USB or Flash drives are the choice of many users, as far as data transfer among different computers is concerned. However, at times it may happen that your USB devices are not working properly and they led to a poor user experience. For example, when you plug in issued USB devices, they either do not show up or if they show up, became idle after few seconds of inactivity. In other cases, we found that when we try to access files on these USB devices, Windows File Explorer hangs for almost 1 or 2 minutes.
Most of the time, we carry important data on our USB devices, and if the issue of not charging occurs, we might not be able to finish our important work which follows the path via USB drive. Therefore, it is necessary to fix these random issues, so that we can use USB devices without any hitch. Before trying the fix mentioned, we suggest you check your USB devices to plug in different computers. This will clear if the USB device is not malfunctioning and if it is working fine on other systems and not on your Windows 10/8/7, follow this procedure:
USB Devices not working properly in Windows 11/10
1. Press Windows Key + R and type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box to open Device Manager.
2. When the Device Manager window opens, you have to seek the USB device with whom you’re facing trouble. It may be listed under Human Interface Devices as USB Input Device.
If you don’t find it there, you can expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Here, you’ll find a list of USB devices you’ve connected with your system so far.
To find the one from the list for which you have an issue, you have to follow the trial and error method. That is, plug and remove the device and note the changes among the list of devices for Universal Serial Bus controllers. The entry which appears and then removed subsequently is the entry for the issued device. Keep the device plugged in and right-click on this entry, pick Properties.
3. In the device properties window shown below, switch to Details tab.
Now click the drop-down menu for Property and select Device Instance Path. Note down the corresponding Value because we will need this value in further steps. By the way, this value is a combination of three IDs; namely Vendor ID (VID), Product ID (PID), Instance ID.
4. Press Windows Key + R combination, type put regedit in Run dialog box, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
5. Navigate here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\<Device Instance Path>\Device Parameters
Substitute the Device Instance Path part (after USB\) obtained from step 3.
6. In the right pane of Device Parameters key look for the DWORD named EnhancedPowerManagementEnabled which must be showing its Value data as 1. Double click on the same to get this:
7. In the above-shown box, change the Value data to 0. Click OK. You may now close the Registry Editor as well as Device Manager.
Reboot the machine to get it fixed.
If this does not help, maybe you want to try the Windows USB Troubleshooter.
Read: USB Device Not Recognized
Why is my computer not recognizing USB devices?
Your computer may not recognize USB devices due to unstable or corrupt USB drivers, outdated Windows updates impacting external hard drives, or missing crucial updates. Ensuring all drivers and Windows updates are current can resolve these issues, and addressing any potential hardware or software conflicts might also help restore USB functionality.
Read: USB ports are not working in Windows
Why do my USB ports suddenly stop working in Windows?
USB ports in Windows 11/10 may suddenly stop working due to outdated or corrupted drivers. Update drivers via Device Manager or the manufacturer’s site to fix this. Additionally, hardware failure from physical damage can also cause inoperable ports. Check for visible damage and consider professional repair if necessary.
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