How to Troubleshoot a USB Device on a Dell Notebook

Universal Serial Bus (USB) components such as jump drives or external hard drives are incredibly handy and easy to use because they are "plug and play" devices that work as soon as you plug them in. Problems with USB devices are exceedingly rare, but in the event that you experience one you can can go through several easy troubleshooting steps to pin point the issue and resolve it.

Instructions

1. Unplug any extra USB devices or USB hubs you have plugged into your notebook as you may have exceeded the maximum number of USB devices that can be accessed at the same time.

2. Remove the USB device from your USB drive and then plug it back in to make sure it was connected properly.

3. 

   Navigate to the Start menu on your desktop and access the Control Panel. Double-click on the "Device Manager" icon.

4. 

   Click on the plus sign next to the icon that is marked "Universal Serial Bus Controllers." Right-click on the first new category that pops up and choose the "Properties" option.

5. 

   Switch over to the "Driver" tab and click on the "Update Drivers" button to make sure you have the most up to date USB drivers.

6. Attempt to use your USB device again. If it is still not working try connecting another USB device to make sure that your USB port itself is working properly.

7. Call Dell's customer support or take your notebook to a Dell authorized service center for repair if you still cannot get a USB device to work properly.

Tips & Warnings

• You need to have your Dell notebook connected to the Internet to be able to download updated drivers.

Resources

• Dell Laptops Official Website
• USB 2.0 Driver Download Page