USB devices are an integral part of our daily lives, whether it is for charging our devices, transferring data, or connecting hardware like keyboards, printers, and mice. However, there are instances where your USB keeps disconnecting, resulting in inconvenience and frustration.
However, you can put all your worries aside, as this article will explain various effective solutions to the problem of USB devices keep disconnecting and reconnecting in Windows 11 and 10. Before discussing these fixes, let us begin by understanding what may have triggered this issue in the first place.
Why USB Keeps Disconnecting
The following may be the reasons your Windows 10 or Windows 11 USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting.
- Physical issues, such as damaged cables, loose connections, and faulty USB port
- Driver and software problems, for example, outdated or corrupt drivers and the USB device being incompatible with your operating system
- Power issues due to incorrect power management settings
Above, we answered one of the most frequently asked questions: Why does my USB keep disconnecting? Let us now learn how to solve this problem.
Effective Fixes to the USB Keeps Disconnecting and Reconnecting Error
You can apply the quick and easy solutions below (no need to try all the fixes; you can start with the first one and stop when the problem is resolved) to resolve the Windows 11 or Windows 10 USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting errors.
Fix 1: Try basic troubleshooting
Not all problems need complex troubleshooting. Sometimes, simple fixes like the following solve errors, such as the USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting on the PC.
- Reboot your computer immediately after experiencing the USB disconnecting issue.
- Check the USB cable you are using to connect the mobile device or hard drive to your computer. If the cable is damaged, replace it.
- Try connecting the USB device to another computer. If the device functions correctly on the other PC, the problem may be with your computer’s port. In this case, you can use another port to connect the device.
- If using a laptop, ensure the device has sufficient power.
If these basic steps do not solve your USB keeps disconnecting error, you can proceed to the next solution.
Also know: CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller Driver Download and Install in Windows 10,11
Fix 2: Change power management settings
The computer system may automatically turn off some devices to conserve power. Hence, it may also disable your USB devices, causing the Windows 10 or Windows 11 USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting problems. Hence, you can follow the steps below to tweak power management settings and fix the issue.
- First, right-click the Start button on your taskbar and choose Device Manager to open it.
- Next, double-click the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category in the Device Manager to expand it.
- In this step, find and right-click on the USB Root Hub.
- You can now choose the Properties option from the on-screen menu and navigate to the Power Management tab in the Properties window.
- Next, untick the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Lastly, click OK, repeat the above steps for all USB devices, and restart the computer.
Fix 3: Uninstall and reinstall the USB driver
The USB drivers enable the operating system and your USB devices to communicate with each other without any errors. Hence, if you are experiencing the USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting Windows 10 or Windows 11 issues, then there might be a driver problem.
To solve this problem, you may uninstall and reinstall the problematic USB drivers on your computer. Here is how.
- First, open the Device Manager on your computer. To do so, you can hit the Windows and X keys simultaneously and then choose Device Manager from the available options.
- Once the Device Manager appears, locate and double-click on the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category to expand it.
- Next, right-click your desired USB device and select Uninstall Device from the on-screen menu.
- You may get an uninstallation warning pop-up on your screen. In such cases, check the Delete the Driver Software for This Device box and click Uninstall.
- Lastly, restart your computer after completing the driver uninstallation. Once the PC restarts, check if the USB devices keep disconnecting and reconnecting. If the error remains unresolved, try the solutions below.
Fix 4: Update the USB driver
If uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers was not of much help in fixing the USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting Windows 10 or 11 error, you can try updating the drivers. You may update the USB driver using Device Manager.
Using the Device Manager, you may fix all the faulty, corrupted, or outdated drivers on your system effortlessly. Below are the steps to do so.
- The first step is to open the Device Manager. You can do so by hitting the Windows key+X and then choosing the relevant option from the on-screen menu.
- Second, locate and double-click on the category of Universal Serial Bus Controllers in the Device Manager to expand it.
- Next, locate and right-click on the desired USB device.
- In this step, select the Update Driver option from the on-screen menu.
- Next, select the Search automatically for updated drivers from the options that appear.
- Let the Windows system find and install the up-to-date and compatible drivers for your USB device.
- Lastly, restart your computer.
Fix 5: Apply the Windows troubleshooter
Hardware or device problems may have caused the USB disconnecting and reconnecting error on your Windows system. The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter in Windows can instantly detect and resolve any common peripheral device issues. Hence, you can follow the steps below to apply this tool.
- First, navigate to the Search bar on your desktop, type Troubleshoot settings in the search bar, and press Enter.
- Next, choose Troubleshoot settings from the search results.
- In this step, go to the Hardware and Devices section.
- Click Run the troubleshooter and let Windows scan your computer for hardware issues.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to fix the detected issues.
- Lastly, restart your computer to complete the process.
Fix 6: Disable USB selective suspend setting
Changing the USB settings, especially disabling the USB selective suspend setting, can help you fix the USB devices keep disconnecting, as the USB selective suspend power-saving feature may be causing disconnections. Hence, you can follow the directions below to modify the USB settings.
- First, type Control Panel in the search bar on your desktop, press Enter, and choose the Control Panel from the on-screen results.
- Next, choose Category from the View By menu of the Control Panel.
- In this step, select System and Security options from the Control Panel menu.
- Next, choose Power Options from the System and Security panel.
- In this step, click the Change Plan Settings button for your current power plan.
- You can now choose to change advanced power settings.
- Next, click on the + button next to the USB Settings.
- Click USB Selective Suspend Setting and choose Disable from the on-screen options.
- Lastly, click OK and close all windows.
Also know: How to Set Up USB Game Controllers in Windows
Fix 7: Perform DISM and SFC scans
Corrupted system files may be responsible for the USB devices keep disconnecting and reconnecting Windows 11 and 10 errors. Hence, scanning and resolving the system file issues through the DISM and SFC scans can help fix the error. Below is how to run these scans.
- First, use the Win+R key combination to activate the Run functionality.
- Second, type cmd in the Run box and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Next, copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- In this step, copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- After the scan is complete, restart the computer.
- Once the computer restarts, follow the first two steps again to open Command Prompt.
- Next, copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
sfc /scannow
- Lastly, close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer.
Fixed: USB Keeps Disconnecting and Reconnecting Windows 10/11 Error
The troubleshooting guide above explained various quick and easy solutions to the USB keeps disconnecting and reconnecting Windows 11 and 10 problems. You can try all the aforementioned fixes in the same order until the issue is resolved.
If you know other ways to fix the problem, please help others by sharing them in the comments section. You can also reach out to us in the comments section if you have any suggestions or questions related to this article.
