About a month ago, one of my Xbox controllers stopped working on my PC and Windows displayed the message, "The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it." A replacement controller worked briefly, but then it began connecting and immediately disconnecting repeatedly. After trying a third controller, that one would not even power on. I've tested multiple controllers, USB cables, and USB ports, and none of them work reliably. The controllers and cables work with another device, but they also recently stopped connecting through Bluetooth to this PC. I've tried updating, disabling, uninstalling, and reinstalling the relevant devices in Device Manager, but nothing has helped. What could be causing the PC to reject Xbox controllers, and what should I try next?
1 Answer
Since several controllers and cables work elsewhere, the problem is probably on the PC rather than with the controllers. Check Device Manager under Universal Serial Bus controllers while plugging one in. Look for an Unknown USB Device, a yellow warning icon, or an entry that repeatedly appears and disappears. You can also shut the PC down completely, unplug it for a minute, then start it again and test a rear motherboard USB port instead of a front-panel hub. If both USB and Bluetooth fail only on this computer, reinstalling the motherboard’s chipset and Bluetooth drivers—or restoring Windows to a point before the problem began—may be necessary.
I tested the controllers and cables on another device, and they work there. I also tried updating, disabling, uninstalling, and reinstalling devices in Device Manager, but this PC still refuses to recognize them.