usb - freeCodeCamp.org

Device Descriptor Request Failed – How to Fix Unknown USB Device Error in Windows 10

Gavin Lon — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 23:49:33 +0000

Recently my uncle, who lives in Australia, sent my parents, who live in South Africa, a flash drive that was full of pictures of our Australian family getting up to various Australian activities.

But it was very frustrating for my poor Mom when her laptop would not recognise the USB device (the flash drive containing the Australian family pictures).

I have the privilege of being the goto family member when anything goes wrong with something computer related, because I am a computer programmer. This means I must know everything about USB ports, printers, scanners, basically all things computer related….right?

Well, at the time, I must confess I didn’t have a clue why Windows 10 could not recognise the flash drive. So I did a bit of research. In this particular case the external device (the flash drive) was the offending party.

It turns out, however, that this “Device Descriptor Request Failed“ issue can occur for many different reasons, some hardware related and others software related.

In this article I'll cover the possible hardware-related issues first, and then we'll get into the possible software-related issues. With each cause of the “Device Descriptor Request Failed“ error, I’ll take you through the steps you'll need to follow to resolve the issue.

Possible Causes and Fixes for "Device Descriptor Request Failed" Error

The following seven headings list out what may have caused the “Device Descriptor Request Failed“ issue. In the subsequent sections of this article, I'll give you details on how you might be able to resolve the issue.

USB Hardware Fault
Run Hardware and Device Troubleshooter
Update USB Device Driver
Disable Fast Startup
Disable the USB Selective Suspend Setting
Remove USB Device and Scan for Hardware Changes
Update Windows 10

USB Hardware Fault

The “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue may have been caused by a hardware issue. We can easily test that the issue stems from a hardware issue and not an operating system related issue by performing the following checks:

First, plug the relevant device into a different USB port on the same computer. For good measure try a few USB ports. If the relevant device is working when plugged into another USB port, this means that the source of the issue is likely the USB port used when the issue arrises.

In this case you can simply mark the USB port causing the issue as faulty, and use the USB port that works. You also may wish to replace the offending USB port at some stage.

Second, you can plug the relevant device into a USB port on a different computer. If the device doesn’t work on a different computer, this points to the device itself being the issue. Your only solution in this case may be to repair or replace the device itself.

Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

Windows provides us with a very convenient facility that you can use for performing troubleshooting. You are able to use this facility to trouble shoot possible hardware issues.

Follow these steps to use the Troubleshooter facility:

Firstly invoke the “Run” box. You can do this by pressing Windows key + R.
Enter the following command into the “Run” box: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

Press the OK button.
Select Advanced – and make sure that the “Apply repairs automatically” checkbox is checked. Press the “Next” button and follow the instructions to preform the troubleshooting task.

Uninstall and Update USB Device Driver

To uninstall the USB device driver we can use the Device Manager facility provided by windows. To run Device Manager, follow these steps:

First, invoke the “Run” box. One way to do this is to press Windows key + R.
Enter the following command into the “Run” box: devmgmt.msc. Then press the OK button.
Within the tree structure presented in the Device Manager dialog box, expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers node.
From the expanded list of nodes, select the node marked “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)”
Right click this node and select Uninstall device from the context menu presented to you.

Once the uninstall operation has completed, reboot your computer. This will result in the driver being reinstalled which may also result in your issue being fixed.

Disable Fast Startup

One possible cause of the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue could be from a feature in Windows designed to speed up the boot process of your computer. Sometimes, this “Fast Startup" feature can keep your Operating System from detecting USB devices.

Luckily we have the ability to turn this feature off. The “Fast Startup” feature is a “nice to have” feature and is it is recommended to have this feather turned on, but it is not an essential feature.

So to turn off the feature, follow these steps:

Press Windows Key + R to invoke the “Run” box.
In the “Run” box type “control” and click the “OK” button to open Control Panel
In the search box of your Control Panel type “Power options” and then click “Change what the power buttons do”
Under the heading, “Define power buttons and turn on password protection”, click the link labelled, “Change settings that are currently unavailable”
Make sure that the “Turn on fast startup (recommended)” checkbox is unchecked. Click the “Save changes” button

Restart your computer and see if this possible solution has fixed your USB device issue.

