---
title: "What to do if your laptop is not recognizing external devices?"  
description: "What to do if your laptop is not recognizing external devices?"  
author: "Baishakhi Ghosh"  
published: 2024-01-01  
updated: 2024-01-04  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/108681/what-to-do-if-your-laptop-is-not-recognizing-external-devices  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["troubleshooting"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What to do if your laptop is not recognizing external devices?



## Answers

### Answer by Saumya Mishra

## Simple Checks:

- **Restart:** It might sound basic, but restarting your laptop can often [resolve](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2348/google-will-pay-close-to-400-million-to-resolve-a-us-location-tracking-investigation) [temporary](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/2292/how-to-set-temporary-path-of-jdk-in-windows) glitches.
- **Cable &** **Port****:** Inspect the cable for damage and try different USB ports. Sometimes a faulty port or cable is the culprit.
- **Device Power:** Some external [devices](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2581/android-and-google-nest-devices-can-now-communicate-with-matter) require additional power. Switch to a powered USB hub or try a direct wall outlet connection.

**[Software](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23272/why-software-localization-is-important-for-your-business) Solutions:**

- **Device [Manager](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/310794/5-writing-tips-for-business-managers):** Check if your device is listed. Look for yellow exclamation marks indicating driver issues. Right-click and choose "Uninstall device" then reconnect to reinstall drivers.
- **Driver Updates:** Outdated drivers can cause problems. Update your USB and chipset drivers from your laptop manufacturer's website. Windows Update can also help.
- [**Windows**](https://www.mindstick.com/services/windows-development) **Troubleshooter:** Windows 10 and 11 have built-in troubleshooters for [hardware](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/303100/best-pc-hardware-2023) devices. Run the "Hardware and Devices" troubleshooter to diagnose and fix potential issues.

## Advanced Checks:

- [**USB**](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/167725/usb-drives-a-plug-and-play-portable-storage-device) **Power Settings:** In Windows, disable selective suspend for USB settings to prevent the system from turning off power to the device for battery saving.
- **Format the Device:** If it's an external [storage](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1293/what-are-the-different-types-of-storage-in-html-5) device, consider formatting it (back up data first!). Sometimes incompatible file systems can cause problems.

## Last Resort:

- **Hardware Faults:** If none of the above works, the issue might be hardware-related. Consult your laptop manufacturer's support for further diagnosis and potential repairs.


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/108681/what-to-do-if-your-laptop-is-not-recognizing-external-devices

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