Xbox 360 wireless controller not detected by windows after reconnecting it

Justus Winkler1 · Feb 13, 2024

So this is a minor problem but it still bothers me because it's so weird.

When I boot up windows, while my controller is connected to the wireless dongle, it shows up just fine under "game controllers". But when I turn off the controller and then turn it back on, it still connects to the wireless dongle and still is detected by some applications, but it's not detected by windows and doesn't show up under "game controllers". To fix this I simply have to unplug the wireless dongle and plug it back in. Then the controller will be detected by windows and shows up again.
As I said a minor problem but still a little inconvenient.

Some info:

- I'm using windows 11 home

- the controller and the dongle are originals from microsoft

- the dongle and the controllers reconnect just fine when using it on my laptop (intel platform) -> the problem isn't the controller or the dongle

- I recently upgraded to an AMD platform (MSI B550-A Pro + Ryzen 5 5600x). On my old PC (Intel Platform) the controllers were reconnecting just fine

- I've reinstalled windows completely but it didn't fix the issue

- apart from the weird reconnecting issue everything (including the controller) works fine

- when I enabled "hidden devices" in the device manager I saw, that everytime the controller reconnects (by unplugging and replugging the dongle), it creates a new instance of "gamecontroller" under HID device category. It doesn't do that on my laptop

-after un- and replugging the dongle, the detection of the controller actually works for a few seconds. So if I shut it off, and turn it on quickly it will actually detect the controller under "game controllers" this works only within the first few seconds after plugging the dongle in

I assume this might be a bug related to the AMD chipset driver in combination with the xbox 360 wireless controller driver, but that's just a guess

Maybe some of your tech people could look into it and fix the issue.
Or If you got some idea how I could fix this myself, I would love to hear it.

Thanks in advance

***Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Devices and drivers***

:)

Tomm_A

Hello Justus Winkler1,

Greetings!

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

Thank you for providing detailed information about the issue you are experiencing with your Xbox 360 wireless controller. Based on the information you have provided, it seems that the issue might be related to the driver compatibility between the AMD chipset and the Xbox 360 wireless controller driver.

To troubleshoot this issue, I would recommend the following steps:

1. Make sure that your Windows 11 is up to date with the latest updates and patches.

Make sure Windows is up to date.

Press the Start button on the taskbar, type settings, and then select Settings.
Select Windows Update.
On the Windows Update page, select Check for updates to see if any updates are available

including optional updates for your device.

Once the updates have downloaded, select Install now to start the installation.
Following installation, we recommend that you restart your device so that the latest updates can take effect.

2. Update Xbox 360 Wireless Controller driver in device manager.

On your keyboard, altogether press Windows logo + X keys.
This will show you the quick access menu list, wherein you need to choose Device Manager.
Next, expand the category of Sound, video, and game controllers.
Look for the Xbox 360 controller and right-click on it to choose Update Driver Software from the context menu list.
In the next prompt, choose the option that says Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software.
Now, the Device Manager will download and install the most appropriate drivers for your Xbox 360 controller.

3. Try using a different USB port for the wireless dongle.

Let us know if it helps. If the issue persists, we will help you how to submit a feedback so this can be investigated by our engineers.

We look forward to your response. Kindly let us know, if there is any misunderstanding or clarifications of our description by sending us a reply.

Sincerely,

Obsessive Power

Hi,

There is no driver to download for the 360 controller on Windows 10, because the driver is already installed as part of the OS.

There are two likely reasons why your controller isn't being detected. It's either because your controller isn't a true wired controller or you've plugged it into a USB 1 port.

If your controller is wireless please note that you can not turn it into a wired controller with a Play & Charge. It will always be wireless and therefore will not be detected. To use a wireless controller on Windows you will need a gaming wireless receiver.
Otherwise, you will need a 360 wired controller.

kyle_m4496

Hi Ron! My name is Kyle and I'm happy to help.

If the wireless adapter is designed to work with PC, it should detect the Xbox 360 controller and work perfectly in Windows and in-game.

Obsessive Power

Hi,

Is your Controller. wired or wireless? If you've plugged your wireless Controller in using a play and charge, im affraid you're out of luck. The 360 wireless Controller remains wireless It can't be made Into a wired controller.

All windows versions after Windows XP have the Xbox 360 controller drivers pre-installed, there is no driver to install.

maxen

For wireless Xbox 360 controllers, you cannot use the charging cable to connect to a PC (it only transfers power, not data). To use the controller with a PC, you will either need an "Xbox 360 controller for Windows" (non-detachable cable) or use your existing
wireless controller with the wireless gaming receiver for Windows.

This is the wireless adapter you could use:
support.xbox.com/.../xbox-360-wireless-gaming-receiver-windows

Let us know if you have any questions.

Xbox 360 wireless controller not detected by windows after reconnecting it