Fix Unknown USB Device, the Device Failed Enumeration Error on Windows 11/10 - Windows Basics

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Monday, June 6, 2022

Fix Unknown USB Device, the Device Failed Enumeration Error on Windows 11/10

This tutorial lists the possible solutions to fix the Unknown USB Device, the Device Failed Enumeration error on Windows 11/10. When you connect your USB device to the Windows computer, it first installs the required driver and then displays the USB device in Windows Explorer so that you can access it. Drivers help Windows communicate with the hardware connected to it. If a driver gets corrupted, Windows does not recognize the USB device and displays several errors. One of the causes of the “Device Failed Enumeration” error is the corrupted or outdated drivers.

What is USB Enumeration? USB Enumeration is the process by which the host device detects the connected USB device, determines the device type, loads the driver, and determines its communication speed. The USB identifier is important because different USB devices communicate with the host device in different ways. USB device enumeration ensures that the host device to which the USB device is connected is properly detected and recognized and ready to use with a specific data transfer rate. If the USB Enumeration process fails, the host device will not recognize the USB device connected to it. In this scenario, the user encounters the following error message in Device Manager: Unknown USB Device (Device Failed Enumeration) In this post, we have explained some troubleshooting methods to fix the problem. But before trying these troubleshooting methods, we recommend that you try some of the quick fixes provided below:
  • Restart your Windows computer.
  • Plug your USB device into another USB port of your computer.
  • Connect your USB device to another computer (if available).
  • Change the USB cable.
  • If you are using an external USB hub, disconnect your USB device from it and connect it
  • directly to your computer's USB port.

A. Run the hardware and device troubleshooter

Hardware problem is one of the possible causes of this error. Therefore, running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter can help you fix the error. While all troubleshooters are available in the Settings app in Windows 11/10, you may not find the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter there.

To run this troubleshooter on Windows 11/10, launch Command Prompt, copy the following command and paste it into Command Prompt. Then press Enter.

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

Once the troubleshooting is complete, connect your USB device and see if Windows recognizes it.

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B. Update your device driver
We have explained earlier in this article that outdated drivers may also cause this error. Hence, updating the driver of the affected USB device can fix this issue.
1. Click on the Windows Search box and type Device Manager. Click on the app to launch it.
2. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers node. You will see your affected USB device there with a yellow exclamation mark.
3. Right-click on it and select the Update driver option.
4. Now, select the Search automatically for drivers option. After that Windows will search the latest driver online and install it on your system.
5. After the installation process gets completed, restart your computer and see if it brings any changes.
C. Uninstall and reinstall the USB Root Hub (USB 3.0) driver
You can also try to reinstall the USB 3.0 driver on your system. This will be beneficial in case your USB device is working properly with USB 2.0 ports and displaying the “Device Failed Enumeration error” when you connect it to the USB 3.0 port.
1. Launch the Device Manager.
2. Scroll down the list and expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers node.
3. Right-click on the USB Root Hub (USB 3.0) and select the Uninstall device option. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the driver from your computer.
4. After the uninstallation process gets completed, reboot your computer.
5. On a restart, Windows will scan for the hardware changes and install the latest USB 3.0 driver on your computer automatically.
Now, check if Windows recognizes your USB device on USB 3.0 port or not.
D. Uninstall and reinstall the USB Controllers
Windows communicates with the connected USB devices via USB Controllers. If the USB Controllers get corrupted, your computer will not be able to recognize the USB device. Hence, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the USB Controllers from the Device Manager and see if it helps.
1. Launch the Device Manager.
2. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers node.
3. Now, you have to uninstall all the USB Controllers listed there. For this, right-click on the USB Controller and select Uninstall device.
4. Similarly, uninstall other USB Controllers one by one (if available).
5. When you are done, restart your system.
6. After a restart, Windows will detect the hardware changes and install the removed USB Controllers automatically.
Now, connect your USB device and check if it is available in the Device Manager or not.
How do I identify an unknown USB device? You can identify the unknown USB device in the Device Manager of your computer. The method that we are going to show you will help you know the vendor ID and the device ID of the unknown device. If you do not know the vendor or device ID of your device, it may become challenging for you to download the correct drivers for your device. 1. Launch the Device Manager. 2. Look for the unknown device. The unknown device is displayed in the Device Manager with a yellow exclamation icon. 3. Once you find the unknown device, right-click on it and select Properties. 4. A new window will open in which you have to click on the Details tab. 5. Now, click on the drop-down menu under the Property section and select Hardware Ids from the list.
6. Then the Device Manager will display the data containing both vendor ID and device ID. The text of four characters followed by VEN represents the vendor ID and the text of four characters followed by DEV represents the device ID. Refer to the above screenshot for details.
Now, you can download the drivers for the unknown device directly from the manufacturer’s website.

When I plug in a USB device, nothing happens

You may encounter this issue with your USB device. When you plug in a USB device and nothing happens, it means that Windows is not able to recognize it. There are many causes of this error, like:

1. The USB drivers may have corrupted or become unstable.

2. Your system is missing important updates.

3. The USB Controllers on your computer may have corrupted or become unstable.

4. The connected USB device may have entered the Selective Suspend mode and Windows is experiencing an error while waking the device.

5. The motherboard of your computer may require updated drivers.

To fix this issue, we recommend that you open the Settings app on your computer and check if there are any pending updates. If updates are available, install them and check if the problem is fixed.

If the problem is not fixed after updating Windows or if your system is up to date and you are having problems, try the solutions we described above in this article. Apart from the solutions listed above, you can do one more thing, disable the System Selective Suspend mode and check if this fixes the problem.

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