It is a very common error which comes up in Windows 10 at times. Due to this error, USB drive doesn’t show up in File Explorer, which means that you can’t access any file present on the storage device. This issue is said to be usually driver related. There is no specific reason for this problem, you would have to identify the issue and try different approaches to solve it. An effective solution is to download and update the correct USB drivers.
Here are some fixes mentioned below which can resolve this error:
There are possibilities that because of the Fast Startup Feature, USB may not be recognized by Windows 10.
Once your PC will start, there are possibilities that it might be a little slow but all USB storage devices should be properly recognized.
Sometimes, USB driver is outdated and may not be able to function normally. To update it, you need to reinstall the USB drivers.
Drives can also be updated automatically with the help of third party tools like Drive Easy, Driver Reviver, etc. It will accordingly diagnose your system and choose the correct drivers. You just need to install it, just choose the Run option and it will scan and find all problem drivers. Once detected, click on “update all” option so that it installs the right versions of the drivers that were outdated on your system.
You can try this method as well if you get an Unknown Device error in Device Manager.
You can also download Windows USB Troubleshooter. It is a free tool to use and gives assistance on how to fix the USB device not recognized in Windows 10. The best part about it is that if you are not on the PC that is facing this issue, you can save it in a CD or a flash drive and then you can use it on the computer on which you were facing a problem. It can fix problems of USB storage, print and audio devices like USB Hard drives and printers, thumb drives, etc.
These were few fixes for Windows 10 doesn’t recognize USB drive. Also you can try and connect the USB device to any other computer and check if it works. If not, then it’s definitely an issue with the device and it needs to be replaced.