Install USB 3.0 and other USB devices

USB (universal serial bus) devices are among the easiest devices to connect to your PC. You can connect a wide variety of devices, such as keyboards, printers, and external drives. Some devices might use USB 3.0, a connection type that can run up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0 by using a new technology called SuperSpeed. You can recognize the cables and ports to connect your USB devices by one of these symbols.

USB 2.0 symbol

USB 3.0 symbol

If you're installing a USB 3.0 device, you might have a blue cable for it. You might also see blue tabs in the connectors at the ends of the cables and in the ports on your PC or USB hub. All USB 3.0 cables and ports will have the USB 3.0 symbol on them regardless of their color.

USB connector with an internal blue tab

USB 3.0 symbol on the connector at the end of a cable

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Connect a USB device

If instructions came with your USB device, use that info to install your device. Otherwise, use these general instructions.

To install a USB device

1. If your device has a power cord, plug it in.
2. Connect the device to your PC using the separate cable or cord attached to the device.
   Make sure to use a USB 3.0 port for USB 3.0 devices. Otherwise, you can use the most convenient port available.
3. Turn on your device, and wait while Windows finds and installs the proper driver.
4. After installation is done, check the info that came with your device to see if you need to install additional software.

Notes

• If an older USB device doesn't work properly when plugged into a USB 3.0 port, try connecting the device to a USB 2.0 port instead.
• If Windows doesn’t recognize your device or can’t find a driver, see What if a device isn't installed properly?

Disconnect a USB device

You can just unplug most USB devices, such as a keyboard or mouse. However, before you unplug storage devices, such as USB flash drive, make sure that you’ve saved your files to the drive before removing it. You might also want to eject the drive to make sure all activity on the drive is finished.

To eject a drive

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
   (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
2. Tap or click Devices.
3. Tap or click the device you want to eject, tap or click the Remove icon , and then tap or click Remove.