When you plug the device into your USB, Windows will look for the associated driver, if it cannot find this driver then you will be prompted to insert the driver disc that came with your device. Common USB Device errors are ‘ usb port not working ‘, ‘device descriptor request failed error’ or ‘bugcodeusbdriver.

To be specific, it says 'Unknown USB Device (Link In Compliance Mode)'. I know that in normal situations, you'd simply unplug and re-plug whatever device was having the issue. Problem is, I can't figure out what device this is referring to! I've unplugged everything, one device at a time, to see if that listing removed itself. From there, look for the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and then right click on each one of the USB drivers and select the Update Driver from the menu. Note: If it is a regular USB drive, then it will be listed as a USB Mass Storage Device but if you have a USB 3.0 device, then look for USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller. Update the device driver In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, then select Device Manager. Select a category to see names of devices, then right-click (or press and hold) the one you’d like to update. Select Search automatically for updated driver software. If you are still facing USB device not recognized by Windows then do the above step for all the items present in Universal Bus Controllers. From the Device Manager, right-click on the USB Root Hub then click Properties and under Power Management tab uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

At times, when you plug the USB drive into your Windows 10 laptop or desktop, the computer may fail to recognize it. The USB drive will not be accessed by system and error message like, “The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it” crops up.

Off course, you will straightly head to Device Manager when a removable drive fails to get recognized by the computer. If so, in Device Manager you may notice that the USB is labeled as Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed).

How to Fix Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) In Windows 10?

Typically, this error can be caused due to an outdated driver, software error, faulty USB controller, hardware issues etc. And, as a basic troubleshooting, follow below mentioned simple instructions to fix unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed) error.

Quick Fixes for Unknown USB Device in Windows 10.

1. Connect The USB Via Different Port
2. Connect the USB to another PC/laptop and check the issue persists.
3. Update USB driver software.
4. Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

• Open Windows Control Panel
• Search troubleshooter and opt Troubleshooting
• Choose Configure a device option located below Hardware and Sound
• Next, follow the on-screen instructions
• Hit Apply this fix button

If unknown USB device error is caused by hardware issues, then above steps fixes the issue permanently. If not, move to the next fix.

5. Uninstall USB Drivers

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• Go to Device Manager
• Find Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it
• Right click on USB drivers and opt Uninstall
• Do this one after the other for all USB drivers
• Restart the computer (so that Windows reinstalls the device automatically)

6. Disable Fast Startup

• Go to Control Panel
• Find Power Options
• Select Choose what the power buttons dofrom left panel
• Choose Change settings that are correctly unavailable
• Disable Turn on fast startup (recommended) present below Shutdown settings
• Save changes and close window
• Restart the computer

Note: If your USB device is logically damaged or corrupted, then you should get the corrupted USB flash drive repaired first. It is suggested to perform USB data recovery before you start repairing the drive to safeguard important files and folders present on it. Later you can format the disk for reuse if it is not physically damaged.

7. Restore System to Previous Point

If the USB drive was working fine on your computer and you started experiencing the problem after making changes to the system, then it seems you need to restore your computer to the previous point. And, to restore Windows 10 system to a previous working point,

• Launch Control Panel from Start menu
• Click on Recovery option
• Select System Restore
• Provide password credentials if asked
• Select the recent restore point from list and proceed
• Hit Finish button

Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

Many users have experienced such a downfall in the quest to fully utilize their computers. It happens that sometimes, you plug a USB device but instead of functioning well, you are greeted with device request descriptor failed - pop up message. So devastating! Worry no more because that is exactly what this post is going to help you overcome.

Part 1. Overview of the Error

USB devices are important storage hubs that are used from time to time. Apart from storage, they are also a good forum for transporting files from one device to another. Talk of being small in size, easy to handle, and larger in storage capacity with numerous categories such as memory card, USB flash drive, pen drive, among others. So, you can imagine the magnitude of frustration when you encounter the device request descriptor failed at the eleventh hour into accessing a much-awaited for the file.

The USB device descriptor is the part that stores information for any of your USB gadgets. And when it fails, it means it is not able to recognize a USB device. The result is error messages such as 'one of the USB devices attached to your computer has malfunctioned, unknown USB device or tries reconnecting the device' among other baring messages.

So, what's the warning sign?

As soon as you open the 'Device Manager', you should see the USB device that's displayed under Universal Bus Controllers marked with an exclamation mark, yellow in color. Additional 'device request descriptor failed' message may also be displayed. This should be the starting point of you identifying the real problem. Check the portrayed message properties to identify the error at a point. And a plethora of causes throws you to such disarray. Check them out on our next topic!