Disable the USB Selective Suspend Setting

Sometimes the USB port is put into low-power mode when the “USB selective suspend” setting is enabled. This can cause abnormal behaviour when connecting a device to a USB port, which can result in the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue occurring.

We are able to safely disable this feature, and by doing so potentially solve the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue.

To disable the “USB selective suspend” setting, follow these steps.

Press Windows Key + R to invoke the “Run” box.
In the “Run” box, type “control” and click the “OK” button to open Control Panel
In your Control Panel find and click “Power Options”
Click the “Change plan settings” link
Click the “Change advanced power settings” link
Find and expand the “USB settings” node in the tree structure found on the "Advanced settings" tab.
Expand the “USB selective suspend setting” child node.
Make sure that “Disabled” is selected in the relevant dropdown list for both ”On battery” and “Plugged in”.

Click the “Ok” button
Reboot your computer
Once your computer has been rebooted, test to see if the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue has been resolved.

Remove USB Device and Scan for Hardware Changes

Launch Device Manager by pressing Windows Key + R to launch the “Run” box, then type devmgmt.msc in the "Run" box and press the “OK” button.
Unplug the problematic device from the relevant USB port.
From within the Device Manager dialog, click the “Scan for hardware changes” button on the toolbar. You can identify the relevant button by hovering your mouse pointer over the button whereby its tooltip text will display the text “Scan for hardware changes”.

When the system recognises hardware changes, plug in the relevant USB device and test whether the problem has been fixed

Update Windows

Installing the latest update for Windows may fix the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue. To install the latest windows update you can follow these steps:

Open the Settings App by pressing Windows key + I
Click the "Update & Security" option
Select the “Windows Update” option
Click the “Check for updates” button

Restart Computer and test to see if the “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue still occurs (change)

Conclusion

The “Device Descriptor Request Failed” issue can cause a lot of frustration and even heart ache in my poor mother's case where it prevented her from viewing family photos.

Don’t despair – hopefully this article provides you with an effective remedy for the issue.

How to Format a USB Drive to FAT32 on Windows 10

Kristofer Koishigawa — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 06:45:00 +0000

If you need to format a USB flash drive, HDD, SDD, or some other form of storage to FAT32, you've come to the right place.

In this article we'll go over what a file system is, the FAT32 standard, and several ways to format a storage device to FAT32 on Windows 10.

What's a file system?

A file system is a standardized way of organizing data on a computer storage device like a flash drive or HDD.

A file system divides a storage device into virtual compartments, almost like a wall of post office boxes, and keeps track of all the information that gets stored in each box.

Some of the most common file system formats for portable storage devices are FAT32, NTFS, and ExFAT.

FAT32 compared to other formats

Of those three common formats, FAT32 is the oldest and most widely supported. Every major operating system will allow you to read and write from a USB flash drive that's formatted to FAT32.

Meanwhile, macOS can only read NTFS drives, and you would need to install third-party software to write back to the drive.

However, though FAT32 is well supported, its maximum drive and file size is severely limited when compared to newer formats like NTFS and ExFAT:

	Max drive size	Max file size	Windows	macOS	Linux
FAT32	32 GB (Windows), up to 16TB (Other OSs)	4 GB	Read/Write	Read/Write	Read/Write
NTFS	8 PB*	16 EB**	Read/Write	Read	Read/Write
ExFAT	128 PB*	16 EB**	Read/Write	Read/Write	Read/Write

* 1 petabyte is about 1 thousand terabytes ** 1 exabyte is about 1 million terabytes

Note that the maximum drive and file size of NTFS and ExFAT is so large that there's basically no limit. (But it would be nice to have a 128 PB USB drive, wouldn't it?)

On the other hand, FAT32's max file size of 4 GB is almost nothing now that phones can record 4K videos. Also, it's a little more difficult to format a drive larger than 32 GB to FAT32 on Windows 10.

These days, the only reason why you'd choose to format a drive to FAT32 is for compatibility. For example, if you need to boot up an old computer, maybe with a different operating system, and backup some of its files. But you'd need to be sure that none of those files are greater than 4 GB.

