error code 43 how to fix

Most often, the error occurs when connecting a USB flash drive, external hard drive and similar USB peripherals. The information provided in this article will help you identify and fix the cause of the problem.

Failed to request a USB device descriptor

Often, the failure is accompanied by a “Code 43” notification. This indicates that the equipment is not working. The whole catch is in the USB architecture. This protocol is one of the most versatile on the market. This is due to the presence of an expanded hierarchy – a set of descriptors – there are only 4 of them, and if one is buggy, then data transmission through the port becomes impossible. In simple terms, descriptors can be called a description of the main parameters of the device, for example, the need for current strength or channel bandwidth. Without such identifiers, windows will not “figure out” what to do to “communicate” with the equipment.

What is this mistake

The notification “Device descriptor device failure” pops up if the peripherals connected to the PC are not detected by the operating system (OS). Therefore, you need to make sure of the following:

• the device connector is firmly inserted into the connector;
• the device is working properly – (checked when connected to another computer, and there should be no problems with the connection).

Reasons for a failed USB device descriptor request

There are 2 categories of possible causes of the problem:

1. Technical. Failure of equipment or a certain part of it. Device descriptor failures are rarely due to technical issues.
2. Software. They consist in the fact that the OS cannot “understand” why the connected peripherals are not detected. From the point of view of the system, it is an unidentified device that cannot be used.

Technical problems

They make it impossible to transfer data normally from the device to the PC. This means that some contact has come off, and only a part of the descriptors is received on the USB port. Usually the occurrence of such failures is preceded by mechanical damage to the computer or peripherals. For example, a laptop fell out of bed, a flash drive was stepped on.

Viruses / malware

Malware often does not cause this problem for the following reasons:

• the inability to use a USB device is beneficial to cybercriminals;
• the error message is generated by the OS because it is difficult to deliberately trigger such a notification when the PC and the connected device are actually working.

OS problems (drivers, etc.)

The most common reason. It occurs both directly with the driver and indirectly – as a result of incorrect OS settings. Also for USB 3.0 ports (inside they are colored blue), typical is:

• lack of installed drivers;
• replacement for universal windows drivers.

How to fix the problem

Below are the solutions to the problem: from the simplest and most effective to the more rare and complex.

Equipment check

It is advisable to make sure of the following:

• the specific USB port is good. To do this, a device is inserted into it, which works normally when connected to another port;
• the connector of the device is not physically damaged – there should be no bent or oxidized parts inside it;
• when connecting to the ports located on the front side of the desktop computer case, it is advisable to check their serviceability (during assembly, they are separately connected to the motherboard).

OS and driver status

To troubleshoot a connection problem, start by doing the following:

1. Hold down the Win + R key combination, enter the devmgmt.msc command, which is launched by pressing Enter. This will open the “Device Manager”.
2. Click on the line “USB controllers”. A list of devices will appear. If a yellow exclamation mark is displayed opposite any of them, you need to select this line.
3. Right-click – “Update drivers” => “Search for drivers …” => “Select from the list of already installed …”. There will likely only be one option listed. You need to select it and click on “Next”.
4. If in step 2 all open lines do not have color designations, you need to perform the actions from step 3 for all such devices: “Generic USB Hub”, “Root USB hub”, “Composite USB device”.
5. Reboot the OS.

An alternative way is to clear all devices in the “USB Controllers” block with a subsequent reboot. To do this, in the “Properties” of the device, click “Delete” and confirm the operation. The next time you start the OS, it will install the missing drivers itself.

Uninstalled drivers for chipsets may also be the culprit. There should be no lines with yellow or red icons in the “Device Manager” window at all. For example, if any of the following devices are displayed normally: Intel Chipset Driver, Intel Management Engine Interface, ACPI Driver, then you should not worry, otherwise you need to find all the missing drivers on unidentified hardware. To do this, you need to perform the following manipulations:

• In the “Properties” of the undefined device, go to the “Details” tab and select the “Equipment ID” value.
• In the “Value” block, the lines will be displayed. In the first one, you need to find the construction that starts with “VEN …” and copy it from this place to “… SUBSYS”.
• Next, the site opens https://devicehunt.com/… On the main page, in the “Vendor ID” field, 4 characters are entered that follow the VEN in the previously copied structure, and in the “Device ID” – 4 characters after the DEV. Then click on the search icon, and the site will display information about an unknown device – manufacturer and the exact designation of the model.
• Find this device in the network of drivers, download and install it. As a result, there will be no unknown equipment in the “Device Manager”.

You can also erase all information in the OS about previously connected USB devices. To do this, you need to do the following:

• Run “Command Prompt” as administrator. In Windows 7 – “Start” => “All Programs” => “Accessories”. Find the line “Command line” – right-click on it and select the option “Run as…”. In Windows 8 and later, a corresponding request is entered in the system search, and, on the search result that appears, by clicking the right mouse button, select the line “Run from …”.
• Copy the command set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices = 1 to the black window, press Enter. Do the same with the start devmgmt.msc command.
• In the upper corner of the “Device Manager” window, go to the “View” menu and activate the “Show hidden devices” option.
• Expand the list of “USB Controllers”. Remove all devices with translucent font. Then delete all the lines in the “Root USB Hub”.
• Reboot the system.

Windows 10 USB device handle request failure can only appear when connected to a USB 3.0 port. This is a typical situation, since the modern version of the interface requires the installation of special drivers. For laptops, they can be found on the manufacturer’s website on the model page. For desktop computers – you need to find out the model of the motherboard and find the driver on the manufacturer’s website.

Power Check and Static Reset

The OS may limit the voltage supply to the USB port. This feature exists to conserve battery power in laptops. To check the status of this option, you need to do this:

• In the “Device Manager” in the “USB Controllers” block, right-click on one of the lines and click on “Properties” in the drop-down menu. Then go to the “Management” tab.
• You need to find the line “Allow shutdown …” and disable this option – uncheck it. Save changes by clicking on “OK”.
• The previous step must be performed on all devices: “Generic USB Hub”, “Root USB Hub”, “Composite USB Device”.

To discharge the static current, proceed according to the following algorithm:

1. Remove all connected devices from the USB connectors. Turn off the PC through the “start” menu by selecting the “Shutdown” item. Disconnect it from the outlet. If the battery is dismantled in the laptop, it must be removed.
2. Hold down the PC power button for 10 seconds.
3. They turn it on all over again.

Didn’t help what’s next

This means that this case is unique. The chance to fix the problem is minimal.

Resetting BIOS settings to factory defaults

For desktop owners, the easiest way is to remove the side cover from the case, find the battery on the motherboard, and pull it out for a couple of minutes. This is done with the equipment turned off completely.

Also, everything can be done programmatically. For this, the following actions are performed:

• you need to go to BIOS;
• activate the option “Load Defaults BIOS” (“Load BIOS Setup Defaults”, “Load Safe-Fail Defaults”) – the inscription may differ.

Reinstalling the operating system

It happens that pirated OS assemblies contain internal errors that cause a problem with the device descriptor. Then the easiest way is to install a different version of Windows. License holders can also try reinstalling, but this does not guarantee that the failure will be resolved.

Conclusion

1. Failure to request a USB device descriptor means that the USB device cannot transmit all the necessary information to the OS for full activation.
2. Misconfiguration of the OS is the most common cause of failure. The best way to fix it is to check the drivers and settings of the USB controllers.