External SSD not recognizable

[BopaRai_10]

When I plug an external 1TB portable SSD into the new HP OmniBook 5 Laptop 16-ba1124TU, it shows "USB device not recognised. The last USB device you connected malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognise it". However, when I plug the same device into my other laptop, it works fine

[NonSequitur777]

@BopaRai_10,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

"USB device not recognized" errors on newly released laptops like the HP OmniBook 5 16-ba1124TU usually mean the laptop's USB port is limiting power to the external SSD to protect battery life, or Windows has a conflicting driver state cached for that specific port. Since the 1TB SSD works fine on other laptops, the drive itself is healthy.

Please try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the power and driver conflict:

1. Perform an Embedded Controller (EC) / USB Reset:

New laptops can lock up their USB-C Power Delivery parameters, blocking power-heavy devices like portable NVMe SSDs.

1. Shut down the laptop completely.
2. Disconnect all external devices (including the power charger and the SSD).
3. Press and hold the Power Button + F6 key simultaneously for 30 seconds.
4. Release the buttons, plug in the power adapter, and boot back into Windows.
5. Test the SSD again.

2. Disable USB Power Saving Management:

Windows frequently cuts power to high-speed ports to extend laptop battery life, which can starve external SSDs of the electricity they need to mount.

1. Right-click the Windows Start menu button and select Device Manager.
2. Scroll to the bottom and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
3. Right-click on USB Root Hub (repeat this for each one listed) and click Properties.
4. Go to the Power Management tab.
5. Uncheck the box that says: "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
6. Click OK and restart the laptop.

3. Clear and Reinstall the USB Port Stack:

If a specific Windows driver state is corrupted, clearing out the stack forces a healthy, clean connection refresh.

1. Inside Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
2. Right-click on USB Root Hub or Extensible Host Controller and select Uninstall device.
3. Confirm the prompt, then immediately restart your laptop.
4. Windows will automatically reinstall a clean copy of the official port driver upon boot.

4. Turn off USB Selective Suspend:

• Open the Start menu, type Control Panel, and open it.
• Select Power Options -> Change plan settings (next to your active power profile).
• Click Change advanced power settings.
• Expand USB settings, then expand USB selective suspend setting.
• Change the settings to Disabled for both "On battery" and "Plugged in". Click Apply.

If the issue persists, please let me know:

• Are you connecting the SSD via a USB-C port or a traditional rectangular USB-A port?
• Are you using the original cable that came with the SSD, or a third-party replacement?
• Do simpler devices like standard USB flash drives or a mouse work normally in that exact same port?

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777