If you're sure you want to go with FAT32, here's how to format a storage drive on Windows 10.

Important note: Before you format a drive, make sure that you backup all of your important files. In fact, make two backups, and keep one on a remote service like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Formatting a drive will delete all of the data that's currently on it.

How to use Windows File Explorer to format a USB drive to FAT32

A quick note about this method: it only works on USB flash drives that are less that 32 GB. If your USB drive is larger than 32 GB, check out one of the later methods.

With that out of the way, plug your USB drive into your computer and open Windows File Explorer.

Next, right-click on the drive on the left hand side of the File Explorer window and click "Format":

In the window that pops up, ensure that "FAT32" is selected. Also, feel free to rename the USB drive whatever you'd like:

You can leave the rest of the options alone. Just click start to format your drive.

Once it's done, your USB drive should be formatted to use the FAT32 file system.

To double check this, open File Explorer, right click on your USB drive, and click "Properties".

A window will pop up and you should see that the file system is now FAT32:

How to use Rufus to format a USB drive to FAT32

If your USB drive is larger than 32 GB, you'll need to use a third-party program like Rufus to format it.

There are lots of other programs that can format USB drives, but Rufus is really small and portable. This means you can stick Rufus right on a USB drive, plug it into any Windows computer, and format other drives on the go.

After you download Rufus, double click on the .exe file to start the application.

Make sure your USB drive is selected. Then, click the "Boot selection" dropdown and select "Non bootable":

Next, click the "File system" dropdown and select "FAT32".

Also, feel free to change the name of your USB drive under "Volume label":

Then, click the "Start" button to format your drive. After a few seconds it'll be formatted to FAT32.

How to use PowerShell to format a USB drive to FAT32

While this method works with drives larger than 32 GB, it's really slow – even formatting a 32 GB drive can take up to an hour depending on your computer.

But, if you aren't able to use the previous two methods for some reason, this will work in a pinch.

First, click on the Windows Search Bar and type in "powershell". Then, click "Run as administrator" to launch PowerShell with elevated privileges:

In the PowerShell terminal, enter the following command:

format /FS:FAT32 DRIVE_LETTER:

Use the File Explorer to double check your drive letter. My drive letter was D, so I entered format /FS:FAT32 D:.

Press Enter, make sure your USB drive is plugged in, and press the Enter key again to start the process:

Then go run some errands or something – it will take awhile.

Once the format command is finished, your drive should be formatted to FAT32.

In closing

Now you should be able to format a USB drive of any size to FAT32 on Windows 10. And with just a little modification, any of these methods can be used to format your drive to another file system like NTFS or ExFAT.

Now get out there and format all your USB drives. (But only after you backup everything important!)

Was this helpful? Is there a better method that you know of? Tweet at me and let me know how you format things on Windows 10.

USB C Port Explained - How USB Type C is Different and How Fast It Is

Abigail Rennemeyer — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 19:01:00 +0000

You might have heard about USB Type C - after all, USB ports are pretty ubiquitous in the world of tech and electronics.

But do you know why USB C is different and why it's kind of awesome? In this article we'll briefly go through the features of the different types of USB ports and then dive deeper into USB Type C.

A bit of background

Did you know that USB stands for universal serial bus? This "plug-and-play" interface was first developed in 1996 when the USB 1.0 was released. It allowed computers to be connected to and communicate with various other devices and peripherals, like computer mice, cameras, music players, and so on.

Not only can a USB and its cable charge that device, but they can also transfer data through the cable. So it's more than just a power cord. This is why we care about data transfer speeds, as you'll see below.

Throughout the next decade, newer (and faster) versions of the USB were released.

In 2001 we got USB 2.0, or "high speed USB", which could handle transfer speeds of up to 60 megabytes per second (Mbps)
In 2009, the USB 3.0 or "SuperSpeed USB" came out (creative naming system, I know). Not only did it offer faster transfer speeds (up to 640 Mbps) but it enabled two unidirectional data paths that allow you to send and receive data at the same time.
Finally, in 2013, USB 3.1 was released ("SuperSpeed+"). It's the latest version of the USB protocol, and can transfer data at a blazing 10 Gbps (yes, gigabyte, not megabyte). Because the naming convention is so similar to the 3.0, the USB 3.0 is now known as USB 3.1 Gen 1. Again, the creativity!

