Spent a day in trying countless different solutions, to resolve this glitch.
If anybody has some solutions, that have been successful in such an extreme case like this, I would be most grateful to hear please.
On a PC with Windows 7 32 bit.

I'm not running 7 but 10 so you may have to find the route to my fix in a different place but here goes...

 

Locate Device Manager

Scroll to Universal Serial Bus Controllers

If you see 'Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed ) ....or something similar

Right Click ( or whatever sub menu )  UNINSTALL

Then go back to Device manager at the top menu and SCAN FOR HARDWARE CHANGES

 

This then re -installs the USB Driver

 

As I say you may need to navigate a different way in MS7  but this worked on my external Seagate Drive that would not show up in 'MY PC'. 

6 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I'm not running 7 but 10 so you may have to find the route to my fix in a different place but here goes...

 

Locate Device Manager

Scroll to Universal Serial Bus Controllers

If you see 'Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed ) ....or something similar

Right Click ( or whatever sub menu )  UNINSTALL

Then go back to Device manager at the top menu and SCAN FOR HARDWARE CHANGES

 

This then re -installs the USB Driver

 

As I say you may need to navigate a different way in MS7  but this worked on my external Seagate Drive that would not show up in 'MY PC'. 

Thank you, tried many variations on this theme, without success.

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

And do other USB peripherals work on that USB port - possibly the port itself may be "buggered"........

 

34 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

That's the infuriating part -Unknown Device.

52 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

You studies at the same ICT school as me

Use Diskpart from command line

if it's not recognized, it means the USB device is "toast"

 

get a new one, if any important info was there, it's probably not recoverable

 

a busted USB port would not say "not recognized", it would simply stay silent with nothing being loaded

 

Use logic.

 

Step 1

Use the device on more than one computer. Do you see the same error message on all PCs?

Connect one after the other, multiple devices to the "problematic" PC. Does any device work?

That should give you an idea if the device or the PC is the problem.

 

Then, after step 1. In case that the PC is the problem.

Try different USB ports.

Try different cables.

Did it ever work on that PC?

 

After step 1, if the device is the problem.

Does the device get power, i.e. does a light go on?

Does it get enough power?

 

And and and. Do it logically step by step. And if you can't remember it then write down what you tested and what happened. Finally you will get there.

 

13 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

if it's not recognized, it means the USB device is "toast"

 

get a new one, if any important info was there, it's probably not recoverable

 

a busted USB port would not say "not recognized", it would simply stay silent with nothing being loaded

 

No

Maybe

Lots of error messages don't make much sense. And sometimes they happen only from time to time.

13 hours ago, up2you2 said:

13 hours ago, NanLaew said:

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

That's the infuriating part -Unknown Device.

If it isn't something that's being plugged in that's throwing this error, it's possibly something either hosted on the motherboard that's gone tits-up or, the driver for a legacy device that was used previously but is no longer connected to the machine has gone south.

 

Is this a laptop or a PC? Either way, if this error isn't stopping some bit of hardware operating, I would ignore it. I have see this on my work laptop (when I am bored at work and browsing the Device Manager) but everything I am using or is plugged in is still working just fine. Sometimes, especially on an upgraded machine, if an embedded bit of hardware on a mobo is no longer supported by an operating system upgrade/update, this "error" can show in Device Manager as well.

12 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You studies at the same ICT school as me

Possibly.

 

I was always back of the class, away from the window, long hair, Goth-looking with a Harris tweed jacket.

 

Which one were you?

Try another USB port, on my PC I have one USB port that is useless.  If the device still doesn't work, try it on another computer, maybe take it to a small computer shop and ask them to check it, small money for them to plug it in and see if it's working or not.

13 hours ago, NanLaew said:

What is this USB device specifically?

It may be buggered, no?

 

13 hours ago, up2you2 said:

That's the infuriating part -Unknown Device.

It's difficult to try the device on on ports when one doesn't know which device isn't the one not working.  Even unplugging all peripherals might not help if the device is directly on the motherboard as part of an internal card.

