WDBPKJ0050BBK-0A unknown usb device (address set failed) Code 43

WD My Passport 5TB External USB Drive
Model #: WDBPKJ0050BBK-0A
Serial #: WX12D12J3URY

Symptom:
Not recognized by 3 different Windows 10 PCs
Device manager shows “unknown usb device (address set failed)” under universal serial bus controllers.

Power Light ON.
Drive spins up normally with no strange sounds or clicking.
Does NOT show in Windows Explorer
Does NOT show uner Disk Management
Does NOT show under WD Drive Utilities

Properties:
General:
Device Type: (Universal Serial BUS Controllers)
Manufacturer: (Standard USB Host Controller)
Location: Port_#0015.Hub_#0001
Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)

The USB set address request failed.

Driver:
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 10.0.26100.1882
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows

Events:
Device not migrated
Device configured (usb.inf)
Device not started
Device settings for USB\VID_0000&PID_0004\5&12025d58&0&15 were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match.

Last Device Instance ID: USB\VID_125F&PID_A75A\47C204E94008
Class GUID: {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}
Location Path: ACPI(SB)#ACPI(PCI0)#ACPI(XHC_)#ACPI(RHUB)#ACPI(SS03)
Migration Rank: 0xF000FFFFFFFF0032
Present: false
Status: 0xC0000719

Solutions tried:

  1. Multiple cables, ports and types (USB2.0/3.0) on 3 different Windows 10 PCs
  2. Deleted driver and allowed windows to reinstall driver after restart.
  3. Windows Disk Management (Drive does not show)
  4. WD Drive Utilities v2.1.3.304 (Drive does not show)
  5. Windows Diagnostics via CMD “wsdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic”
  6. USB Root Hub - Turned OFF “Allow this computer to turn off this device to save power”

Does anyone have any other ideas to try?
Does anyone know the best way to contact WD support?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may provide…

Hi @oneshrewddude

Have you checked our knowledge base articles?
(Support for Western Digital Hard Drives | Western Digital)

Try this one.

Have you opened a Support Case?
If not, contact Western Digital Technical Support for assistance.
[Contact Us | Western Digital]

Hello Riyan,
Yes I have opened a support case, but haven’t been contacted yet. I have and continue to scour this community forum along with others for a solution, but I haven’t found anything fruitful yet.

Your WD My Passport 5TB is encountering a USB communication failure (Code 43), which indicates that Windows is unable to properly interact with the device. Since the drive powers on and spins normally without clicking, the issue is likely due to firmware corruption, a failed USB-to-SATA bridge, or an internal controller failure rather than physical damage.

Given that the drive does not appear in Disk Management or WD Drive Utilities and multiple cables, ports, and systems have failed to recognize it, the problem is likely hardware-related. Unfortunately, most WD My Passport drives use proprietary USB interfaces rather than standard SATA, making it difficult to recover data by removing the drive and connecting it separately.

To troubleshoot, try connecting the drive to a Mac or Linux machine, using a powered USB hub, or checking if it is detected in the BIOS/UEFI. If the drive is visible at a low level, you may be able to recover data using professional recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery. However, if the drive remains undetectable, the only option may be professional data recovery services, as WD does not offer replacement PCB boards for these models.

If data recovery isn’t a priority and the drive is under warranty, you should contact WD Support for a replacement. You can reach them via their support page.

Thanks for the feedback Win11DataSavior, I will try your suggestions on a Linux PC as I don’t have access to a Mac. I am afraid I am headed down the professional data recovery rabbit hole… :frowning:

Thanks for sharing.