How To Fix DS4Windows Not Detecting Controller In Windows 10

DS4Windows is a popular free utility that allows you to use your PS4 controller with your Windows 10 computer. Normally, you will have a hard time using this controller with your favorite PC games. With the help of this utility you can use your PS4 controller via Bluetooth or using a wired connection to your computer. Although this is utility works quite well there are instances when certain problem can occur which we will be addressing today. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the DS4Windows not detecting controller in windows 10 issue.

How To Fix DS4Windows Not Detecting Controller In Windows 10

Before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps listed below it’s best to restart your computer first. This will refresh Windows 10 and will usually fix the problem.

Uninstall and reinstall the controller

There are times when the problem can be caused by an issue with the installation of the controller. To eliminate this possibility you should uninstall and reinstall it from your system.

  • Exit from the DS4 application and disconnect your controller.
  • Press Win + R keys to open ‘Run’ dialogue box and type ‘control panel’ followed by the Enter
  • Inside the Control Panel, go to ‘Hardware and Sound’ settings by clicking over it. Now, click on ‘Devices and Printers’ listed at the top in order to access all the devices connected to your PC.
  • Reconnect your controller to your PC. It would popup an icon of a game controller.
  • Right click on the icon and select ‘Properties’.
  • From your controller properties, click on ‘Hardware’ tab at the top and double click ‘HID-compliant game controller’ to open its properties.
  • Go to the ‘Driver’ tab and click ‘Uninstall Device’. This should uninstall the game controller. Make sure to disconnect it from your PC after performing these steps.
  • Open DS4Windows on your PC and reconnect your controller. Your game controller would popup inside the Controllers section and its drivers will be reinstalled.

Check if the  DS4Windows not detecting controller in Windows 10 issue still occurs.

Re-enable the controller

If the controller gets disconnected while you are playing a game then  this could be caused by a bug in the software. What you need to do in this case is rto re-enable the controller.

  • Open the ‘Run’ dialogue box by pressing Win + R shortcut key. 
  • Type devmgmt.msc and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
  • Expand the list by clicking over the arrow with ‘Human Interface Devices’ and double click on ‘HID-compliant game controller’.
  • Enable it to get it detected by DS4 Windows.

Check if the  DS4Windows not detecting controller in Windows 10 issue still occurs.

Uninstall the latest Windows Update

If this problem occurs right after you installed a Windows update then it’s likely that the problem is caused by the update. To check if this is the case, you will need to uninstall this update.

  • Press Windows + I keys on your keyboard to launch Settings.
  • Inside Settings, click on ‘Update and security’.
  • Go to the ‘Windows Update’ from the list on the left pane and click on ‘View installed update history’.
  • On the next window, click on ‘Uninstall updates’. Wait for the list to populate all of the installed updates on your computer.
  • Select the update after which you started experiencing the problem and click ‘Uninstall’. Go through the un-installation wizard till the end. Restart your computer after the process is done.

Check if the  DS4Windows not detecting controller in Windows 10 issue still occurs.

Uninstall and reinstall DS4Windows

In case the above steps fails to fix the problem then it’s likely that this is caused by a corrupted DS4Windows application. You should uninstall this from your computer then install a fresh version.

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