How to Recover Data When Your USB Device Is Not Recognized in Windows 10/11

Summary : Recovering data from non-recognized USB in Windows 10/11 requires expert like Stellar Data Recovery’s assistance. Before seeking expert’s help you can try simple troubleshooting steps such as trying different USB port, restarting your computer, or connecting the drive to another system to get access to the data.

One minute your laptop sees your storage device, the next minute it doesn’t. Such unpredictable behavior is not that uncommon with USB devices like pen drives and external HDDs/SSDs.

USB drives are widely used for transferring documents, photos, and videos, and also as backup drives. But the most inconvenient scenario occurs when you plug in your USB drive and Windows 10/11 fails to connect with it and displays the message: USB device not recognized.

Once this happens, your drive won’t even show up in the File Explorer. In other words, you won’t be able to access your data stored on it. But this does not mean your files are permanently lost. In most instances, you can still salvage your data.

This tutorial discusses the most frequent causes why a USB device is not detected, what actions you can take to resolve the issue, and how professional data recovery service providers like Stellar can help in situations when DIY fixes and software tools don’t work, for example, in case of severe corruption or physical damage.

Root Causes of USB Device Not Recognized in Windows

There is a number of technical reasons because of which Windows 10/11 (or older versions) cannot recognize a USB device. Knowing the reasons will increase the chances of restoring your data without risk.

1. Defective USB Port

In some cases, the issue has nothing to do about the drive. The device may not initialize properly because of the faulty USB port, loose connection, or temporary Windows glitch.

2. Driver Issues

Corrupted, outdated, or lost USB drivers may prevent Windows to recognize the USB drive. After system update Windows may fail to load the correct driver.

3. Logical Errors

Logical failures like file system corruption (damaged FAT32 or exFAT structure), bad sectors, or an unsafe ejection can make the drive unreadable.

4. Physical Damage

Common Types of Physical Damage Include:

• Broken connectors
• Controller chip failure
• Damage of printed circuit boards.
• Moisture exposure
• Electrical surge damage

Quick Initial Checks to Fix a USB Drive is Not Recognized

These simple checks to be followed before reaching out to a professional.

• Test the USB with several other ports (in particular, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports).
• Try it on another PC to eliminate problems related to the system.
• Avoid repeated unplugging and bending the USB as it worsens the physical damage.

With the external HDD, pay attention to any abnormal vibration or unusual noise – only in case of hardware-level trouble.

Quick Troubleshooting Checks When a USB Drive is Not Recognized

The following are safe solutions, recommended most of the time, and do not alter the information in the drive, and are typically safe to use.

1. Check the Device in Disk management

Disk management helps to diagnose and fix the unrecognized USB drives.

Steps

• Press Windows + X and select Disk Management.
• Check for the external drive in the list.
• If it shows Not Initialized, right-click it and choose Initialize Disk.
• If Unallocated then right-click select New Simple Volume and Format.

2. Reinstall/Update USB Drivers

Drivers are a bridge between operating system and external drive. Often faulty drivers lead to drive detection error.

Steps:

• Press Windows + R (a small box will appear at bottom left corner of your screen)
• Type devmgmt . msc and hit Enter.
• Click on Universal Serial Bus controllers to see the devices under this category.
• Right-click one device at a time and click Uninstall device.
• Click on Uninstall to confirm.
• Once it is uninstalled, remove the USB, restart the PC and reconnect it. The right driver automatically installs itself again in windows.

3. Apply the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter (Windows 10)
In the case of Windows 10, this is an in-built troubleshooter tool that is capable of identifying and repairing normal USB problems.

Steps:

• Press Windows key + S to open Windows Search.
• Type Command Prompt in the search box.
• When the Command Prompt icon will appear move your cursor to it and click to open.
• Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter.
• When the troubleshooter opens press Next.
•  It will begin to scan and if problem detected click Apply this fix.
• After troubleshooting is finished click on View detailed information to get clarity on detected problem.

(This tool is no longer available in windows 11, because other diagnostics are automatically run when a device is attached to it.)
4. Check Power Management Settings

Windows may turn off USB controllers to save power

Steps:

• Open Device Manager.
• Right-click USB Root Hub → Properties.
• Under Power Management, uncheck: “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
• Reconnect the USB and check again.

