FIX: A Device Attached To The System Is Not Functioning

If you find a device attached to the system is not functioning, your PC cannot communicate with that device and transfer data.

The USB device also may not show the files or folders stored in it.

You may encounter the same problem while transferring data from your camera, smartphone, USB device, or tablet.

To fix the problem, here I have discussed all the possible solutions. So, keep reading!

How To Fix If A Device Attached To System Is Not Functioning?

Table of Contents

Follow the solutions given below when you get errors while copying files or folders from a device attached to the system, saying its not functioning.

1) Reconnect The Device

Sometimes due to improper or loose connection, the device attached to the system may not function.

So, eject the device and reconnect it. If, after reconnecting the device, it still does not function, restart your PC.

2) Restart Your Computer

Restarting the device can fix minor bugs and errors that can be responsible for why the device is not functioning.

So, remove the device from your PC. Turn off your machine and disconnect it from the power source.

Wait for a few minutes, then reconnect everything and turn it on.

Now reconnect the device again and see if it works. If it does not, try a new port.

3) Try Using A Different Port

Sometimes the USB port to which you are connecting the device may be faulty.

So, change the port. Try inserting the device in another port and check if the problem is fixed now. If not, check the device for bad sectors.

4) Scan The Device

If the external USB storage device attached to your system is corrupted, then it will not function.

So, check the device for any bad sector following the steps given below:

Open This PC and right-click on your storage device.
Open the Properties.

Go to the Tools tab and click on the Check button under Error checking section.

Click on scan drive and wait for some time till the process completes.

This scanning process may take some time, depending on the size of your USB storage device.

If the issue persists, update the device drivers.

5) Change Settings (For iPhones Only)

If you are getting an error copying photos files or folders from an iPhone to your PC and it is not functioning, change the transfer to Mac or PC settings.

To do so, follow the steps given below:

Open iPhone Settings and scroll down to find Photos. Click on it.

From Photo Settings, scroll down to find Transfer to Mac or PC section.
Choose the Keep originals option and try to transfer the files.

If you still cannot transfer the files, go to the next solution.

6) Update The Device Drivers

If your USB device drivers are outdated, then this can be the reason why it is not functioning.

You should always update your device drivers to avoid these problems.

So, update the USB drivers following the steps given below:

Right-click on the Windows Start Menu and select Device Manager.
Find your USB device and right-click on it.
Select the Update Driver option, as I have shown in the picture below.

Select Search automatically for the drivers option from the next window and follow the on-screen prompts to finish the process.

If the device still does not function after updating the drivers, reinstall the device drivers.

7) Reinstall The Device Drivers

To reinstall the device drivers follow the steps given below:

Open Device manager and right-click on the USB external storage device.
Select Uninstall device option.

Check the box for delete the driver software for this device option. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the process.
Restart your PC, and your system will automatically install the latest drivers for the device.

If, after reinstalling the device drivers, the device is still not working, run an SFC and DISM scan.

8) Run SFC And DISM Scans

Windows-corrupted system files and corrupted Windows images can make the device attached to your system unusable.

So, run an SFC scan to repair the corrupted system files and DISM scan to fix Windows corrupted images.

To run the SFC scan and DISM scan you can follow this step-by-step guide.

If the SFC scan fails, or if after running both the scans successfully, you still cannot find the devices working, run a chkdsk scan.

9) Run A Chkdsk Scan

The external device cannot function due to bad sectors and improper shutdowns.

To fix this up, you can also use chkdsk if the other methods are not working.

Follow this extensive guide to know how to run Chkdsk to fix the problem related to your external device.

10) Format The Device

If no other solution could fix the USB device, format it. To do that, follow the steps given below:

Click on This PC and right-click on your USB device.
Choose the Format option.

A pop –up window will appear with all the settings.
Click on the Start button.

This will initiate formatting the device. After the process completes, the problem should be fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

Here are some common questions asked by users who find their external devices not working on their PC’s.

Why is a device attached to the system not functioning?

The device attached to the system may not function if it is loosely connected, the device drivers are outdated, or the port is faulty.

Can you fix a corrupted USB?

Yes, you can fix a corrupted USB by recovering the bad sectors. To do that, right-click on the USB device and open its properties.

Click on Tools and select the Check option. This will automatically fix the bad sectors.

How do I know if my USB device is damaged?

If you get Please Insert Disk into Removable Disk or need to format the disk before using it, sort of message indicates that the USB drive you are using is corrupted.