Hardware Windows 11 PC does not recognize Switch as USB device (but charging works fine)

[kraussian]

I've just gotten a second hand low serial Gen 1 Switch, but I'm having trouble connecting it to my laptop.

I understand that the Switch should be recognized as a USB device even without going into RCM, but when I go to System Settings -> Data Management -> Manage Screenshots and Videos -> Copy to a Computer via USB Connection, nothing happens and it doesn't connect.

Of course, the whole reason I'm trying this is because my PC won't recognize Switch in RCM, so I wanted to make sure that it can be recognized normally as part of troubleshooting (in which case the problem could be narrowed down to RCM).

I've tried 4 different USB ports (3 USB-A, 1 USB-C), 5 different USB cables, and even tried on a different Windows 11 laptop but I'm still seeing the same thing.

The Switch charges perfectly fine with any of the USB port and cable combinations, so I'm really lost here. Does this mean there's something wrong with the Switch's USB port? Could someone help me?

 

[Qeality]

You can't access through USB. You'll want to remove the SD card from the console and insert into computer. You'll want to back up data if any and reformat to FAT32 then proceed with the rentry guide to mod your switch. Once you add hekate to SD card you'll be able to connect switch to computer via USB.

 

[kraussian]

You can't access through USB. You'll want to remove the SD card from the console and insert into computer. You'll want to back up data if any and reformat to FAT32 then proceed with the rentry guide to mod your switch. Once you add hekate to SD card you'll be able to connect switch to computer via USB.

Thanks for the reply, but that's not what I gather.

All the instructions and explanations for injecting payload to Switch tells me that when I connect my Switch in RCM to PC, a new device should show up as either "Unknown Device" (if necessary drivers aren't installed) or "Nintendo Switch APX Mode" under Device Manager.

But my problem is that it doesn't show up at all, not even as an Unknown Device. That's why I'm trying to figure out what the problem is, by connecting it in normal firmware.

Even with normal firmware, I can see from posts and videos online that Windows should recognize it as a camera device and allow users to copy photos/screenshots from Switch to PC. But in my case, it's not recognized at all.

 

[Qeality]

Thanks for the reply, but that's not what I gather.

All the instructions and explanations for injecting payload to Switch tells me that when I connect my Switch in RCM to PC, a new device should show up as either "Unknown Device" (if necessary drivers aren't installed) or "Nintendo Switch APX Mode" under Device Manager.

But my problem is that it doesn't show up at all, not even as an Unknown Device. That's why I'm trying to figure out what the problem is, by connecting it in normal firmware.

Even with normal firmware, I can see from posts and videos online that Windows should recognize it as a camera device and allow users to copy photos/screenshots from Switch to PC. But in my case, it's not recognized at all.

insert SD in computer and place hekate files on root. To inject payload you need TegraRCMGUI. It’s a tool used on pc. Download tool and open it. Download hekate payload. Select hekate payload in Tegra and connect device in RCM the tool will show green saying RCM detected and then you push payload. Once pushed you’ll boot hekate. Not sure what “NIntendo Switch APX mode” is, never heard of it. Please refer to the rentry guide found here https://rentry.co/SwitchHackingIsEasy https://rentry.org/EristaEmuNAND its got all the correct and updated information.
Also please explain what your end goal is..

 

[kraussian]

My end goal is to install CFW on my Switch.

I've followed all these guides, but I'm always stuck at the step which says connect your Switch to your PC.

TegraRcmGUI simply says No RCM device detected, and the Install Driver button doesn't gray out no matter how many times I click on it to install the driver.

I'm very sure my Switch is properly in RCM, because nothing happens when I click the Power button multiple times or connect it to my PC.

 

[Qeality]

My end goal is to install CFW on my Switch.

I've followed all these guides, but I'm always stuck at the step which says connect your Switch to your PC.

TegraRcmGUI simply says No RCM device detected, and the Install Driver button doesn't gray out no matter how many times I click on it to install the driver.

I'm very sure my Switch is properly in RCM, because nothing happens when I click the Power button multiple times or connect it to my PC.

And you are using a jig yes? Example:

 

[kraussian]

And you are using a jig yes? Example:

Yes, mine looks almost exactly like that

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I've just gotten a second hand low serial Gen 1 Switch, but I'm having trouble connecting it to my laptop.

I understand that the Switch should be recognized as a USB device even without going into RCM, but when I go to System Settings -> Data Management -> Manage Screenshots and Videos -> Copy to a Computer via USB Connection, nothing happens and it doesn't connect.

Of course, the whole reason I'm trying this is because my PC won't recognize Switch in RCM, so I wanted to make sure that it can be recognized normally as part of troubleshooting (in which case the problem could be narrowed down to RCM).

I've tried 4 different USB ports (3 USB-A, 1 USB-C), 5 different USB cables, and even tried on a different Windows 11 laptop but I'm still seeing the same thing.

