Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) all options have failed.

Question

I am simutomsley receiving two error codes:

Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)

A request for the USB device descriptor failed.

and

Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)

To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer.

A request for the USB device descriptor failed.

I have tried the many options on correcting the issue, which all have fail. I no longer have the device that I assumed cause the issue. I do not know what else to do!

Answer 1

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you are seeing two error events in the Event Viewer and both seem to be related to USB devices, and I understand exactly how you feel!

The error messages you are seeing indicate that the system is having trouble recognizing the USB device, which can be caused by a number of factors. Here are some possible causes of this problem.

1. Faulty USB device: The device itself may be defective or damaged.
2. Power Management Settings: The power management settings may have disabled the USB port.
3. USB Port Problems: A specific USB port may be malfunctioning.
4. Registry issues: The registry entries associated with the USB device are corrupted.

However, I see that you no longer seem to have the device that may be causing this issue, so we may want to prioritize checking the configuration files and information left on the system by the old device.

I will give you some suggestions and troubleshooting options to hopefully solve your problem or find out what is causing it! However, this is the first time I've replied to this question, so please understand and provide more information in your reply (pictures would be great!). Thank you very much!

Option 1: Since you no longer have the device that may be causing this problem, we can completely delete the residual registry, as there is a risk that residual old configuration files may cause the system to frequently detect devices that no longer exist.

1. Click the “WIN key” to open the search bar -> type “regedit” and open it with administrator privileges.
2. In the registry editor, navigate to the following path.

(1) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB

(2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\USB

(3) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceClasses

Under the path there will be registry folders related to USB devices as well as entries in the right sidebar, we need to delete all the related folders and entries.

Locate the entry associated with the USB device, right-click and select Delete.

3. After deleting the entries, restart your computer. windows will recreate some USB related registry entries on the next startup.
4. We also need to go to the Device Manager and make sure that no incorrect devices are present.

“WIN + x” to select ‘Device Manager’ -> Expand the ‘Universal Serial Bus Controllers’ section.

5. We can also use some third-party registry and file cleaning tools, such as CClearner and so on, to delete the residual files and registry by scanning.

Due to the community rules, I can't provide you with specific third-party tools, you can check out the information and choose a reliable and safe third-party tool through Github, Reddit and other technical communities.

This way is more simple, but I personally recommend using the tool still manually check the relevant path, to avoid the tool to delete not thorough enough.

Please note: I recommend that you backup your registry before deletion to avoid accidentally deleting entries or causing other problems.

Option 2: Ensure that the old USB device is cleared of all residual configuration files, if the problem still exists, then we need to consider the USB device we are currently using.

1. If you are using a USB related device, we can try connecting it to a different USB port to see if the problem is with a specific port.

If you have a laptop, we can connect to different USB ports on the left and right sides.

If you are a desktop computer, we can connect to different USB ports on the front and back panels.

2. If conditions permit, we can also connect the USB device to another computer to see if the same error message appears.
3. We can also turn on the computer with all USB devices removed and then connect only the mouse with the USB port.

Right-click on the Windows logo and select “Event Viewer” -> Check if the same problem occurs.

Option 3: We try to update, manually install drivers, including USB ports, USB devices, BIOS and chipset drivers.

In particular, we need to check if there are any “Unknown USB Devices” in the Device Manager, and if there are any, we can try to update or delete the unknown devices directly.

1. Update driver

“WIN + x” select ‘Device Manager’ -> find your corresponding device -> right-click on the device and select ‘Update Driver’ -> ‘Automatically search for updated drivers’.

2. Install generic driver

Also in Device Manager -> Right-click on the device and select “Remove Device” (if there is one, please make sure “Remove Driver” is checked) -> After restarting the computer, the system will automatically search for and install the universal driver.

3. Manual driver installation

The driver involves the following situations:

(1) If you are a laptop, you can download the driver for the corresponding laptop model through the brand's official website.

(2) If you have a desktop computer, you can download the driver for the corresponding model through the official website of the motherboard brand.

(3) You can also download the driver for the corresponding model through the hardware manufacturer's website.

Please note: Please try the latest version of the driver as a priority, assuming the problem still exists, we can try some known older and more compatible versions.

Option 4: Check USB power management.

“WIN + x” to select ‘Device Manager’ -> double-click to expand ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ -> right-click on each USB related device and select ‘Properties’ -> select ‘Power Management’ in the upper tab -> make sure ‘Allow computer to turn off this device to save power’ is unchecked.

Please note: We need to check every USB related device.

Option 5: Sometimes the device may be recognized abnormally by the motherboard due to power storage on the motherboard.

In this case, we will try to perform a discharge operation for your computer.

(1) Make sure the computer is completely turned off

(2) Remove all external connections, including keyboard, mouse, etc. If you have a laptop, you will need to additionally remove all external connections. If you have a laptop, you will need to additionally remove the charging adapter.

(3) Press and hold the power on button (power button) for about 30s.

(4) Turn on the power normally.

Repeat the above operation 4~5 times to ensure complete discharge.

Option 6: Please try to clean boot your computer.

Since clean boot uses only a limited set of files and drivers, it can help us to effectively troubleshoot the possibility of problems caused by third-party applications, driver conflicts, etc.

You can refer to Clean Boot for more information: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

After clean boot, please slide down the webpage after opening the link and find “How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot” This is a dichotomy that helps us pinpoint the service that is causing the problem and disable it.

Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

Option 7: Sometimes it is possible that the problem occurs because the user account profile we are currently using is corrupt or missing.

Let's try creating a new local administrator account from the command line and logging in to see if the problem persists.

Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following command

net user USERNAME PASSWORD /add

net localgroup administrators USERNAME /add

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Please note: USERNAME PASSWORD can be replaced with your preferred account name and password, if you don't need a password you can leave out the PASSWORD.

Assuming that the problem still exists after you try the above scenarios, it would be best if you could export the error event and share it with me if it is convenient for you, so that I can have a more in-depth look at the information and content in the error event.

I sincerely hope that the above information and programs will help you! Please feel free to contact me (Photos related to the question would be great!).

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist