[Solved] How to Fix A Device Attached to the System Is Not Functioning

Have you ever encountered a popup “a device attached to the system is not working”? If yes, you will know how frustrating it is when the system fails to connect with the attached device. It may happen for multiple reasons ranging from connection issues to malfunctioning drivers.

Luckily, you won’t see this error again! Because this article will give a comprehensive guide about the causes and solutions to such a problem. Before we proceed to fix this error, let’s first have a glance at why it occurs.

Why A Device Attached to the System Is Not Functioning

“A device attached to the system is not working” appears for many reasons. The following are some of them:

• Issues with device drivers
• Corrupt window files
• Malicious applications
• Minor system issues
• Inadequate storage

The most common problem, however, is a connection issue between the device and the computer. Primarily it occurs when the USB wire or port does not function properly.

Are you curious to know about fixing these issues? If yes, it’s the right time to jump toward possible fixes.

7 Fixes to A Device Attached to the System Is Not Functioning

The following 7 fixes will help you to get rid of the issue “a device attached to the system is not working.”

Fix 1. Try Another USB Cable/Port

It is quite possible the USB cable/ port that you are trying to connect isn’t functioning correctly. You can try a different USB port just to check whether it makes a difference.

If the other USB cable works, it indicates that the last USB port had some issues. Hopefully! You won’t see again “a device attached to the system is not working.”

Fix 2. Free Up iPhone Space

When your iPhone fails to send photos to the system, you may need to free up storage. It usually happens due to insufficient storage space. Follow the steps mentioned below to free up iPhone Space.

1. Go to the settings.
2. Go to General Mode.
3. Select “iPhone Storage” and check what files are taking up more space.

Fix 3. Transfer Original Files

Sometimes the error “a device attached to the system is not working” occurs when the device fails to convert HEIC to a proper format. Though it’s not a big deal! Simply! Share original files instead of converting them to some other format. Just follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1. Go to Setting on your iPhone.

Step 2. Scroll down and click on Photos.

Step 3. Search the “Transfer to PC or Mac” section at the bottom.

Step 4. Select Keep Originals.

Fix 4. Transfer with iPhone Data Manager

It’s no more a problem to transfer data from iPhone to the system using AnyTrans – iPhone Data Manager. It is an all-round tool for iOS data transfer, backup, and management, and can help you transfer data from iPhone/iPad to iPhone/iPad/computer. Therefore, if you have encountered “a device attached to the system is not functioning iPhone” problem, AnyTrans must be a good solution for you. Below are some of the key features of AnyTrans.

• Cover all data types – Photos, videos, music, text messages, WhatsApp data, etc., can all be transferred and backed up by AnyTrans.
• Bulk/Selective transfer – You can transfer all data with 1 click. Or you can preview and select the desired content to transfer.
• Complete in minutes – No matter how many files or how big they are, AnyTrans can complete transfer and backup within seconds or minutes.
• Guaranteed quality and security – Your data like photos will maintain the original quality. And only you can get the data. No data leakage risk.

In addition, AnyTrans can also allow you to restore data from local backups or iTunes/iCloud backups, so that you don’t need to worry about data loss. And if you want to move data from Android to an iOS device, it can also help you do that.

Just free download AnyTrans and follow the steps mentioned below to transfer your data.

Step 1. First, run AnyTrans on your Mac computer or PC. Connect your computer to the iPhone using a USB cable. Go to Device Manager > Select Photos.

Step 2. Then you can preview and select the photos you want to transfer to your PC or Mac computer.

Step 3. Click To Mac or To PC button to copy photos from your phone to your Mac or PC. Once it is completed, all the exported photos will be saved in the right folder on your computer.

Fix 5. Update Device Drivers

Outdated or malfunctioning divide drivers can also cause the issue “a device attached to the system is not functioning iPhone.” The following steps will help you to update the device drivers.

Step 1. Press Win + R to open “Run Dialog Box”.

Step 2. In the open file, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Step 3. Then right-click on the malfunctioning or outdated device and select update driver.

Step 4. Choose Search automatically for drivers to allow windows to find and install the best device drivers.

Fix 6. Run SFC and DISM Scans

Windows’ built-in diagnostic tools can help fix the issue of corrupted or missing system files. So, you can fix the issue “ “a device attached to the system is not functioning.”

SFC (System File Checker) DISM (Deployment Image Servicing & Management) scans will automatically detect and replace any corrupted or damaged file with its cached version. Below is how it works.

Step 1. Press Win + X. Choose Terminal (Admin) from the given list.

Step 2. Select Yes as the UAC( User Account Controls) prompts appear on the screen.

Step 3. Paste Command: sfc /SCANNOW in the console, and finally, press Enter.

Step 4. After running the SFC scan, you can run the DISM scan. To run DISM scan copy and paste Command: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

Step 5. DISM will automatically detect the issue with the system image. After scan, DISM will connect with Windows Update online to fix the issues of the damaged files.

Step 6. It will either download or replace them. Finally, restart your Window and check whether the issue is solved or not.

Fix 7. Use Windows Safe Mode

Another fix to eliminate the error “ a device attached to the system is not functioning” is using windows safe mode. The following steps will help you to reboot your PC or Mac in Windows Safe Mode.

Step 1. Go to Setting. Select Update and Security.

Step 2. Tap on Recovery. Click on Restart now option.

Step 3. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

Step 4. Select 4 to enter the safe mode.

Step 5. Now check the device connectivity in safe mode.

Step 6. If it works well in this mode, the issues were due to newly installed applications on the system.

Step 7. Identify the application causing the error and remove it from your system.

The Bottom Line

“A device attached to the system is not functioning” can appear when connecting the phone to the system. It can happen for many reasons, such as corrupted files, malfunctioning device drivers, insufficient storage space, etc. Though it’s not a thing to worry about! You can easily fix the issue “A device attached to the system is not functioning iPhone” by simply trying the abovementioned fixes. And if you want to transfer your photos or other data to another iOS device or computer quickly and easily, just get AnyTrans for free and have a try now.