Windows 10 not recognising watch via USB all of a sudden!

Hi folks

Windows 10 (on 2 different laptops) stopped recognising the F5X+ as a USB device all of a sudden. I get the dreaded "USB device not recognised" error on both machines.

Watch running original/stable firmware. Latest version of Express. Have tried in Garmin & MTP modes. Windows errors on connecting the watch as per above. Express does not see the watch at all.

Have tried every single troubleshooting step on these forums & from Garmin's support pages. Nothing works. Only thing I haven't done is factory reset the watch for obvious reasons.

When I go into Device Manager in Windows, there is an error next to one of the USB devices (device mlafunctioned). As soon as I unplug the watch, the USB device with the error disappears.

USB mode was working fine last week. I have not changed anything on the watch or the PC in that time.

Any ideas or is anyone else having this issue?

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

...Garmin mode (whatever that is).

That mode is to still use it 'as a Garmin device', meaning one can charge the device with a power bank during an ultra and still use it to navigate / track / log GPS. Instead of it defaulting to an MTP device (for media transfer and such)

0 Paulmic over 6 years ago

When in Device Manager, uninstall the USB Drivers on the one with the error. Unplug and plug your device back into the computer. The Windows machine should reload the USB drivers for the device. If that doesn’t work, please contact Garmin Product Support.

Thank you, this fixed my issue!!!

0 cika_velja over 6 years ago

This gold pins on the back of the watch for the charging and connecting it to the computer are indented. like gold is missing in the middle of the pin. And this is now lead to it having problem when I connect it to the computer it is not recognizing the USB device. So no way to connect it to Garmin express or base camp...

I think this that this damage on the connecting pins is the reason whay device is not recognized. Can you guys check if yours are damage as well?

This damage is being made by the charger it self...ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1473188.jpg

0 MWBZ over 6 years ago

It is Windows, Version greater than 1803 had that problem.
I tested and confirmed.

Downgrade W10 or try in other PC with version lower than 1803 and you F5X+ will come back to life...

0 cika_velja over 6 years ago

It is Windows, Version greater than 1803 had that problem.
I tested and confirmed.

Downgrade W10 or try in other PC with version lower than 1803 and you F5X+ will come back to life...

That also might be the problem but in my case it is not. I've tried on the multiple windows versions and computers and USB device is still not recognized...

0 rightleftgreg over 5 years ago in reply to cika_velja

This issue has been giving me headaches for ages. Sometimes it is detected, other times not - on the same PC.

What I have found though, is it will work everytime as long as I have a File Explorer window open and active/focus