Various companies released these different versions of the USB, but there is an overall body that works to develop better, faster USB technology: the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). It's a consortium of around 700 companies (including big ones like Apple, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Samsung). This is good for universal adoption potential (more on this below).

Something to note: USB ports are all backwards (and forwards) compatible. So if you want to use a USB 3.0 device in a 1.0 port, you can. But you'll be limited to the 1.0 speeds.

This is an important thing to remember about data transfer speeds: the slower port/cable will always win. More on this below.

So let's learn a bit more about each type before we talk about why USB C has become so popular.

The different types of USB ports

A (the flat rectangular plug)

USB A is usually considered a simple data port for connecting things like mice (or other peripherals) to your computer. You can find it on most computers from the last few decades.

B (the ones with the odd shapes)

You'll usually find USB B ports on larger devices like printers.

C (the new "reversible" plug)

USB C is the newest generation of USB port, and it's been getting a lot of attention lately. Its default protocol is USB 3.1 (the latest release, as mentioned above), and max speed is 10 Gbps.

You'll find this newer port on everything from smart phones to laptops.

Micro and mini

These smaller ports often connect cameras, smart phones, and other smaller devices to your computer.

Mini USB isn't used so much anymore, but micro is often still used on smartphones, video game controllers, and so on.

A note about cable length (and speed)

The cables that connect USB ports to devices can only be so long before you risk some data loss during transfer. The max length for high speed devices is 16ft 5in, and for low speed it's 9ft 10in.

Also, when you're getting a cable to go with your device, make sure you get the cable that supports the speed your device/port supports. For example, if you have a USB 3.0, make sure you get a cable that supports 3.0 speeds. Otherwise you'll be limited to lower speeds.

Remember: it's all about the cable.

Why USB C is good

_Photo by [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/@shiroscope?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Shiro hatori on

I've seen this feature being called "flippability", and I like it.

Along those same lines, it has the same type of connector at both ends - so you can just grab an end and plug it in, no matter which end you grab. Again, less frustrating. I'll leave out the inner monologue this time.

Finally, USB C is being adopted by many different manufacturers which probably means we're heading towards a true "universal" USB (it is called the "Universal Serial Bus" after all). Wouldn't that be nice.

But it's also a little confusing, as you'll see below in the section on nomenclature.

What about Thunderbolt?

_Photo by [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/@jarispics?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Jari Hytönen on

More good news - it's also reversible and can be plugged in any which way (there's no right side up). It can also be used in any USB C port (the two plugs look identical), and any USB C can be plugged into a Thunderbolt port. That USB C will just be limited to its own speeds, however, and won't be able to match the speed of the Thunderbolt.

So basically, the Thunderbolt is just a particularly fast, fancy, USB C device.

In the end...

If you have the opportunity to use a USB C device, go for it. You'll get faster speeds, a more satisfying experience, and it's just easier to use.

Just be sure to check whether you have the right cables so your device takes full advantage of all the C awesomeness.

Some further notes on USB C nomenclature

In case you really want to nerd out and learn all the various names, speeds, and how they've changed, here's a rundown:

Confusing: 3.1 ports can also have older/original shape. These are called USB 3.1 Type A (These are most common on desktops now.)
More confusing: There's also USB 3.1 Gen 1 (slower speeds - 5 Gbps) and Gen 2 (faster speeds - 10 Gbps; can get half as fast [theoretically] as the Thunderbolt, but both port and device must support Gen 2 standards)
Going forward: most confusing - USB 3.2 will take over for all previous nomenclature. So old 3.0, 5 Gbps, will be called USB 3.2 Gen 1. And the faster USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) will be called USB 3.2 Gen 2.
USB 3.2 ports will sometimes be able to reach speeds of 20 Gbps - that'll be called USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (2x faster than Gen 2) - comes from having twice as many data lanes in the cable to transfer data faster. Look for them soonish.