Facing problems in connecting printers, mice, digital cameras, and other peripheral devices with Windows? It seems USB drivers for Windows 11 are either corrupt or outdated. To resolve this issue, follow this guide and learn how to download, install, and update USB drivers on Windows 11 & 10.
What is a USB Driver?
Universal Serial Bus popularly known as USB was developed back in 1994, as a joint effort between companies like Microsoft, Compaq, Intel, IBM, and others. This collaboration aimed to provide a common way to connect devices, including communication protocol.
After coming into existence USB port drivers replaced various serial and parallel ports used traditionally. Furthermore, now to make things easy each PC that you get has a USB port added to it, and it can be identified with the following symbol.
Why do you need to update the USB driver Windows?
To avoid issues like –
- Mouse not working
- Unable to print documents
- The camera is not detected by Windows and other similar issues, keeping the USB driver updated is important. This ensures all the devices work properly and you enjoy the following benefits:
- Can avoid facing USB driver-related issues.
- Guarantees optimum performance
- Keeps users updated with bug fixes and technological advancement
Benefits of USB Technology
To get the most out of available USB ports, a Windows USB driver update is important. Doing so ensures that not only does the USB works properly but also provides other advantages as explained below:
- Resolves USB driver issues
- Better and optimized performance
- Keeps users updated and in sync with the latest technology.
Now that we know the significance of updating to the latest USB driver on Windows. Let’s learn different ways to update USB drivers.
3 Best Ways to Update USB drivers
There are different ways to update USB drivers but not all are efficient. Hence, here we will discuss the top three ways to update and download USB drivers on Windows 10.
- Latest USB Driver using the best driver updater – Smart Driver Care
- Windows 11 & 10 USB Driver Download Via Windows Update
- Updating to the latest USB Driver Via Device Manager
Note: To use any of the methods explained below and update USB drivers, you need to have an active and glitch-free internet connection.
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1. Updating USB Driver using the best driver updater – Smart Driver Care
If you don’t like spending much time on things that can be done easily, this method is just for you. Using this advanced driver updating utility, in no time you can update USB and other drivers. To use this top driver updater, follow the steps below:
1. Download and install Smart Driver Care
2. Launch the professional driver updater
3. Click Scan Now and wait for the process to finish.
4. When done, update the USB driver and other outdated drivers.
5. Restart the PC to apply the changes. Now try to connect the USB device using which you were facing a problem.
Note: Smart Driver Care offers both trial and paid versions. You can use any to update drivers. However, there’s a catch. Using the trial version, you cannot update all drivers at once. While the Pro version allows updating all at one go. This means to update outdated drivers when using the trial version, you will need to click the Update Driver button individually next to each driver.
Furthermore, you can also update outdated software using Smart driver Care and can schedule driver scans. This will help avoid problems caused due to outdated drivers.
In case this doesn’t sound interesting, you can move to manual steps to & perform Windows 11 & 10 USB driver download.
Pro Tip: To get details about the drivers press Windows + R > devmgmgt.msc > Enter. Right-click the driver for which you need information. Select Properties from the context menu and hit the Driver tab. Here you will get all the driver-related information.
2. Updating USB Driver Via Windows Update
Depending on the version of Windows you are using, the steps might vary a bit. However, if you are a Windows 11 & 10 user, you can update and perform a USB driver download for Windows 11 by following these steps.
1. Press Windows + I
2. Hit Update & Security
3. Choose Windows Update from the left pane > Check for Updates.
4. Wait for Windows to search for available updates for the system, and drivers. Download and install the updates. (if any are available).
5. Once downloaded, there are chances of drivers, including the latest USB driver for Windows to be updated.
Wondering, why are we saying there are chances of drivers being updated? Well, the answer is this approach depends on the manufacturer registering their driver updates with Windows Update Channel. This means if the manufacturer does not submit a driver update, then even after updating Windows the driver might stay outdated.
Hence, to overcome this problem using the best driver updating utility like Smart Driver Care is recommended. This will help update all outdated drivers as the tool checks the manufacturer’s site for updates.
We have already explained in step 1 how to use Smart Driver to get Windows 11& 10 USB driver download.
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3. Updating to the latest USB Driver Via Device Manager
If you know exactly which driver is creating issues, try using Device Manager to update and install the USB Driver Windows 11 or for that matter any driver.
To use it follow the steps below:
1. Press Windows + R
2. Here type devmgmt.msc > Enter
3. Look for Universal Serial Bus Controller category > expand it to see all devices
4. Pick the device using which you are facing a problem.
5. Right-click and select Update driver
6. Select, “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
7. Wait for it to look for a driver update, if available it will guide you through the steps to download and install the latest USB driver for Windows.
In case, this doesn’t work, then you can try heading to the manufacturer’s site for a USB driver update.
Note: This method involves risk for beginners, as an incorrect driver update or download makes the system non-functional.
How to install the latest USB driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s site
To install the driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s site you need to head to Device Manager and follow the same steps as explained. However, this time instead of choosing, Search automatically for updated driver software, you need to select “Browser my computer for driver software,” and head to the location where the downloaded driver is saved.
You then need to follow on-screen instructions to download and install the latest USB driver on Windows 11 & 10.
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FAQ:
Q1. How do I find my USB drivers?
To find a USB drive follow these steps:
1. Press Windows + X > Device Manager.
2. Go to Universal Serial Bus controller category.
3. Double-click to expand it.
You will be able to find the connected USB device. To update it right-click > Update driver > choose the first option and update the USB driver.
Q2. Why is the USB port not working?
Your USB port might not be working due to following reasons:
1. Issues with Windows registry.
2. Outdated USB driver.
3. Physical damage to the port.
4. Improper power supply.
5. Broken USB port.
Q3. Why is my USB not showing up on my computer?
Sometimes the USB stops showing on My computer due to a minor bug in the system. To fix it, restart the PC, and the USB should start to show up.
Q4. How do I reinstall USB drivers in Windows 11?
USB drivers in Windows 11 can be reinstalled manually and automatically. To reinstall manually open Device Manager > double click Universal Serial Bus controllers > Uninstall device > Uninstall > restart PC Windows will reinstall the USB driver.
After reinstalling to update it automatically use Advanced Driver Updater. Download and install the driver updating tool > click Start Scan Now > and update the USB driver.
Q5. Can I install Windows 11 on USB?
Yes, you can install Windows 11 on USB. However, make sure the flash drive has enough space and is properly formatted before you use the Windows Media Creation tool.
Q6. How do I fix a USB device not recognized on Windows 11?
1. Check USB for possible damage.
2. Connect the USB to an alternate port.
3. Replace the USB device.
4. Restart Windows 11.
5. Update Windows.
6. Reinstall the USB driver.
7. Update the USB driver.
8. Check Power Management Settings.
9. Disable USB selective suspend power feature.
10. Run SFC and DISM Scan
Windows 11 & 10 USB Driver Download
This way you can install the latest USB driver or any other driver on your Windows 11 &10. While following these manual steps ensure, you have a backup of drivers and important data. An incorrect driver download can create issues.
Hopefully, using the steps explained above, you will be able to download the latest USB driver and update it on Windows 11 & 10. If you have any suggestions feel free to share them with us. We’d love to hear from you.
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