5. Repair File System Errors Using CHKDSK
If the USB drive appears If the USB appears with a drive letter but is inaccessible, CHKDSK can fix file system errors. This utility check should be done cautiously, as it can sometimes rewrite file.

Steps:

• On the Windows task bar type cmd
• Right click on the Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
• Type: chkdsk E: /f /r /x in the command prompt
• (Substitute E: by your USB disk drive letter.)
• Now press ‘Enter’
• Restart your PC

Note: If the operation takes longer than expected that means the USB drive has physical damage.

While the aforesaid DIY methods may fix a couple of USB-related issues they may not work all the time and leave your data at stake. Especially, when the issue involves physical damage or file system corruption. In such cases professional data recovery services become essential.

However, choosing a right professional data recovery service provider is equally important. There are several risks associated with relying on local service providers as they lack expertise, experience, and infrastructure to handle complex data loss issues. They use trial-and-error methods that might further compromise your data . Read on to know how a professional data recovery service recover data.

How a Professional Data Recovery Service Helps When Your USB Device Is Not Recognized

Whenever a device that is holding your data is not detected you ought to seek professional help to recover the data. How much data could be saved depends on how prompt your action is once the issue appears. Stellar Data Recovery provides a well formulated and trusted procedure in order to recover your files when the USB drive cannot be recognized as a result of logical corruption, or physical damages.

Initial Inspection to Determine the Issue

After the USB device arrives at the lab, it undergoes a thorough inspection to determine the cause of the problem; it could be a faulty connector, controller malfunction, NAND chip malfunction or file system corruption. The inspection is done to identify the issue and the most effective recovery process.

Data Recovery in the Cleanroom

In the case of hardware failure in USB HDD, we send it to the ISO-certified cleanroom. This state-of-art facility is ideal for hard disk data recovery. The clean room data recovery is particularly significant when dealing with fragile head, PCBs, and motor.

Using Proprietary Tools for Chip-Level Recovery

Our data recovery experts perform advanced invasive technique to retrieve data from unrecognized SSDs, and flash drive. Our team of experts remove the NAND chips from the circuit board, after reading the RAW data we reconstruct the partition tables, boot sectors, and directory entries to restore the file system.

We have over 30 years of experience in data recovery and the aforesaid steps are an overview of how we handle ‘USB device not recognized’. Apart from end-to-end data recovery Stellar is trusted for data privacy and transparency which comes under ISO/IEC 27001:2013. has one of the highest success rates in retrieving data stored on an unrecognized or damaged USB device.

Final Thoughts

Seeing “USB device not recognized” on Windows 10/11 can be alarming, but it doesn’t always mean that your data is lost. In many cases, simple fixes—like checking ports, updating drivers, or repairing file system errors—can make the drive accessible again. When the drive is not detected, a data recovery service may help retrieve your files.

However, if the USB drive remains undetected or shows signs of physical damage, it’s best to avoid risky DIY methods. Professionals like Stellar Data Recovery have the tools, clean-room facilities, and expertise necessary to recover data safely and effectively.

If your USB drive contains important documents, photos, or business data, taking the right steps early can make all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why my USB device is not recognized in Windows 10/11?
Your USB device may not be recognized in Windows 10/11 because of outdated or faulty driver, improper ejection, power issue, bad sector, or file system corruption.

2. How to solve USB device not recognized in Windows 10/11?
If USB drive is not recognized in Windows 10/11, first do some basic checks for example try a different port or different PC and then restart. If that does not solve the issue, troubleshoot drivers in device manager or check disk management for drive letter issue.

3. Can I recover data from a USB drive that does not show up in File Explorer?
Yes, even if the USB drive does not show up in in File Explorer or there is a hardware issue the Stellar Data Recovery can recover data. Stellar has experienced data recovery experts who can recover data if there is logical issue like FAT32 or exFAT corruption.

4. Are DIY fixes safe for recovering data from unrecognized USB drive?
DIY fixes are safe to a certain extent but unrecognized USB drive indicates controller or logical issue; therefore, it requires experts’ attention. In such cases only specialized data recovery techniques can restore your data.