13 hours ago, up2you2 said:

That's the infuriating part -Unknown Device.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-th/000151898/how-to-identify-an-unknown-device-in-device-manager

5 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-th/000151898/how-to-identify-an-unknown-device-in-device-manager

Ah yes, good tip and a reminder that I have similarly used this to sleuth out what the mysteriously 'broken' bits are.

Under Device Manager, the attached screen shot is showing.
Then in using the app USBOblivion to clean all of this up, it does move it.
Only for it to be reinstalled automatically, stating:
Unknown device software successfully installed.

1 hour ago, up2you2 said:

Under Device Manager, the attached screen shot is showing.
Then in using the app USBOblivion to clean all of this up, it does move it.
Only for it to be reinstalled automatically, stating:
Unknown device software successfully installed.

 

You could use wmic command and open the terminal and type to see what usb are connected:

"wmic logicaldisk where drivetype=2 get <DeviceID, VolumeName, Description, ...>"

Try view and tick box show hidden devices.

 

Open the usb controllers and uninstall all the greyed out usb and other devices in device manager (network manager, software devices, HID, usb controllers etc...)

 

With device manager open, unplug one by one each of the connected usb and see which usb could be giving that unknown device. When unplugged the usb device will disappear.

 

2nd try right click on unknown device and uninstall that usb. Then right click on usb 3 eXtensible host controller. All your usb should stop working. Power off the pc and restart, all the usb drivers will reinstall and see if the problem is still there.

 

Backup your important info and reinstall windows 7 or better install/upgrade to windows 10.

 

Or install bootable linux onto a usb and use that. Manjaro, mint or many others.

 

 

Laptop or desktop PC?

 

How was the OS installed?  An orignal OEM install by the manufacturer or a PC shop?

 

I suspect a driver issue.  You may need to go the the manufacturer's website and download the chipset drivers for the laptop/motherboard.

you guys are barking at the wrong problem and clearly the wrong solutions, re-install Windows over a failed USB drive? seriously? I hope you are not running IT where you work ????

 

Your USB device is busted, it's simple as that. Happens all the time.

Just now, GrandPapillon said:

you guys are barking at the wrong problem and clearly the wrong solutions, re-install Windows over a failed USB drive? seriously? I hope you are not running IT where you work ????

 

Your USB device is busted, it's simple as that. Happens all the time.

Most workplaces forbid USB devices being plugged into work computers.

It was a sacking offence in my last workplace. 

Just now, BritManToo said:

Most workplaces forbid USB devices being plugged into work computers.

It was a sacking offence in my last workplace. 

right, can also be disabled in BIOS to make sure it doesn't work. So many hacks happens with USB thumb drives

3 hours ago, up2you2 said:

Under Device Manager, the attached screen shot is showing.
Then in using the app USBOblivion to clean all of this up, it does move it.
Only for it to be reinstalled automatically, stating:
Unknown device software successfully installed.

This most likely means your drivers are not up to date. It does not necessarily denote a USB device. Dell is notorious for this message before you install some kind of Intel manager and/or update the bios to the latest version.

9 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

you guys are barking at the wrong problem and clearly the wrong solutions, re-install Windows over a failed USB drive? seriously? I hope you are not running IT where you work ????

 

Your USB device is busted, it's simple as that. Happens all the time.

And I hope you stop posting things you obviously know nothing about.

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

This most likely means your drivers are not up to date. It does not necessarily denote a USB device. Dell is notorious for this message before you install some kind of Intel manager and/or update the bios to the latest version.

absolute non-sense, the USB drivers are clearly working in the screenshot, it's the attached device that is not recognized. USB has a generic driver for all devices, and it fails here.

But even if it says unknown device and everything is working your not having problems. Then why bother. 

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

And I hope you stop posting things you obviously know nothing about.

you are obviously not very good at solving IT problems from your posts above ????

3 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

you are obviously not very good at solving IT problems from your posts above ????

I worked IT for almost two decades. I already posted the likely solution. You just blather on, putting out misinformation.

38 minutes ago, robblok said:

But even if it says unknown device and everything is working your not having problems. Then why bother. 

Very good reason, this message is repeating itself all the time, plus the ding dong each time, driving me mad.