Logitech Unifying Receiver is a piece of hardware used by Logitech devices to sync all the Logitech products and make them usable wirelessly with your computer. It is like a small USB device which can be attached to your USB port and is usually a plug and play solution for your devices.
Particularly after a Windows Update (KB4074588), several users reported that their Logitech Unifying Receiver stopped working and they were unable to use it to connect with their Logitech peripherals connected to the computer.
What causes Logitech Unifying Receiver not to Work?
Along with a potential Windows update, there are also several other reasons why your receiver might not work. Some of the reasons why the Logitech Unifying Receiver doesn’t work are but not limited to:
- Windows Update: Global outrage started after a Windows Update broke the receiver and it was unable to sync devices. A simple workaround is to uninstall the update.
- Unifying Software: Your computer might be in need of the Unifying software released by Logitech in order to make the module work properly.
- Driver file: Your computer might not have the driver file installed which might result in the receiver not to work.
- Conflicting applications: There are also several third-party applications which might conflict with the receiver.
- Incorrect configuration: The receiver might be in an incorrect configuration which may cause it not to work. We can perform a hard reset and see if this does the trick.
Before we start with the solutions, make sure that you have administrator access on your computer and the Unifying Receiver is not broken physically.
Solution 1: Installing Unifying Software
The first and foremost step which you should try is installing the unifying software on your computer. In order to guarantee smooth operation, Logitech specifically a software which makes sure that there are correct drivers installed as well as the device is syncing properly.
- Navigate to the official Logitech Unifying Software website and download the application for Windows in an accessible location.
- After downloading the executable, install it on your computer.
- After the application is installed, restart your computer. After restarting, right-click on the application and select Run as administrator.
Now try connecting your Logitech peripherals and check if the issue is resolved.
Solution 2: Copying the Driver File
If the unifying receiver is not working, you should check if you have the driver file installed on your computer. Each version of Windows has a proper USB driver which allows for communication devices such as Logitech Unifying Receiver to work on your computer. If these drivers are missing, you will not be able to operate the device.
- Press Windows + E and navigate to the following file path:
C:\Windows\INF
- Now search for the following two drivers on your computer:
usb.inf usb.PNF
If these files are already present, you can continue troubleshooting.
If they are not present or you suspect they are corrupt, you can cut/paste them to an accessible location (in case we need to replace them back) and download fresh drivers from (here).
- Restart your computer after installing and check if the issue is resolved.
Solution 3: Uninstalling Problematic Software
There were also several cases where users reported that other third-party applications conflicted with the receiver module and forced it not to work. This can include applications which are similar to Unifying software.
One noticeable application was MotioninJoy. You can also troubleshoot by uninstalling other similar applications from your computer.
- Press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
- Once in the application manager, right-click on the software which you think is conflicting and select Uninstall.
- Restart your computer properly and check if the issue is resolved.
Solution 4: Using SetPoint
Another workaround which works for some users was using the SetPoint software from Logitech. SetPoint is an application which allows people to customize mouse buttons and keyboard keys in addition to configuring other device settings. According to them, installing SetPoint automatically detected the peripherals connected.
- Navigate to the official Logitech SetPoint website and download the application.
- After installing, restart your computer. Now right-click on the application and click Run as administrator. Hopefully, you will hear a sound that new devices are connected. Then you will be asked using on-screen instructions to turn the mouse on and off.
Solution 5: Power Cycling your Computer
If all the above methods don’t work, we can try power cycling your computer properly. Power Cycling is an act of completely draining your computer’s power so all the temporary configurations can get reset. This will solve the problem if your computer is in an error state.
- Turn off your computer normally using Shut down.
- Now take out all peripherals connected to your system. This includes USB hubs as well.
- Now take out the power cable of the computer and keep pressing the power button for at least 30 seconds.
- Now, wait for 5 – 10 minutes before plugging everything back in. Check if the issue is resolved.
Solution 6: Uninstalling Problematic Windows Update
If you have exhausted all the possible workarounds for your Logitech Unifying Receiver, we can go ahead and uninstall the problematic Windows Update. There were lots of users who complained that their device became unusable after a Windows Update was installed on the computer.
- Press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
- Once in the application manager, click View installed updates present at the left side of the screen.
- Now search for the following update on your list of installed list.
KB4074588
If you see the update, right-click on it and select Uninstall.
After uninstalling the update, restart your computer properly. Check if you can use your Unifying device properly. If you can, you can head over to Microsoft’s official website and download a hotfix for preventing driver updates from reinstalling.
Make sure that you run the hotfix using administrator privileges.
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