cant connect an Xbox 360 controller to PC windows 10 via cable

Are you sure the Xbox 360 is a wired Xbox 360 controller, and not connected by a separate cable like the play and charge cable? If it is the play and charge cable, it will not work on Windows 10, as it only charges the batteries on a PC. If it is a actual
wired controller, then Windows 10 should detect and then download the drivers if needed.

More info on connecting a 360 controller to a PC can be found here
https://beta.support.xbox.com/help/xbox-360/xbox-on-windows/accessories/xbox-controller-for-windows-setup

Hi Beau,

Thank you for coming to the Xbox forums, I'd be happy to answer that.

The Xbox One Wireless controller with Bluetooth can be connected to a Windows 10 PC with a USB cable, Bluetooth, or with the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10, so yes, it can be connected via the adapter. The Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10 is not
compatible with an Xbox 360 controller and will need the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. I'll provide the support articles with this information:

• https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-windows/accessories/connect-xbox-one-controller-to-pc
• https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/adapters/wireless-adapter-windows
• https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-windows/accessories/xbox-360-wireless-gaming-receiver-windows

I hope this helps!

Alrighty then. Let's try again in Device Manager.

1. Open Device Manager
   
2. With your controller plugged-in, look for and uninstall the following:
   
   • Human Interface Devices > XINPUT compatible HID device
     
   • Xbox Peripherals > Xbox 360 Controller
     

If something above isn't a perfect match, the main takeaway here is to look for the corresponding driver under Human Interface Devices (HID) that matches the one for your controller. When in doubt about which one it is, unplug the controller and plug it back in while looking at the Device Manager window with the HID expanded (so you can spot the one that changes).

Once you've done that, I always recommend restarting the computer and then plugging the controller back in.

Let me know how that goes. In the meantime as well, if the problem persists, please submit a bug report from the Xbox app on your PC (Profile Icon > Feedback > Report a Problem) when the problem happens again.

I have a VERY similar issue... i think you are talking about a wired 360 controller, but I am more specifically talking about a wired 360 guitar (controller). mine also is recognized by windows 10 as a 360 controller (not a guitar), and despite everything I do with them (i have 2)... it will not work on my xbox 1 x through windows 10 (and the xbox companion app built into windows 10). I was able to get my xbox 1 wired regular controller to work using windows 10. if you find an answer, please let me know, it will likely fix my issue as well, even though my issue is slightly different

Thanks for providing as much information as you have. It appears that you've done everything correctly thus far. Can you tell me the following:

1. Does the controller work normally when plugged into an Xbox console?
   
2. Does this problem happen on other computers, or only yours?
   
3. Are you playing games purchased from the Xbox or Microsoft Store apps, or are you talking about games purchased through another storefront, like Steam?
   

That last one sounds like it might not be important, but it is. Steam itself can sometimes be the culprit for not recognizing controllers that are plugged in, as it loads profiles between your controller and the games you're trying to play.