WD Element 2TB drive can't be seen in Windows. Tried Everything

Hoping someone can help. I have a new WD Elements 2TB External Drive (P/N WDBU6Y0020BBK-EA 2222B R/N C6B MEFDFA. It worked fine for about 2 weeks, I was able to move all of my files into and no issues. Then I plugged it in, it lights up, but Windows 10 nor 11 see the drive. I get the "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) error. I’ve tried everything I can think of:
Changed ports, changed cables, changed PCs
Uninstalled the driver and reset,
Windows Update doesn’t find a newer driver,
WD Drive Utilities doesn’t see it, nor does Disk Management.
Its all very frustrating. Can anyone offer any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Jamie

1 Like

Hi @iamjamieray,

Please refer to the article: Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive: Cannot Find My WD Drive on Windows or macOS

When you encounter this error message, you’re essentially told that the computer is unable to use the specific USB device connected. This is a problem when you’re trying to use things such as a USB flash drive, memory card, Android device, game controller, or anything that plugs into your USB port.

The issue at hand can be caused by either hardware or system-specific problems. Our article focuses on resolving the Device Descriptor Request Failed (Unknown USB device) issue in a timely manner, no matter what caused it.
## Method 1. Check for hardware issues

There’s a possibility that you’re unable to use your USB device due to a hardware issue, meaning that the problem lies within your computer and not the operating system. Here are two easy ways to test if this is the case, which can easily prove whether you need to look into getting your computer restored or can proceed with the methods below to fix system-originated issues.

  • Plug into a different USB port. Try using your rear USB ports. If the device is suddenly working, then the USB port you originally used is most likely broken. We recommend either marking this port as not functioning, or immediately looking into replacing it.
  • Plug into a different computer. Try using the same hardware on a different computer and see if the device itself has any issues. If it works on a different computer, you’re most likely dealing with a system issue on your own. However, if the device still doesn’t work, it’s highly likely that it’s broken. Look for repair or a replacement.

After testing these two things, you can conclude whether or not to proceed with the steps below. Each upcoming method aims to fix software issues, meaning that it’s problems unique to your computer’s operating system.

## Method 2. Plug out your power supply

Warning : Only attempt this method if you’re using a portable device, such as a laptop.

For some reason, temporarily unplugging your power supply and then connecting the problematic equipment into your computer may fix the Unknown USB device issue on Windows 10. Simply disconnect all charging cables from your laptop until your computer is only running on its integral battery. Then, plug in the USB device to see if your system recognizes it.

If this method doesn’t fix the USB device error, you can rule out the power supply as a cause. However, if the USB starts working, try looking into replacing your charger.

## Method 3. Uninstall the USB Driver in Device Manager

  1. Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard at the same time to bring up the Run utility.
  2. Type in “devmgmt.msc ” without the quotations marks, then hit the OK button. This is going to launch the Device Manager in a separate window.
  3. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section, then select the Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed).
  4. Right-click on the selected USB device and choose Uninstall from the context menu. Follow any on-screen instructions to remove the device.
  5. When the uninstallation is complete, reboot your system. It’ll automatically reinstall the drive correctly, which may help you get rid of the error you’ve been receiving.