How to Fix USB Ports Not Working on Windows 10/11

Sue Wayne

Jun 19, 2025 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

Going wireless is the trend today, but even then, one cannot discount the importance of the Universal Serial Bus or USB connection. A computer cannot reach its maximum potential without the connected devices that perform various tasks, like the printer , mouse, keyboard, and other wired devices.

While the USB port is a very useful and indispensable part of the computer, it is also as vulnerable as the computer itself. The physical port can become damaged or may suddenly stop working without warning. If your USB Ports Not Working on Windows, don’t panic. This issue is more common than you think and can usually be resolved with a few troubleshooting steps. Here’s how to diagnose and fix the problem:

How To Fix USB Ports Not Working in Windows 10

1. Reset The Battery And Disconnect Every USB Device

In computer, there are instances when the USB Ports Not Working, but can be resolved by removing the external devices and the battery, and then reconnecting them again.

a. Disconnect all USB-plugged devices from the computer.

b. Turn the computer off and unplug from the power socket.

c. Take out the battery carefully. If you do not know how to do this, refer to your computer manual to ensure you are doing it the right way. Unseating the battery wrongly may damage the battery itself. Wait for 10 minutes before putting it back.

d. Plug all USB devices previously disconnected and plug your computer to the power source.

e. Turn on and see if the USB devices are connected properly.

2. Change The Power Management Setting for The computer's USB Root Hub

You make tweak settings of the USB Root Hub to solve the error.

a. Press Win + R to launch Run. Type in devmgmt.msc in the box provided and select OK. This opens the Device Manager window.

b. Find Universal Serial Bus controllers and double click on it. Then, on the expanded list, select the first USB Root Hub.

c. Tick the box indicating Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and select OK.

d. Repeat this process on the other USB Root Hub items on the list.

e. Re-plug the devices on the USB ports and see if the system detects them.

3. Check Device Manager (Windows)

Another possible fix is through the Device Manager.

a. On the search bar, type Device Manager, and click the top result.

Update or Reinstall USB Drivers. In Device Manager: Right-click on each USB controller. Select Update Driver → Search automatically for drivers. Alternatively, visit your computer manufacturer's website to manually download the latest USB chipset drivers.

b. Follow the next steps depending on how the system reads the device:

• UNKNOWN DEVICE

If this is the case, it may be that the device driver is not set up properly or is not installed. This happens when the USB device was unplugged before Windows can finish the setup. To solve usb ports not working windows 8 problem, the driver needs to be installed and then reinstalled.

a. Unplug the device from the USB port.

b. Right-click on the Unknown Device and select the Uninstall option.

c. A window that asks to Confirm Device Uninstall will appear.

d. Tick the box that says Delete the driver software for this device. Select OK.

e. Reboot the laptop and reinstall the device following the manufacturer's instructions or wizard.

• OTHER DEVICE

If the USB port is working properly but the drivers need are not installed, this is the steps:

a. Disconnect the device and wait for 20 seconds.

b. Replug and install the device drivers following the manufacturer instructions or wizards.

• DEVICE NAME SHOWN

If this error occurs, it means that the USB port is working properly, and plug-and-play is supported. There may be a physical issue within the device or device driver. Do one of these methods to see if it fixes the problem:

1) Reboot the PC and plug the device to the USB port again.

2) Disconnect the device and uninstall its corresponding drivers, wait for a few moments, and then reinstall its software.

3) Reinstall the device by:

a. Right-click on the name of the device and select the Uninstall option.

B. A window that asks to Confirm Device Uninstall will appear.

C. Tick the box that says Delete the driver software for this device. Select OK.

D. Reboot the laptop and reinstall the device following the manufacturer's instructions or wizard.

4) If it is a communication device, you can try editing the COM port number by double-clicking the device name and going to Port Settings > Advanced> COM Port Number. Click OK.

• DEVICE NOT LISTED

If the device is not listed, try the other fixes mentioned other than on the Device Manager.

Conclusion

However, If none of the above steps work, your USB ports may be physically damaged. Seek professional help consider taking your device to a certified technician for inspection or repair. If your data get lost unfortunately, we sincerely recommend you try Wondershare Recoverit to recover lost data from broken USB drive.