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Fixing "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)"

DeviceInBox editorial team · Last updated September 17, 2026

You plug in a USB device and Device Manager shows "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)" under Universal Serial Bus controllers. The status line says "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)", and the hardware ID is usually USB\VID_0000&PID_0002.

That ID is a placeholder. Windows asked the device to describe itself and got no valid answer, so it has no idea what is connected. For the same reason there is no driver to download for VID_0000&PID_0002. What needs fixing is the connection between the device and the computer: the cable, the port, power, or the USB controller driver. The steps below go from the quickest checks to the ones that take a few minutes.

Details tab showing the placeholder hardware ID USB VID_0000 PID_0002
All zeros mean Windows read nothing from the device.

Reconnect it to a different port

Unplug the device, wait about ten seconds and plug it into another port. On a desktop, use a port on the back of the case. Those are soldered to the motherboard, while front ports run through an internal cable that causes this error more often than you would expect. While you are testing, leave out USB hubs and extension cables.

Try another cable

A lot of cables that come with chargers and power banks only carry power. The device lights up but can't exchange data with the computer, which produces exactly this error. Long or damaged cables do the same. Use a short cable that you know works for data.

Four checks in order: cable, port, hub and full shutdown
Work through the cheap checks before touching drivers.

Power the computer off completely

USB controllers can get stuck in a state that a normal restart doesn't clear.

  1. Hold Shift while you click Shut down, so Windows does a full shutdown.
  2. Unplug the power cable. On a laptop, disconnect the charger as well.
  3. Hold the power button for 15 to 30 seconds, then reconnect power and start the computer.

Remove the device and let Windows detect it again

  1. In Device Manager, right-click "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)" and choose Uninstall device.
  2. Unplug the device.
  3. Open the Action menu, choose "Scan for hardware changes", and plug the device back in.
Device Manager with USB Root Hubs selected for removal
Removing the hubs makes Windows rebuild the USB stack.

Turn off USB selective suspend

With selective suspend, Windows cuts power to idle USB ports to save energy. Some devices don't wake up properly afterwards.

  1. Open Control Panel and go to Power Options (or run powercfg.cpl).
  2. Next to the active plan, click "Change plan settings", then "Change advanced power settings".
  3. Expand USB settings, then "USB selective suspend setting", and set it to Disabled. On a laptop, change it for both battery and plugged in.

Some power plans hide the USB settings entry. If you don't see it, move on to the next step.

Power options with USB selective suspend set to Disabled
Selective suspend cuts power to idle ports.

Stop Windows from powering down USB hubs

  1. In Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
  2. For every "USB Root Hub" and "Generic USB Hub", open Properties, go to the Power Management tab and clear "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

Update the chipset and USB controller drivers

USB ports are handled by the chipset's USB host controller. An old or mismatched chipset driver can make any device on that controller misbehave. Get the chipset driver for your platform from the laptop or motherboard maker, or use one of these from our catalog.

For Intel systems:

For AMD Ryzen systems:

If the problem only happens on an add-on USB card (ASMedia, VIA or Renesas controllers are common), look in our USB drivers and chipset drivers sections.

Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup brings back part of the previous session when the computer starts, including the state of the USB controllers.

  1. In Control Panel, open Power Options and click "Choose what the power buttons do".
  2. Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable".
  3. Clear "Turn on fast startup (recommended)", save, then shut down and start the computer again.

Check the device on another computer

If a second computer shows the same error with a cable you trust, the device itself is at fault: a worn connector, a failed controller or damaged firmware. Flash drives and external disks with this symptom often have a dying controller. If the data on it matters, stop reconnecting it and talk to a data recovery service.

When the device is recognized but still has no driver

Once Windows can read the descriptor, the device shows up with its real hardware ID, for example USB\VID_1A86&PID_7523. From there, copy the ID and search for it. These USB devices are the ones people most often need a separate driver for:

Hardware IDDeviceDrivers
USB\VID_1A86&PID_7523HL-340 USB-Serial adapter7
USB\VID_10C4&PID_EA60CP210x UART Bridge / myAVR mySmartUSB light14
USB\VID_067B&PID_2303PL2303 Serial Port9
USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8153RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter25
USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8179RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter12
USB\VID_0BDA&PID_B00ABluetooth 4.2 Adapter20

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