USB port types and names
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard for connecting computers and other devices. It's available with many types of ports, and each type has a unique shape. On Mac computers, USB is available with these ports, depending on your Mac model:
- Verify that the device appears in System Information: On your Mac, choose Apple menu About This Mac. In the window that appears, click Overview, then click the System Report button. In the window that appears, see if the USB device is listed below Hardware in the list on the left.
- Mount point for USB devices on Mac. List connected USB device record. Unistall Realtek USB Ethernet Network Adapter. Disconnect/connect USB device from command line. Get serial numbers of connected USB devices. Which kind of USB device attached - equivalent for the full functionality of lsusb on macOS?
USB-A
Type USB-A ports are commonly called USB, USB 2, or USB 3 ports, depending on the USB specification they support. They aren't reversible, so a USB-A connector plugs into the port only when oriented correctly.
Restart your computer. Sometimes you get lucky, and the easiest solution ends up fixing the biggest.
USB-C
Type USB-C ports are available as either standard USB-C ports or Thunderbolt 3 ports that also support USB-C connections. They both look the same, and the connector plugs into the port in either orientation.
Learn more about identifying the ports on your Mac, as well as the adapters and cables you can use to connect older devices to type USB-C ports.
USB specifications
USB specifications are important primarily when you want the most speed and power for your USB device, or your device needs more power or is using too much power. Every USB port supports a particular USB specification, which determines the port's maximum>USB specifications on MacData transferPowerUSB 3.1 Gen 2
Also known as USB 3.2 Gen 2
Up to 10 GbpsUp to 15W at 5VUSB 3.1 Gen 1
Also known as USB 3.2 Gen 1 or USB 3
Up to 5 GbpsUp to 900 mA at 5VUSB 2.0
Up to 480 MbpsUp to 500 mA at 5VUSB 1.1
Up to 12 MbpsUp to 500 mA at 5V
To learn which specification is supported by a type USB-A or type USB-C port on your Mac model:
- Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, click Support, then click Specifications.
- Check the System Information app for more details, including about USB devices connected to USB ports on your Mac. Select USB in the sidebar, then select a USB bus on the right.
Get the best performance from your USB devices
USB specifications all work with each other, but speed and power are limited by the cable or device that uses the earliest specification. For example, if you connect a USB 3 device to USB 2 port, your device is limited to USB 2 speeds, and it can't draw more power from the port than can be delivered over USB 2. In other words, to get the best performance, make sure that the USB port on your Mac and the USB cable to your device meet or exceed the USB specification of the device itself.
If your Mac doesn't recognize a USB device after you plug it into your Mac:
- Check all connections: Unplug the device from your Mac, then plug it back in, and make sure that all cables and adapters are securely connected at both ends. Test with another cable or adapter, if available.
- Plug the device directly into your Mac instead of a USB hub or other device, and if necessary test with a different USB port on your Mac or device.
- Some devices need their own software, such as drivers or firmware. Others work without additional software. Check with the maker of your device, and install all available Apple software updates as well.
- If your device came with an AC power adapter, use it. Some devices can be powered by the USB port on your Mac. Others need more power than your Mac can provide.
- Restart your Mac.
Learn more
Usb Device Mac Not Showing Up
- USB 3 devices can create wireless interference that affects Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. Learn how to resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference.
- Mac notebook computers with USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 can charge over that port using a compatible USB-C power adapter and cable.
Here is the answer to how do i get my computer to recognize a USB device. Try the offered troubleshooting steps if your USB drive is not detected, recognized or showing up while plugging in.
'I have an 8 GB Transcend flash drive. When I plug it in my laptop for data transfer, it is not even detected and I can not see it in My Computer. Why did this happen and is there any fix that I can try to get the USB device recognized?'
Five Steps to Get USB Recognized
Have you ever run into a similar USB device not recognized issue? The symptoms of the problem vary in different situations. You may
- Receive a USB device malfunctioned error in the lower right corner with 'The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.' error message.
- See unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed) error in device manager.
- Get no error message but just find the USB drive not showing up in my Computer.
1 - Check If the USB Device is Recognized on Another Laptop.
If it is still not detected, it suggests that the USB device might be corrupted. Then you will need to check and repair disk errors.
If it is detected, move to the next step to check and fix the problem.
2 - Run Device Troubleshooter.
1) Go to Start > Control Panel > search 'troubleshooter' and then click 'Troubleshooting' > Hardware and Sound > Configure a Device.
2) Follow on-screen instruction, and click on Apply this fix if any problem is found.
This helps if USB device not recognized happens because of Windows miss other important updates hardware or due to software issues. If it doesn't work, move to step 3.
3 - Uninstall and re-install USB controllers
1) Open Device Manager.
2) Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Right-click a device and select Uninstall. Repeat for each device.
3) Restart your PC and your USB controllers will automatically re-installed.
Your computer will then recognize the USB device if the issue occurred because the currently loaded USB driver has become unstable or corrupted. And if the problem still exists, proceed to step 4.
4 - Disable USB selective suspend setting.
1) Click Start button, type power plan in the Search box, and then select Choose a power plan.
2) Next to your currently selected plan, select Change Plan Settings.
3) Select Change advanced power settings.
4) Select the box to expand USB Settings > USB selective suspend settings.
5) Select Plugged in, select the drop-down menu, and then select disabled.
6) If you're using a laptop, select Battery, select the drop-down menu, and then select disabled.
7) Select Apply > OK.
This method can help your computer recognize a USB device by preventing your USB external drive from powering down.
5 - Recover data and reformat the USB drive to make it recognized
These are all the troubleshooting steps that you can try to make your computer recognize a USB device. If none of them resolve your issue, our advice is to try EaseUS data recovery software to recover your data and then format the USB drive for repair.
Step 1. Run USB data recovery software.
Usb Devices For Hacking
Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch EaseUS USB data recovery software on your PC. Select your USB drive which marks as a removable disk, and click 'Scan' to start finding your lost files.
Step 2. Scan all lost files from USB.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all your lost data on it. After the scanning process, use the Filter feature to filter a specific file type. You can check and preview found USB files in this program.
Step 3. Restore all lost files from USB.
A double-click will allow you to preview the file results. Choose the target files and click 'Recover' to save them to a secure location on your PC or other external storage devices.