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q_irfan75 0 Newbie Poster

Dear all,

Can anybody help me out, My laptop is having Windows Vista operating system. When i cannot USB flash or USB printer it gives me error message "USB Device is not recognized" I had run "scan for hardware changes" from the device manager but it doesn't work. So plz can anybody tell me what can i do to solve this problem?

Thanks

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Dani AI

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— when several different USB peripherals suddenly stop working on the same Vista laptop, the problem is more often the host (power, drivers or hardware) than the devices themselves. The following checklist gives a focused sequence to isolate and fix the fault without repeating basic steps you already tried.

  1. Isolation first: try the flash drive and printer on another PC, and try a known-working USB device and a different cable or port on the laptop. If only one device fails on every PC, the device is bad; if several devices fail only on this laptop, continue below.

  2. Reinstall the USB stack and stop power-related shutoffs:

    • In Device Manager uninstall any entries with errors and then uninstall every item under "Universal Serial Bus controllers" (Host Controller and Root Hub). Reboot so Windows redetects them.
    • For each USB Root Hub, open Properties -> Power Management and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
    • In Power Options (Advanced settings) set USB selective suspend to Disabled.

  3. Drivers, BIOS and diagnostics:

    • Install the latest chipset/USB drivers from the laptop maker (not generic drivers). Apply any BIOS updates the vendor recommends for USB fixes.
    • Check Event Viewer (System log) for USB or driver errors to get specific failure codes.
    • If you still see no device activity, boot a Linux live USB to determine whether the hardware is recognized outside Windows.

  4. Physical and power checks:

    • Inspect USB ports for debris or bent pins and try a powered USB hub for high-current devices (external HDD, some printers).
    • If none of the above helps, the laptop’s USB controller or motherboard may be failing — consider repair or using a PCI/ExpressCard USB adapter for a workaround.

Optional quick command: run sfc /scannow to check for corrupt system files.

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