You may find that restarting your PC forces Windows to install missing drivers. This is a tried-and-tested method to fix any number of troubleshooting issues on your PC, including malfunctioning USB devices. Think your USB ports or devices are faulty? Don’t panic-give your PC a restart first.

You may need to consult the user manual for that device to investigate or, if possible, look at possible support options from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to determine why a USB device might stop working. Make sure to try the device on another PC (if you can) to see if it works before you consider replacing it. You may need to switch your device for something else if Windows isn’t recognizing it (at least temporarily).įor example, a USB hard drive will only be recognized if the drive itself hasn’t failed. If the USB port seems to be working, then the fault could be with the device you’re using. Until then, however, you can carry on using the new port to get your work done. If the device is recognized by Windows 11 and it works without any problems, then you can troubleshoot the previous port. This fix is simple-simply remove the USB drive from the port you’re currently using and place it in another port. If you’re confident that your device is working properly, it could be a problem with the USB port you’re using. If there’s dust in the USB port, use some canned air to clear it out.Īfter checking for damage and cleaning out the USB port, plug the device back in and see if it fixes the USB not working error on Windows 11. If there’s a broken cable, for instance, you may want to replace it. This includes removing the USB device, checking the cabling and the USB port, and re-connecting it. Inspect Your Device (and USB Port)īefore you try any drastic fixes to USB ports on your PC, you should inspect for possible damage. To help you troubleshoot the problem, here are 11 troubleshooting tips you can try to fix things if your USB isn’t working on Windows 11. The plug-and-play nature of USB makes it easy to connect all kinds of devices to your Windows 11 PC, but what if things go wrong? If your USB stops working on Windows 11, there could be any number of causes, from a faulty cable to missing drivers (and plenty more).

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