You will usually encounter the error message “A device attached to the system is not functioning” when trying to access the contents of a USB storage device connected to your computer. This is a common error message that usually occurs when the transfer of data has been interrupted and can easily be fixed by the troubleshooting steps we will be providing.
Fix A Device Attached To The System Is Not Functioning
Before performing any of the recommended troubleshooting steps listed below it’s best to restart your computer first. This action refreshes the operating system and remove any corrupt temporary data that could be causing the problem.
There are several factors that can cause this problem ranging from a faulty data cable to a glitch in the software. Listed below are the troubleshooting steps you need to do to fix the problem.
Try using a different USB port
There’s a chance that the problem is caused by an issue with the USB port you are connecting the USB device to. To check if this is the culprit try connecting the device to a different USB port. You should also try disconnecting all of the USB devices connected to your computer except for the USB device you are having an issue with.
Format your device
Sometimes this problem can be caused by a device that has an incorrect format.
- Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer. Click on “This PC” present in the left navigation pane. Now you would be able to see your USB device connected.
- Right-click it and select “Format”.
- A new window will pop up consisting of all the settings. If you are not sure what to select, just leave it be and click “Start”.
Check if the device attached to the system is not functioning issue still occurs.
Run the SFC and DISM Commands
If the problem is caused by corrupt system files in the computer then running these commands will fix the problem.
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run application. Type “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and hit Enter to launch your computer’s task manager.
- Click on File option present at the top left side of the window and select “Run new task” from the list of options available.
- Type “powershell” in the dialogue box and check the option underneath which states “Create this task with administrative privileges”.
- In the Windows Powershell, type “sfc /scannow” and hit Enter. This process may take some time as your entire Windows files are being scanned by the computer and being checked for corrupt phases.
- If you encounter an error where Windows states that it found some error but was unable to fix them, you should type “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” in the PowerShell. This will download the corrupt files from the Windows update servers and replace the corrupt ones. Do note that this process can also consume some time according to your internet connection. Don’t cancel at any stage and let it run.
- Restart your computer.
Check if the device attached to the system is not functioning issue still occurs.
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run Type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and hit Enter. This will launch your computer’s device manager.
- Navigate through all the hardware, and right click on the device you are experiencing the error, and select “Update driver”.
- Choose search automatically for updated driver software. Wait for the process to finish.
- Restart your computer
Check if the device attached to the system is not functioning issue still occurs.
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