The Switch charges perfectly fine with any of the USB port and cable combinations, so I'm really lost here. Does this mean there's something wrong with the Switch's USB port? Could someone help me?

View attachment 378914

Do you know for a fact that any of these cables are data and not charging only?
USB-C cables are very often charging only. Especially cables that come bundled with phones or other devices with a battery that charge with USB-C. Cables bundled with USB hard drives, capture cards and the like will obviously have data because they need it to work. When it comes to devices where the cable is usually only used for charging, that's not a given. Try the cables with another USB-C device you own such as a smartphone or external HDD and see if those can connect. Or if you have a cable from a USB HDD or similar that you can try with the Switch, that should be guaranteed to have data.
The thickness of the cable is usually a telltale sign. Very thin cables are probably charging only. Very thick and stiff cables are probably USB 3.0. "Normal" thickness cables could be USB 2.0 (which would also work for this purpose) but could also be fast charging cables for charging only.
The official Nintendo cable (which comes with the Pro Controller and the JoyCon charging grip) has data. Unsure if it's USB 2.0 or 3.0, but shouldn't make any difference for this. Although it is rather thick and stiff () so might be USB 3.0.
When buying cables, always make sure you note whether the cable is for charging or data, it should be specified. So you know in the future which cable to reach for when you need a cable that has data and you can rule that out as a potential issue when things don't work.

 

[kraussian]

Do you know for a fact that any of these cables are data and not charging only?
USB-C cables are very often charging only. Especially cables that come bundled with phones or other devices with a battery that charge with USB-C. Cables bundled with USB hard drives, capture cards and the like will obviously have data because they need it to work. Try the cables with another USB-C device you own such as a smartphone or external HDD and see if those can connect. Or if you have a cable from a USB HDD or similar that you can try, that should be guaranteed to have data.

Yes, I know for a fact that these are data cables because these are the same cables I use to connect to my external SSD and have probably transferred a few terabytes worth of data through them by now.

 

[Qeality]

My end goal is to install CFW on my Switch.

I've followed all these guides, but I'm always stuck at the step which says connect your Switch to your PC.

TegraRcmGUI simply says No RCM device detected, and the Install Driver button doesn't gray out no matter how many times I click on it to install the driver.

I'm very sure my Switch is properly in RCM, because nothing happens when I click the Power button multiple times or connect it to my PC.

So when you open Tegra and click on settings it shows “Install driver” grayed out? As in unable to install driver?

 

[kraussian]

So when you open Tegra and click on settings it shows “Install driver” grayed out? As in unable to install driver?

Oh, sorry if I was unclear. What I meant was the driver shows successfully installed after I click on "Install Driver".

But when I close and launch Tegra again, the "Install Driver" button is still active. I recall reading somewhere that it should be grayed out if the driver has been installed properly.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Yes, I know for a fact that these are data cables because these are the same cables I use to connect to my external SSD and have probably transferred a few terabytes worth of data through them by now.

Try plugging in the USB-C the other way just in case there are some pins broken.
Does the Switch dock? I'm leaning towards the Switch being the issue at this point but if it can dock successfully and display on TV that would rule that out.

 

[Qeality]

Oh, sorry if I was unclear. What I meant was the driver shows successfully installed after I click on "Install Driver".

But when I close and launch Tegra again, the "Install Driver" button is still active. I recall reading somewhere that it should be grayed out if the driver has been installed properly.

Sorry , I’m stumped. Not quite sure what the issue is. Perhaps try to reinstall Tegra tool and try reinstalling driver then push payload. Don’t close the tool. If that doesn’t work, hopefully somebody here can better assist you. I will keep an eye on your post for solution. Good luck!

 

[worm28]

Try this https://zadig.akeo.ie/

 

[Evildood]

Oh, sorry if I was unclear. What I meant was the driver shows successfully installed after I click on "Install Driver".

But when I close and launch Tegra again, the "Install Driver" button is still active. I recall reading somewhere that it should be grayed out if the driver has been installed properly.

Did you restart your pc after the driver install ? That used to be a specific I remember having.

 

[kraussian]

Try plugging in the USB-C the other way just in case there are some pins broken.
Does the Switch dock? I'm leaning towards the Switch being the issue at this point but if it can dock successfully and display on TV that would rule that out.

Yes, I've tried plugging the USB-C cable the other way round. Also tried connecting a USB-A to USB-C cable to my external SSD to confirm it's working, then plugging that USB-C cable into my Switch without unplugging the USB-A already plugged into my PC. Neither worked.

The Switch docks and I can play on TV without any issues. I'm really stumped as to what the issue might be.

I think everything points towards the USB port on the Switch being somehow faulty, but if it charges perfectly well and can use the dock without any issues... I really don't know.

