The Last USB Device You Connected To This Computer Malfunctioned And Windows Does Not Recognize It

Is your PC showing “The Last USB Device You Connected To This Computer Malfunctioned And Windows Does Not Recognize It” error? It happens when you connect a USB device to your Windows computer to transfer important files.

This could be frustrating and if you don’t know what to do, then don’t worry I am going to tell your some easy ways to fix the problem

What Is The Reason Behind Windows PC Showing the error that “the USB device malfunctioned and unable to recognize it”?

There could be many reasons, I have divided them into 4 parts:

1. Hardware Issue
2. Outdated USB Drivers
3. Wrong System Settings
4. Other System-Related Issues

Fixes for the last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it Error on Windows 10, 8, 7

Following are the solutions to fix the USB Device malfunctioned Or USB Not Recognized Error

Fix Hardware Related Issues:

1. Connect Your USB Again:

It is possible that you have not connected your USB device properly. Eject your USB device and connect it to your PC again.

2. Plug into Another USB Port-

It is possible that the USB port you are plugging in is faulty. So, you should try another USB port.

3. Use Another USB Cable:

If the USB device/cable you are connecting has any problem then Windows PC may show this message. So, you should try using another USB cable.

4. Avoid Using The USB Hub:

If you are using a USB hub to connect your USB device to your computer. Then your Windows computer might not recognize your USB device. So, you should directly plug your USB into your cabinet’s USB port and check if this solves the error.

5. Unplug Your Power Supply:

Cut-Off power to your computer and keep it like that for some time. Now plug in your computer to provide it with electricity and start it again. Now, see if your PC recognizes your USB device.

These methods should fix the error message “USB device malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it” on your Windows 10 PC.

Fix System-Related Issues:

There could be some problems with your system settings and software. You need to check these issues one by one to fix the “The Last USB Device You Connected To This Computer Malfunctioned And Windows Does Not Recognize It” error message on your Windows 10, 8, or 7 computer

6. Update The USB Driver:

If your USB drivers are outdated then Windows may not recognize your USB device. To fix that you need to update your outdated USB drivers. There are two ways to update your USB drivers:

1. Manual Method:
Search device manager in the search bar> Click on “Universal Serial Bus Controllers”> any option and right-click on it> now click on update> Repeat this process for each option.

2. Update Drivers Automatically:

If you want to update your drivers automatically then follow this process.

7. Perform System Restore:

“System Restore” is my favorite setting in Windows. Whenever something goes wrong with my PC, This is the first thing that I try to fix the problem and in most cases, it resolves the problem.

This option takes your PC back to the state when things were normal. To do this follow these steps:

Step 1: Type “recovery” in the search bar at the start button.

Step 2: Click on recovery and go to “Open System Restore”.

Step 3: Click on Next and choose the time when you want to restore your PC.

Note: System restore will not affect your files but remove the apps and undo the settings which happened after the restore point.

Note: You need to have a system restore point created to use this option.

8. Fix the USB Root Hub:

Some settings in USB Root Hub can also cause your PC to not recognize the USB device you are trying to connect. Follow the steps below and correct the settings:

Step 1: Search “device manager” in the search at the Windows start button.

Step 2: Go to the device manager and click on “Universal Serial Bus” Now Go to USB Root Hub.

Step 3: Right-Click on USB Root Hub and go to properties.

Step 4: Go to Power management from the header.

Step 5: Now uncheck the option “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.

This should fix the USB device malfunctioned and Windows not recognizing the device error.

9. Disable USB Selective Suspend Settings:

Power settings could also be the reason that your PC is showing the message and not recognizing your USB device. To correct the power settings follow the steps below:

Step 1: Search “Power Plan” from the search bar near the start button on your PC.

Step 2: Click on “Edit Power Plan”.

Step 3: Now go to “change advanced power settings”

Step 4: Click on “USB Settings” Now you will see “USB Selective Suspend Setting”

Step 5: Right-click on this option and disable it. Your computer might show some different settings based on your computer version. But after arriving this far you can easily disable this setting.

Note: You need to repeat this process for all the Root Hub Devices.

10. Update your Windows:

Updating Windows from time to time is a good habit. Because the updated version comes with the bugs fixed. So, updating your Windows PC could fix the USB device malfunctioning and Windows not recognizing your USB device error.

11. Uninstall Redundant Hidden Devices:

Your Windows PC has a lot of devices installed in your system but when you go to the Device Manager you see only a few.

That is because other devices are hidden. These hidden devices may cause problems. So, you should find these devices and uninstall them if they are redundant. Follow the steps below to perform this method:

Step 1: Go to the start button and type “cmd”. Right-click on cmd.exe and click on Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type commands below in Command Prompt line by line and press enter after every command:

set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc

Step 3: After this, you will see the device manager opened on your PC.

Step 4: Now go to the View menu and select the option “Show Hidden Devices”. and you will be able to see all the devices installed on your PC. Here you can uninstall the redundant and unknown devices.

12. Format USB Drive:

If all the solutions above don’t work and your computer still shows that the connected device is malfunctioned and can’t recognize your USB device, then this is the last thing that you can try.

Note: This will permanently erase all of your data from your USB drive. You can keep a backup of your data somewhere else if you want.

To format your USB Drive follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the search bar and type “Disk Management tool”.

Step 2: Click open.

Step 3: Here you will see all the storage devices of your PC.

Step 4: Select your USB drive and format it.

So, these were the easiest methods to fix the error “The Last USB Device You Connected To This Computer Malfunctioned And Windows Does Not Recognize It”. If you have an easier method to fix the problem and get Windows 10, 8, and 7 computers to recognize the USB device then please share in the comment section.

Why can’t I see my USB drive in Windows 10?

Answer: This is because your USB drive is not connected properly OR your Windows 10 computer is unable to recognize your USB drive.

Why won’t my computer read my USB?

Answer: Outdated USB drivers could be a reason for your computer being unable to read your USB.

How do I access my USB drive on Windows 10?

Answer: Find my computer/This PC from the desktop or The Start Button. Now double-click on it. Here you will be able to see your USB drive. If you are not seeing your USB drive then your Windows 10 PC can not recognize it.

Why my phone is not connecting to the PC via USB cable?

Answer: Because the USB cable is not working Or your PC’s ports are not fine. OR there could be some issue in your system that I have described above.