USB debugging is a crucial feature for developers and IT professionals who need to troubleshoot and debug issues related to USB devices. While USB debugging is often associated with Android development, it also has significant applications in the Windows environment. This article will guide you through the process of enabling USB debugging on Windows, explaining its importance and providing practical examples to help you get started.

Enabling USB debugging on Windows can help diagnose hardware issues, test USB devices, and develop USB-related software. This feature is particularly useful for developers working with USB drivers, firmware updates, or custom USB applications.

Examples:

1. Enabling USB Debugging via Device Manager:

   • Step 1: Open Device Manager by pressing Win + X and selecting "Device Manager."
   • Step 2: Locate the USB device you want to debug. It will typically be listed under "Universal Serial Bus controllers."
   • Step 3: Right-click on the USB device and select "Properties."
   • Step 4: Go to the "Driver" tab and click on "Update Driver."
   • Step 5: Choose "Browse my computer for driver software" and then "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer."
   • Step 6: Select "USB Debugging Driver" if available, or choose the appropriate driver for your device.

2. Using PowerShell for USB Debugging:

   PowerShell can be used to gather information about USB devices and enable debugging features.

   • Step 1: Open PowerShell with administrative privileges by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Windows PowerShell (Admin)."
   • Step 2: Use the following command to list all connected USB devices:

     Get-PnpDevice -Class USB

   • Step 3: To enable debugging for a specific USB device, first identify the device instance ID from the list generated by the previous command.
   • Step 4: Use the following command to enable debugging:

     Set-PnpDevice -InstanceId "YourDeviceInstanceId" -Enable

3. Debugging USB Issues with Event Viewer:

   Event Viewer can help you diagnose USB-related issues by providing detailed logs.

   • Step 1: Open Event Viewer by pressing Win + R, typing eventvwr.msc, and pressing Enter.
   • Step 2: Navigate to "Windows Logs" -> "System."
   • Step 3: Look for events related to USB devices. These events can provide insights into errors or issues with USB connections.
   • Step 4: Double-click on an event to view detailed information and troubleshoot accordingly.