You have just purchased a new USB device (e.g., USB camera, MP3 Player, memory stick, etc.) and happily plugged it into your computer only to be greeted with a confusing error message on your screen "USB Device Not Recognized". How do you easily solve this sort of error with a minimum amount of fuss and muss?
Unplug the USB device and plug it back in. Once in a blue moon, this actually works as there may have just been a minor glitch when trying to recognize the device. Sadly, more often than not, this will not work and you will see the same error once again but hey, it's worth a try!
Most USB devices will come with a driver CD that you may need to use to install the proper USB driver. This issue may be completely resolved simply by placing the CD into your CD drive and allowing the autorun install program to take over. If you do not have the CD that came with your device, the next option is to try and find the correct USB driver online.
If the device uses a separate USB cable, swap out the cable to check for a defective connection line. You can also check the BIOS of your computer to ensure all the USB ports are configured properly. On occasion, disabling the power management of the USB hubs on your computer can fix a USB not recognized error.
Another solution avenue may lie within the usage of a USB hub. If you are using a USB hub, try disconnecting the hub and directly connecting the device to the USB port – the problem may be as simple as the USB root hub not being recognized or it is not supporting USB 2 or USB 3.
If you do not have a USB hub and the previous suggestions have not solved the problem, shut down your computer, unplug the power supply, and wait a few minutes. Reconnect the power supply, restart your computer, and attempt to reconnect the USB device.
The most common cause of a "USB Not Recognized" error is this: missing, outdated or corrupt USB drivers.
To find a new driver for your USB device, you can join an online forum and ask beg others for information about a new driver, search online, or even call the manufacturer of your USB device.
However, this all costs time and you need to be able to provide 'techie information' like your Windows® OS, computer brand and model, USB device brand and model, and the current version number of your USB driver.
If you want to avoid all this work and just have your USB device recognized already, then try an automatic driver update tool such as DriverFinder.
DriverFinder will check your system for missing, outdated, or corrupt USB drivers and replace them with new ones that have been sourced directly from their respective hardware manufacturers.
Another benefit to using DriverFinder is that all outdated device drivers on your computer system will be updated – not just your USB drivers.
And don't worry if your USB device is not even connected to your system. DriverFinder is capable of detecting unplugged devices. So, let's get that USB device recognized now!
DriverFinder is an advanced driver scanning, updating and downloading utility for Windows-based PCs. By downloading, you agree to have read and accepted the License Agreement and Privacy Policy. Individual drivers may be available freely on manufacturer websites. Activate the full version of DriverFinder for a one-time low fee of only USD 29.95 for a year.
To find the USB driver that perfectly matches your system you need to know your PC brand and model, your Windows® operating system, and the brand and model of your USB drive.
After this, you have to start the laborious task of trying to find the most up-to-date – and matching! – USB driver and save it on your PC. And then you need to uninstall your old driver, and install the new one you found.
And by the way, you need to ensure that the new USB driver you found works 100% with your Windows® version and other hardware devices.
However... why update drivers the old-fashioned, uber-time-consuming, error-prone way when DriverFinder gets the job done for you in just about 2 minutes?
Features | DriverFinder | Other Update Tools |
---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Highly-intuitive interface enables you to scan, download, update and install drivers to your PC without fuss. | Uses complicated interface. Disadvantage: You feel you need to go through a 'tech course' to use the application. |
Scanning Efficiency | Accurately detects your PC brand & model, and ALL hardware devices connected to it, including unplugged devices such as your USB webcam, MP3 player, and more! | Misses some of your hardware devices. No support for unplugged devices. Disadvantage: You miss out on updated drivers intended for these overlooked devices. |
Database Size | Supports more than 100,000 unique hardware devices... and counting! | Supports 50,000 unique hardware devices at most. Disadvantage: You miss out on updated drivers intended for your PC and/or driver 'updates' provided to you are old. |
Driver Integrity | Uses a unique combination of (1) automated crawlers, (2) electronic driver file analyzers, and (3) manual checking by computer professionals BEFORE driver files are added to our database! | Uses substandard technology or applies a very manual way of finding and cataloging drivers. Disadvantage: Slow database population. Plus, this is prone to incorrect driver classification. If you download and install a driver NOT suited to your PC, this may cause your system to crash. |
Hourly Updates! | Employs 24/7/365 automated crawlers and analyzers. If there's a driver update out there, we'll be the first to know about it! | Once-in-a-while, irregular updates; weekly checks at most. Disadvantage: The updates you get are 'old news'. |
Download Speed | Driver downloads are sourced from manufacturers AND relayed over our hi-speed data storage infrastructure. Data storage proudly serviced by Amazon Web Sevices. | Driver downloads are sourced only from manufacturer web sites. Disadvantage: If the driver manufacturer (e.g., HP) is down, you don't get your driver. Also, a lot of driver files are HUGE. It may take a long time to download them to your PC. |
System Compatibility | Fully compatible with all Windows OS versions, including Windows XP (32- and 64-bit), Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), and Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit). | Most will not support 64-bit systems; one or two may support Vista 64-bit. Disadvantage: Windows 64-bit systems require 64-bit drivers. Period. If the update tool does not support your 64-bit system, the update tool is useless. |
Customer Support | Comprehensive. Includes KnowledgeBase, online manuals, license support, FAQ and email support. Plus, we apply a 24-hour guaranteed response time for all correspondence! | Poor customer service. Disadvantage: Your questions and concerns fall on deaf ears. |
DriverFinder Guarantee Updates: | DriverFinder Supported Manufacturers: | ||
---|---|---|---|
AC97 Drivers | Acer | ||
Audio Drivers | ASUS | ||
Bluetooth Drivers | BenQ | ||
Chipset Drivers | Brother | ||
DVD Drivers | Canon | ||
Ethernet Drivers | Compaq | ||
Firewire Drivers | Dell | ||
Motherboard Drivers | Fujitsu | ||
Printer Drivers | Hewlett Packard | ||
Router Drivers | IBM | ||
Sound Card Drivers | Intel | ||
USB Drivers | Lenovo | ||
Video Card Drivers | LG | ||
Webcam Drivers | Logitech | ||
Wireless Drivers | NEC | ||
Windows XP Drivers | Panasonic | ||
Windows Vista Drivers | Realtek | ||
Windows 7 Drivers | Samsung | ||
And More! DriverFinder has over 100,000 drivers for you! | And More! DriverFinder monitors over 3,000 hardware manufacturers for you! |
DriverFinder is an advanced driver scanning, updating and downloading utility for Windows-based PCs. By downloading, you agree to have read and accepted the License Agreement and Privacy Policy. Individual drivers may be available freely on manufacturer websites. Activate the full version of DriverFinder for a one-time low fee of only USD 29.95 for a year.