USB drives are primarily used to transfer data from one PC to another. A common USB problem in Windows 8 systems presents with the error “USB Device Not Recognized”.  You may get this error even when you are trying to connect other USB devices like a Mouse, Keyboard, external hard drive, etc.

There are several ways of fixing USB Driver issues in Windows 8. Let’s look at all these methods one by one.

Method 1 for fixing USB Driver errors in Windows 8

1. from Desktop and click Start Menu > Run
2. Type devmgmt.msc and it will open Device Management (Device Manager)
3. If the USB drive is not recognized, you will see a yellow exclamation mark beside an entry Unknown Device which refers to your Unrecognized USB device
4. Select the first entry in Device Manager that is the name of your computer
5. Click on Action and select Scan for hardware changes

This should resolve the problem, if it still persists, follow the steps set out in Method 2 below.

Method 2 for fixing USB Driver errors in Windows 8

1. Click Start Menu > Run
2. Type device manager and select Device Manager from the list of search results
3. In the Device Manager window, go to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it
4. Right-click on Unknown Device in the list
5. Select Properties from the menu
6. In the Properties dialog popup, go to the Power Management tab
7. Uncheck the box – Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
8. Go to the Action Menu above and select Scan for hardware changes
9. Close the Device Manager

If the above method also fails to solve the USB Driver issue, follow the steps in Method 3

Method 3 for fixing USB Driver errors in Windows 8

1. Click Start Menu > Run
2. Type device manager and select Device Manager from the list of search results
3. In the Device Manager window, go to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it
4. Right-click on Unknown Device in the list
5. Select Properties from the menu
6. Select the Drivers tab
7. Click Update Driver and see if any driver update is available
8. Close Device Manager
9. Restart your PC

If none of the above methods works, you need to run the Windows USB troubleshooter by following the steps set out below:

1. Click the Start Menu
2. Type USB troubleshooter in the Search Box
3. Click Windows USB Troubleshooter from the list of search results
4. Run the Troubleshooter and follow on-screen instructions

In most cases, the Windows USB troubleshooter fixes the USB problems.  The troubleshooter removes the upper and lower filters for portable devices and checks the system for outdated drivers. To be on safe side install all important Windows updates. You can easily keep your drivers up to date all the time using a reliable driver update tool.