Fixed “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)”: 2026 Guide

If you plugged in a USB device and Windows threw an error saying “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” in Device Manager, your computer could not read the identity of the connected device. That is the core of the problem. Windows asks the device to identify itself during connection, the device either does not respond or responds incorrectly, and Windows labels it as unknown.

This is one of the most common USB errors in Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the good news is that it is almost always fixable without buying new hardware. This guide walks you through every real fix, explains why each one works, and helps you figure out whether the issue is with your device, your port, your drivers, or Windows itself.

What Does “Device Descriptor Request Failed” Actually Mean?

When you plug in a USB device, Windows follows a handshake process. It sends a request asking the device to send back its “device descriptor,” which is a small block of data that tells Windows what the device is, who made it, what driver it needs, and how it should communicate.

If that descriptor never arrives or arrives corrupted, Windows cannot identify the device. Instead of showing it properly in Device Manager, it shows a yellow warning triangle next to “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” under the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.

This can happen because:

• The USB port has a power or connectivity issue
• The USB device itself is damaged or malfunctioning
• A Windows or driver update broke USB controller behavior
• USB power management is cutting power too aggressively
• The USB root hub driver needs to be refreshed
• BIOS/UEFI settings are interfering with USB behavior

Step 1: Do These Basic Checks First

Before diving into driver fixes and registry edits, start with the obvious stuff. These simple checks solve the problem more often than people expect.

Try a different USB port. If you are using a USB 3.0 port (usually blue), try a USB 2.0 port instead. Some older devices cannot negotiate USB 3.0 speeds correctly.

Try a different cable. USB cables degrade over time. A cable that looks fine can have broken internal wires that cause intermittent or failed descriptor reads.

Try the device on another computer. If it fails there too, the device itself is likely the problem. If it works fine on another machine, the issue is with your system.

Restart your computer with the device unplugged. Once restarted, plug it in fresh. This clears any stuck USB state in memory.

Check for physical damage. Look at both the USB port on your computer and the connector on the device for bent pins, debris, or burn marks.

Step 2: Uninstall the Unknown Device and Let Windows Reinstall It

This is often the fastest software fix.

1. Press Windows + X and open Device Manager
2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers
3. Right-click on Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)
4. Select Uninstall device
5. Check the box to delete the driver if that option appears
6. Unplug the USB device
7. Restart your computer
8. Plug the device back in

Windows will attempt to re-enumerate the device and install the correct driver from scratch. This clears any corrupt driver state that was preventing the descriptor from being read.

Step 3: Disable USB Selective Suspend

Windows has a feature called USB Selective Suspend that cuts power to USB devices when they are idle. This saves battery on laptops but can cause descriptor failures when a device tries to wake up.

To disable it:

1. Open Control Panel and go to Power Options
2. Click Change plan settings next to your active power plan
3. Click Change advanced power settings
4. Scroll down to USB settings and expand it
5. Expand USB selective suspend setting
6. Set it to Disabled for both On battery and Plugged in
7. Click Apply and OK
8. Unplug and reconnect your USB device

This setting is especially worth changing on laptops where USB devices frequently disconnect and reconnect on their own.

Step 4: Turn Off USB Root Hub Power Management

Similar to selective suspend but more targeted, Windows can also cut power at the USB root hub level. Here is how to stop that:

1. Open Device Manager
2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers
3. Right-click on each USB Root Hub entry and select Properties
4. Go to the Power Management tab
5. Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
6. Click OK and repeat for every USB Root Hub listed

If you have multiple root hub entries, you need to change each one. Skipping one can leave the problem unresolved.

Step 5: Update or Roll Back USB Controller Drivers

A driver update can sometimes break USB descriptor communication. If this error started after a Windows Update or a driver update, rolling back is worth trying.

To roll back:

1. Open Device Manager
2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers
3. Right-click on USB xHCI Compliant Host Controller (or similar)
4. Select Properties, then go to the Driver tab
5. If Roll Back Driver is available and not greyed out, click it
6. Follow the prompts

To update instead:

1. From the same Driver tab, click Update Driver
2. Choose Search automatically for drivers
3. Let Windows find and install any newer version

You can also visit your motherboard or laptop manufacturer’s website directly and download the latest chipset or USB drivers. Generic Windows drivers sometimes lag behind manufacturer-specific fixes. For Intel systems, the Intel Driver and Support Assistant can help detect outdated chipset drivers automatically.

Step 6: Run the Windows USB Troubleshooter

Windows includes a built-in troubleshooter that can detect and automatically fix some USB issues.

On Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot
2. Scroll down and click Hardware and Devices
3. Run the troubleshooter

On Windows 11:

1. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
2. Find Hardware and Devices and click Run

The troubleshooter will not always find the issue, but it can sometimes reset USB configurations that are hard to access manually.

Step 7: Update Windows

Microsoft regularly pushes USB-related fixes through Windows Update. If you have been deferring updates, now is a good time to install them.

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update
2. Click Check for updates
3. Install everything available, including optional driver updates
4. Restart your computer and test the USB device again

This is especially relevant if the error appeared after a feature update, since a subsequent patch may have already addressed the root cause.

Step 8: Check and Modify BIOS/UEFI USB Settings

Some BIOS settings can interfere with USB device enumeration. This is more likely on custom-built desktops or older systems.

1. Restart your computer and enter BIOS/UEFI (usually by pressing Delete, F2, or F10 during startup)
2. Look for USB-related settings. Common ones to check:
   • USB Legacy Support should be Enabled
   • XHCI Hand-off should be Enabled
   • USB 3.0 / USB 3.1 / USB 3.2 should be Enabled
3. Save changes and exit

XHCI Hand-off in particular can cause descriptor failures on certain hardware when it is disabled, because it affects how the OS takes control of USB 3.x ports from the BIOS.

Step 9: Use the Hardware ID to Find the Right Driver

If Windows cannot identify the device, you can try to identify it yourself and install the correct driver manually.

1. In Device Manager, right-click the unknown device
2. Select Properties and go to the Details tab
3. In the Property dropdown, select Hardware Ids
4. Copy the top ID (it will look like USB\VID_XXXX&PID_XXXX)
5. Paste that ID into a search engine

The VID (Vendor ID) and PID (Product ID) can tell you exactly what the device is. Once you know what it is, you can go directly to the manufacturer’s website and download the correct driver. The USB-IF vendor database can also help you identify the vendor from the VID number.

Step 10: Check for Windows Corruption with SFC and DISM

If nothing else has worked, there may be underlying Windows file corruption affecting USB functionality.

Run System File Checker:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

sfc /scannow

Wait for it to complete. If it finds and repairs issues, restart and test again.

Run DISM to repair the Windows image:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This connects to Windows Update servers to download healthy system files and replace any that are corrupted. It takes longer than SFC but goes deeper.

When the Device Itself Is the Problem

If you have tried everything above and the error persists only with one specific device, the device is likely damaged. Signs that point to a hardware fault on the device side include:

• It fails on multiple computers
• It gets unusually warm when connected
• It was recently dropped or exposed to liquid
• It worked before but stopped suddenly with no software changes

For USB flash drives, a dead or failing NAND chip will often cause descriptor failures because the firmware on the drive cannot boot properly. Data recovery software will not help at that stage since Windows cannot even recognize the device. Physical repair or professional data recovery is the only option.

For USB hubs, a failed hub controller chip will produce the same descriptor error for everything plugged into the hub, even devices that work fine when plugged directly into the computer.

Fixes and What They Address

Fix	What It Targets	Works Best When
Try different port or cable	Physical connection	Error is intermittent
Uninstall and reinstall device	Corrupt driver entry	Error appeared suddenly
Disable selective suspend	Power management	Laptop, device disconnects randomly
Disable root hub power saving	USB hub power	Multiple devices affected
Roll back USB controller driver	Bad driver update	Error started after update
Update Windows	OS-level USB bugs	System has pending updates
BIOS USB settings	Firmware configuration	Desktop or after BIOS update
SFC and DISM	Windows file corruption	Nothing else worked
Hardware ID lookup	Missing driver	Device shows as completely unknown

Error Code Reference

When you see the descriptor failure, Device Manager usually also shows an error code. Here is what the most common ones mean:

Error Code	Description	Likely Cause
Code 43	Device reported a problem	Device firmware or hardware fault
Code 28	Driver not installed	Missing or incompatible driver
Code 10	Device cannot start	Driver conflict or power issue
Code 45	Device not connected	Port issue or loose connection

Code 43 in combination with the descriptor failure message almost always points to the device itself having a hardware problem, not a software one on the PC side.

Conclusion

The “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” error in 2026 is still mostly fixable through software and settings changes, even though it sounds serious. Start with the physical basics like swapping ports and cables, then work through the power management settings, driver reinstallation, and Windows updates before assuming the hardware is dead.

The most common root causes in practice are power management settings cutting power to USB ports too aggressively, and driver corruption after a Windows update. Disabling USB selective suspend and uninstalling the unknown device entry in Device Manager solves the problem for most people without needing to go any deeper.

If the error only happens with one device and that device fails on other computers too, the device has a hardware fault and no amount of driver work will fix it. At that point, replacement or professional data recovery are the only realistic paths forward.