like pdf, text documents or spreadsheets . Therefore, it is not a fixed storage device like hard drives installed in a computer.
Also, it is known as flash memory, it is a portable storage device that is connected to a computer through a USB port. And its acronym means Universal Serial Bus . The flash memory, is semiconductor, is not volatile, that is, it is a memory that has the characteristics of a RAM, but whose data will not be lost when disconnected from the PC.
The pendrives, came to replace floppy drives and Zip devices. Since its storage capacity is much higher. The practicality of this device is that they are small, for this reason, you can easily carry it in your pocket, around your neck like a necklace or on a key ring. That said, we have prepared for you a step-by-step guide so that you can solve the famous error yourself “the USB device is not recognized”, which is very common in Windows desktop and laptop computers everything.
Index:
Steps to know what to do when your Windows PC does not recognize the USB device
We know that our device does not work when, when inserted into the USB port, in the folder “My Computer” does not appear the drive . Sometimes it may take a while to appear, but if the operating system recognizes it, a folder always comes out, surely with a D, an E or some letter and the name of the manufacturer . Upon entering that folder, we find the files in our external memory.
In this sense, when you connect the external memory unit to your computer, you may receive an error message: “USB device is not recognized” : one of the USB devices connected to The computer does not work properly and Windows does not recognize it, and you surely have no idea how to solve this problem. Quiet, that’s why I’m here, I’ll guide you with a series of simple steps so you can solve this situation. Let’s get into the matter:
1 – Connect and disconnect the USB
The first thing you should do, dear reader, is to connect the flash memory to the USB port, and see what response the computer generates. For that you must go to the Control Panel> Systems> Device Management and check if it recognizes the pendrive or not. If the message on the screen is: “ Unknown USB device (Device request error)» , I recommend you do the following:
- Uninstall the driver.
- Then reinstall the driver.
- Finally, reconnect the USB device.
If the error persists, I recommend applying the CHKDSK command per console to test the external memory unit. Do the following:
- Go to the start menu then search and then type the command CHKDSK D
( * Note: D is the unit USB ) will depend on the port number the PC has. Then you must click to execute the command.
- A black window will appear and you just have to type in the letter S and hit the intro , and the diagnostic process will begin. Here you will check if the flash memory is in good condition .
2 – Update USB drivers
When a controller is outdated, it is possible that the functions of this being are seriously affected. Fortunately, Windows has a wizard that not only takes care of the installation, but also searches for the most current version of the driver for you .
- To do this you simply enter Control panel> Systems , and once there select the option « Device Manager ».
- Then select the driver and with the right mouse button click on update driver .
- If all is well, your «memory stick» must appear connected correctly and ready to use.
3 – Check the RAM of the PC
This revision will allow you to verify if the main memory of the equipment is operating correctly, since if it presents a fault it can affect the operation of this unit. For this you must make this diagnosis.
The first thing to do:
- Go to the home screen, then search and type the following command « MDSCHED».
- Then click on « Windows Memory Diagnostics» , the following image will appear:
- Here, you must select where it says “ Restart now and check for problems (Recommended)» . After that, you will see the following message on your screen:
- Next, you must finish the diagnostic process and implement another test option, you must type F1, when you do this you will have three more options to choose from:
- Basic Test >
- Standard Test
- Extended Test
In addition, you have the possibility to perform other tests and configurations with different parameters:
- Cache Test: Here you can choose between the Default, On or Off option.
- Step count: The amount of times you want to repeat the test.
To do everything that explains you, you must manipulate the arrow keys to select the option and type F10 to start the test process .
Upon completion, the tests automatically, will restart the PC and if it finds any error in the RAM, it will show you the result.
4 – Idle the suspension system
One of the causes could be that the suspension system selective of the operating system is turned off or inactive.
This happens when Windows has the option to decrease the power supply to devices that are not working . This usually happens when the user decides to remove the pendrive abruptly , causing the system for protection to disable this option.
What you are going to do is the following:
- You will go to Control Panel> Power Options> Edit Power Plan Settings.
- Enter the operating system power options, right-click on “ Start” and choose entry “ Windows Power Options” . Here, the energy plan that is activated will simply change.
- In the other pop-up window, you must click on « Change advanced settings of energy» . Then it will show you a new configuration box where you will choose the new energy plan.
Take precautions against unrecognized USB devices
Finally, if it takes you a long time to solve the problem that the PC did not detect the USB device. I recommend you make a backup with free software. AOMEI Backupper Standard allows you to make automatic backups of files to an external hard drive.
There are 4 modes available to choose from which you can choose according to your need:
- Daily mode
- Weekly mode
- Monthly mode
- Event activation mode.
Finally, there are other causes why your computer may not recognize a PenDrive device. Your duty is to make sure and do these tests:
- The pen drive may be broken ; To find out, enter it on another computer to see if it recognizes it. If there is a damaged or broken internal component, you may no longer recognize it.
- You may not have inserted the USB well : sometimes you may not have placed it correctly in the connector and for this reason your operating system does not recognize it.
- Maybe the input or port has a breakdown : maybe there is a hardware problem and it is the port that does not work.