Post automatically merged: Jun 21, 2023

Try this https://zadig.akeo.ie/

Thanks for the suggestion but that didn't work either.

Zadig needs to see an "APX device" to install the libusbk driver to, but no such device shows up.

Post automatically merged: Jun 21, 2023

Did you restart your pc after the driver install ? That used to be a specific I remember having.

Haha yes that is a common problem I've experienced with other drivers too!

But unfortunately not in this case. I've rebooted my PC several times but it didn't change anything.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Yes, I've tried plugging the USB-C cable the other way round. Also tried connecting a USB-A to USB-C cable to my external SSD to confirm it's working, then plugging that USB-C cable into my Switch without unplugging the USB-A already plugged into my PC. Neither worked.

The Switch docks and I can play on TV without any issues. I'm really stumped as to what the issue might be.

I think everything points towards the USB port on the Switch being somehow faulty, but if it charges perfectly well and can use the dock without any issues... I really don't know.

Post automatically merged: Jun 21, 2023

Thanks for the suggestion but that didn't work either.

Zadig needs to see an "APX device" to install the libusbk driver to, but no such device shows up.

Post automatically merged: Jun 21, 2023

Haha yes that is a common problem I've experienced with other drivers too!

But unfortunately not in this case. I've rebooted my PC several times but it didn't change anything.

The USB-C port has a lot of pins, not all of them are used at all times. For DP alt mode (which is what the TV out uses) two data lanes are used, the other two are available for USB 3.0 devices connected to the dock. To my knowledge, the USB 3.0 functionality of the dock is still not enabled after all this time, the ports will only operate in 2.0 mode, so the extra 2 lanes are not even used when docked. If the unused lanes were damaged, TV out would still work, but I don't think this is the case as I explain below.

USB 2.0 has dedicated pins on the USB-C connector but I believe those pins are still needed in USB 3.0 mode, so if they were damaged, USB would not work at all.
If the USB 3.0 pins were damaged, USB 2.0 should still work, and if you were using a USB 3.0 cable, it would just be dropped down to USB 2.0 speed.
So the only reasonable conclusion is that the USB 2.0 pins might be damaged as that would prevent USB from working at all (but DP alt mode would still work because it only uses the USB 3.0 data pins)
You should have a look inside the port to see if any of the pins look like they're missing or bent out of shape or look different from the others in any way. Take a picture if you can.

There would be an easy way to test my theory by plugging in a USB device to the dock while the Switch is docked and seeing if it gets recognized by the Switch. But only certain types of devices work with an OFW Switch in the first place. Which is pretty much limited to LAN adapters (but only certain LAN adapters work AFAIK), USB DACs/sound cards (at least some, like those bluetooth audio adapters made for the Switch that were needed before Nintendo added official support for bluetooth audio, I'm not sure if all USB DACs are supported), Pro Controller in wired mode (with the Pro Controller wired communication setting enabled on the Switch), the Pokken Tournament controller, and the 4-port GameCube adapter. And some unofficial accessories like the Magic-NS.
The Pro Controller will work wirelessly if it doesn't detect a data connection and there's not really any way to tell the difference whether it's connected wired or wirelessly, so it won't work as a test. Any of the other devices could be used as a simple test.

 

[kraussian]

The USB-C port has a lot of pins, not all of them are used at all times. For DP alt mode (which is what the TV out uses) two data lanes are used, the other two are available for USB 3.0 devices connected to the dock. To my knowledge, the USB 3.0 functionality of the dock is still not enabled after all this time, the ports will only operate in 2.0 mode, so the extra 2 lanes are not even used when docked. If the unused lanes were damaged, TV out would still work, but I don't think this is the case as I explain below.

USB 2.0 has dedicated pins on the USB-C connector but I believe those pins are still needed in USB 3.0 mode, so if they were damaged, USB would not work at all.
If the USB 3.0 pins were damaged, USB 2.0 should still work, and if you were using a USB 3.0 cable, it would just be dropped down to USB 2.0 speed.
So the only reasonable conclusion is that the USB 2.0 pins might be damaged as that would prevent USB from working at all (but DP alt mode would still work because it only uses the USB 3.0 data pins)
You should have a look inside the port to see if any of the pins look like they're missing or bent out of shape or look different from the others in any way. Take a picture if you can.

There would be an easy way to test my theory by plugging in a USB device to the dock while the Switch is docked and seeing if it gets recognized by the Switch. But only certain types of devices work with an OFW Switch in the first place. Which is pretty much limited to LAN adapters (but only certain LAN adapters work AFAIK), USB DACs/sound cards (at least some, like those bluetooth audio adapters made for the Switch that were needed before Nintendo added official support for bluetooth audio, I'm not sure if all USB DACs are supported), Pro Controller in wired mode (with the Pro Controller wired communication setting enabled on the Switch), the Pokken Tournament controller, and the 4-port GameCube adapter. And some unofficial accessories like the Magic-NS.
The Pro Controller will work wirelessly if it doesn't detect a data connection and there's not really any way to tell the difference whether it's connected wired or wirelessly, so it won't work as a test. Any of the other devices could be used as a simple test.