Part 2. What Causes the 'Unknown USB Device' Error?

Several causes lead to this problem. Identifying the exact cause is the first step into helping you determine the right method to solve the issue on your Windows or other devices. Let's see how to pinpoint the root cause of unknown USB device error.

• A connection issue will result in a USB device that doesn't communicate properly with the computer. This usually reports the 'error code 43'
• Windows may also fail to find the description of your USV device
• The computer may also turn off various devices when there is a power shortage. The remedy is to disable this option in the 'Device Manager'
• If the USB device is using outdated or corrupted drivers
• If the USB drive contains bad sectors, it automatically gets damaged and will hinder further connectivity of the USB device with the computer
• Windows OS may also be missing important updates and just refuse to recognize the USB

Part 3. How Do I Fix an Unknown USB Device?

Quick Fix:

1. Try the USB device with a different USB port

In some cases, it could be that the device request descriptor failed because the USB port is malfunctioning. In such a case, you need to check each of the available USB ports individually. By this, you will be able to determine whether the problem is due to the port or not.

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Plug your USB device in one port at a time. Repeat the procedure until you have tried all the USB ports. It will be easy to pinpoint which particular port has a mishap.

2. Connect the USB device to another PC

Your PC may also be the root cause of the USB descriptor failed. Possible causes may be a bad sector in the Windows OS, outdated drivers on your computer, or non-functional USB ports. Trying out another PC may help arrest the situation.

Unplug your USB device from the computer in question and connect it to another PC. If it is recognizable, then you know that the problem lies with the earlier used computer and not the USB drive.

Advanced Fix:

The first two quick fixes may not have yielded any fruit and you could be compelled to look into other solutions with in-depth performance.

1. Uninstall the USB Driver in Device Manager

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This is when your computer needs a revamp probably from corrupted or outdated files. Follow these steps to uninstall the USB drive from the Device Manager.

• Open the Device Manager. Then open the 'Run dialog' box by pressing the 'Windows' and 'R' keys together. Type in 'devmgmt.msc' in the Run and then click the 'OK' button. This will open the Device Manager.
• Next, expand the category Universal Serial Bus Controllers. From the options, you can locate the USB drive that is not being recognized. It should be tagged with a yellow sign of 'Unknown USB Device' error.
• Right-click on that USB drive and choose the 'Uninstall' option. Then, restart your computer as soon as the drivers have been uninstalled successfully.
• Some Windows OS will reinstall the drivers automatically. Otherwise, you can also reinstall the drivers manually.

2. Update the USB Driver

• Go to the 'Start' menu then click on the 'Device Manager' to open the Device Manager platform.
• Next, browse and expand option 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers'
• Then right-click on the 'Generic USB Hub' entry option and select the 'Update Driver Software'
• The 'Update Driver Software Generic USB Hub' window will pop up. Check out for the driver software available for your computer. You'll be able to locate and install driver software manually.

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3. Disable Fast Startup

This is another way to fix device descriptor request failed that will also prevent your USB device from powering down.

• Click the 'Start' button and then type in 'power plan'. Next, select the 'Choose a power plan' option from the results listed.
• Then click on the 'Change Plan Settings' option. Further, select the 'Change Advanced Power Settings' option.
• Expand the 'USB Settings' by clicking the box with a 'plus' sign. Once expanded, select the 'USB selective suspend settings' and pick on the 'Plugged in' option.
• Go to the drop-down menu and select the 'Disabled' option. Next, tap 'Apply' and then click on the 'OK' option. This will disable Fast Startup and help in the unknown USB device fix.

4. Update Generic USB Hub

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• To update the Generic USB Hub, go to the 'Start' menu, and select the 'Device Manager' option.
• Once the Device Manager opens, browse the available list and expand option 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers'
• Once more, right-click the 'Generic USB Hub' entry and pick on the 'Update Driver Software' option

• The Update Driver Software Generic USB Hub will pop up. Select the 'Browse my computer for driver software' option. By this, you can now locate and install the driver software manually on your computer.
• Select 'Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer' list option. All the driver software that is compatible with your device will be shown on the list.
• Pick the 'Generic USB Hub' item that suits your match and then click the 'Next' button. The installation will begin in due course. Wait for its completion.

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Conclusion

In a nutshell, it is possible to outrightly perform a USB unknown device fix for your windows 7 or any other higher version. The above quick-fix options are simple and do not need any high-tech know-how. However, there are further advanced fixes that will dig deeper into your system and solve the unknown USB device almost instantly.

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