Troubleshooting loss of USB function - software or hardware & why

RDG · Jan 27, 2025

Dissip said:
Mark your Partition as Active or Inactive in Windows (4 Ways)

It might have something to do with the disk being set as active. It should show up as none, like in my screenshot. Have a look at the above article, it may mean a deep dive into DiskPart

Caution is in order, diskpart is very powerful and doesn't care about your problems.

Yeah, I think I'll pass. I fear discovering yet more answers to the question, "What could possibly go wrong?"!!!

khaliloz160 · Jan 27, 2025

please consider the 3rd step in video

RDG · Jan 27, 2025

khaliloz160 said:
please consider the 3rd step in video

No luck. It doesn't show up as a mass storage device just as an unknown device. Thanks anyway.

XxXxX · Jan 27, 2025

can you remove the data from the drive and then delete all and any partitions then reformat the drive NTFS.
then try the drive in the PC.

best of luck, Steve ..

RDG · Jan 27, 2025

XxXxX said:
can you remove the data from the drive and then delete all and any partitions then reformat the drive NTFS.
then try the drive in the PC.

best of luck, Steve ..

I'm buying a new drive tomorrow. I'll try transferring the files using the other PC. Hopefully I haven't ruined the Seagate with the myriad attempts outlined here and on the Seagate website. It is covered by a "data recovery" policy and if I have no luck I can send it to them to see what, if anything they can recover. Mostly it is a mirror of what I have on the active external drive I use, instead of my computer's hard drive, but there are some old files that I only have on that drive. Also, the other PC has basic Win11, not Pro and has not been updated. I've wondered if that is why it can read the drive while this one can't. Time will tell. But some of the steps on Seagate may have altered it so that my only option will be to mail it in.

RDG · Jan 31, 2025

@Berton, @Dissip, @bobkn, @kito991, @khaliloz160, @XxXxX,
Well, darn. Just bought a new External Hard drive and my PC only sees is at a device. No way to access it. Only external drive that is recognized as a drive is the old Passport that is probably 2.0. I don't know much, but I'm thinking that means that the USB ports have lost their function at a 3.0 level and only support 2.0. If that is the case, I haven't a clue about what need replacing. I'll attach a system summary in hope someone can see in the info provided some clue about what is wrong. Keeping my fingers crossed that you Win11 brains can point me in the right direction. I can provide screen shots taken of Disk Management & Device Manager windows open and what shows when various devices are plugged in. Thanks.

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

My PC has stopped recognizing external hard drives and flash drives plugged into any of the four open ports I normally use successfully. The drives all work in another PC. Info from Disk Management & Device Manager shown in sceenshot. SystemInfo summary attached.

info attached as text file.

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2025

Have you just upgraded to 24H2? Or done a Windows update? You could try system restore to go back to an earlier point and see if that changes anything. If it doesn’t it could well be hardware. Two usbc sockets stopped working on one of my laptops.

Catnip · Feb 1, 2025

You may have lost your front panel USB controller. Do any of the devices show up if you plug them into the rear ports of the PC?

neemobeer · Feb 1, 2025

There's a lot of presumably fluff info in this post. I imagine your concern is with the Western Digital device only?
What are the error codes on that device? I would also be curious what the unknown devices are, they are likely linked to the issue with the WD device

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Have you just upgraded to 24H2? Or done a Windows update? You could try system restore to go back to an earlier point and see if that changes anything. If it doesn’t it could well be hardware. Two usbc sockets stopped working on one of my laptops.

Recent update, when using Win troubleshooting resulted in failure. Followed these steps to fix that problem and update went through.
This problem is usually related to a Windows Update inconsistency, resetting the Windows Update components will force the Windows Update to download the update files again and should fix this problem. Also, am not seeing how to choose an existing restore point, just create new restore point.

Step 1: Check if doesn't have any corrupt files on the windows.
1-Right-Click on Start then click on Windows Terminal (admin)
2- Type these commands.
sfc /scannow (and press Enter)
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth (and press Enter)
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth (and press Enter)

3- The DISM tool will report whether the image is healthy, repairable, or non-repairable. If the image is repairable, you can use the /RestoreHealth argument to repair the image.
4-Type this command and press Enter:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Step 2: Reset Windows Update components
1-Right-Click on Start then click on Windows Terminal(admin)
2-Type these commands:
net stop wuauserv (and press Enter)
net stop cryptSvc (and press Enter)
net stop bits (and press Enter)
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old (and press Enter)
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old (and press Enter)
net start wuauserv (and press Enter)
net start cryptSvc (and press Enter)
net start bits (and press Enter)
netsh winsock reset (and press Enter)
3-Reboot your PC
I don't remember where I go to reset to previous version

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

Catnip said:
You may have lost your front panel USB controller. Do any of the devices show up if you plug them into the rear ports of the PC?

I just tried plugging the "my passport" drive in one of the rear ports and get the same result.

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

neemobeer said:
There's a lot of presumably fluff info in this post. I imagine your concern is with the Western Digital device only?
What are the error codes on that device? I would also be curious what the unknown devices are, they are likely linked to the issue with the WD device

Actually I bought the new drive hoping that it would work. The Seagate drive is the one I normally use for backup. The "my passport" is just an old drive I had that was handy. I've tried multiple SanDisk flash drives and all give the same result. Just tried plugging in the "my passport" in a port in the rear and get the same result. In Device manger, under "Other devices" when I click on the WD SES(which is "my passport")

or SanDisck it says " The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28) There are no compatible drivers for this device." Clicking on WD My Passport under Disk drives gives me this:

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2025

Do you have a recent backup or image? There won’t be any restore points unless system restore has percentage of the drive allowed for them. I think it has 4% as a default though.

If you have an image or back up, I’d be tempted to try a clean install and see if that rights things. If it doesn’t then it’s probably hardware. You can then reinstall your good image.

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

It has been quite awhile since I created a backup image. I've relied on constantly backing up my files. Getting Win11Pro to function well took a lot of work with help from this site and some of the wonderful tutorials. The thought of having to go through all that again (look at my history on this site) is daunting. I fear, if this is a hardware problem, that is in my future anyway. I'm so discouraged.

Catnip · Feb 1, 2025

I guess at this point it might be worth asking if any USB devices work in your ports? I mean besides the usual mouse and keyboard.

You could check your BIOS to see if anything in the USB settings has changed. It's a long shot though. I am suspecting bad hardware at this point.

RDG · Feb 1, 2025

Catnip said:
I guess at this point it might be worth asking if any USB devices work in your ports? I mean besides the usual mouse and keyboard.

You could check your BIOS to see if anything in the USB settings has changed. It's a long shot though. I am suspecting bad hardware at this point.

I have some vague memory of working with BIOS to reset power always on for one of the ports in the rear. What would I look for and can you point me to the tutorial (that I surely used previously to accomplish that task)? Definitely not looking hopeful!

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2025

Well you could do an image now - of it in its current state - so at least you could put it back to that again, after trying a clean install. It would be process of elimination. It sounds odd that all usb ports would stop working, but it is possible if it's the bit of hardware that controls them. But you did say it happened after a windows update.

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2025

Except it would be a bit difficult to do an image if your usb ports aren't working! And you couldn't use an external drive.

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2025

Ok, how about taking the drive out, putting another drive in that's clean/formatted and try clean installing on that. If that doesn't eliminate the issue then you just put the original drive back in and you're back where you started.

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