Thanks for the really detailed explanation!

Unfortunately I don't have any of those USB devices so I can't test out whether the USB connection works through the dock. I do have a USB sound card (provided with Razer Blackshark) but it didn't work; not sure if it's because it's not supposed to work or if it's because the USB 2.0 pins are damaged.

I've tried peering into the USB port and took photos, and I don't know enough about how it's supposed to look but it doesn't seem to me like the pins are bent.

As kind of a last resort, I've also purchased a RCM Loader (dongle) which just arrived today... but even that fails to work.



I've followed the instructions as per the above video, but when I boot my Switch in RCM mode with the RCM Loader plugged in, the video shows the RCM Loader light turning on and the payload injected (1:47 of the video) but my Switch remains dark and even the RCM Loader light doesn't turn on.

Interestingly enough the RCM Loader light does turn on when it's connected and my Switch is normally booted into OFW.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Thanks for the really detailed explanation!

Unfortunately I don't have any of those USB devices so I can't test out whether the USB connection works through the dock. I do have a USB sound card (provided with Razer Blackshark) but it didn't work; not sure if it's because it's not supposed to work or if it's because the USB 2.0 pins are damaged.

I've tried peering into the USB port and took photos, and I don't know enough about how it's supposed to look but it doesn't seem to me like the pins are bent.

As kind of a last resort, I've also purchased a RCM Loader (dongle) which just arrived today... but even that fails to work.



I've followed the instructions as per the above video, but when I boot my Switch in RCM mode with the RCM Loader plugged in, the video shows the RCM Loader light turning on and the payload injected (1:47 of the video) but my Switch remains dark and even the RCM Loader light doesn't turn on.

Interestingly enough the RCM Loader light does turn on when it's connected and my Switch is normally booted into OFW.

All of the pins look like they're in place, and what I can see all looks clean, but some of them look dark/not shiny and I can't really tell if those pins are clean or not. Might just be the lighting. Did you use the flash?
It honestly could just be a dirty port or oxidized pins. Dirt/dust can be carefully picked out with a toothpick. For cleaning the pins a toothbrush soaked in Isopropanol or other electronics cleaner can be used, or a toothpick wrapped in paper, just be careful not to push the pins out of alignment (Deoxit can be a very useful thing since it's made for cleaning oxidation and will be more effective than other cleaners), the toothbrush method is safer but a toothpick might be more effective.
But if they are corroded from a liquid spill (which I have had to fix on JoyCon rails before) that is not going to do much. Corrosion would show up as blue or greenish fuzz though and I'm not seeing any blue fuzz in your pictures. Though it's hard to tell anything on the pins that are dark. In my case with the JoyCon rails, I disassembled things enough to get easy access to the pins so I could use a fiberglass brush to scrape away the corrosion, you wouldn't be able to get a fiberglass brush deep enough into the USB-C port though.

 

[Evildood]

Thanks for the really detailed explanation!

Unfortunately I don't have any of those USB devices so I can't test out whether the USB connection works through the dock. I do have a USB sound card (provided with Razer Blackshark) but it didn't work; not sure if it's because it's not supposed to work or if it's because the USB 2.0 pins are damaged.

I've tried peering into the USB port and took photos, and I don't know enough about how it's supposed to look but it doesn't seem to me like the pins are bent.

As kind of a last resort, I've also purchased a RCM Loader (dongle) which just arrived today... but even that fails to work.



I've followed the instructions as per the above video, but when I boot my Switch in RCM mode with the RCM Loader plugged in, the video shows the RCM Loader light turning on and the payload injected (1:47 of the video) but my Switch remains dark and even the RCM Loader light doesn't turn on.

Interestingly enough the RCM Loader light does turn on when it's connected and my Switch is normally booted into OFW.

Looking at the pics it seems at least 1 pin is dirty and 1 is out of place
Rcmloader may have different payload versions than atmosphere wants on your SD causing blackscreen on injection it really seems like your USB port is working though I'd suggest cleaning like the guy above mentioned. Power it down, hold it so excess liquid can't go up inside the case and use the 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol or deoxit on a GOOD quality toothbrush cheap ones can loose pieces of bristles and that's a nightmare in itself. Just dab the brush in the cleaner and then brush the port out. Let it dry don't blow moisture in your breath can corrode the pins over time. Then I'm gonna suggest you find a way to secure an official Nintendo USB cable if I missed you saying you had tried one already. After that try removing the driver and try this. You can probably just nab the tinfoil driver there and see if that one works for you.