How to Resolve USB Storage Device Not Detected in Microsoft Windows

Summary: This article provides more information about what causes a USB storage device to not be detected in Windows and how to resolve it.

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Symptoms

Windows does not recognize or detect known-good USB flash drives or USB hard drives.

Cause

Driver installation failure

Confirmed known good drives working on other computers and non-storage USB devices (such as a keyboard or mouse) working on the affected ports confirm that the issue is driver-related.

Resolution

Sometimes, this issue can be resolved by updating the USB storage driver.

  1. Plug in your USB device. (When you open the Device Manager, you should see under Other Devices, the USB device listed next to an exclamation point in a yellow triangle.)
  2. Move the cursor over to the USB device name so that it is highlighted. Right-click and select Update Driver Software.
  3. When prompted How do you want to search for driver software, choose Browse my computer for driver software. There is a space for typing or browsing for the location of the driver.
  4. Type C:\Windows\winsxs and ensure that the Include subfolders box is checked. (Assuming Windows files are on the C: Drive.)
  5. Click Next. There is a warning message about the driver file not having been verified and asking me if you want to continue. Click Continue.
  6. The driver installation should be complete, and the USB device should be detected and functioning correctly.
Note: If the drive is not detected, disconnect the device, reboot and then reconnect the device.

USB Devices Not Working in Windows 10

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Fix USB Devices not Working in Windows 11

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Article Properties
Article Number: 000149113
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 16 Sept 2025
Version:  9
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