New Windows 10 bug could prevent external devices connected via Thunderbolt dock from being detected

Microsoft has confirmed that a new Windows 10 bug could prevent devices connected via Thunderbolt dock from being detected. The bug affects almost all the versions of Windows 10 and is specific to users who have fast startup enabled. The company said that the issue occurs only 5% of the time and can be fixed by simply restarting your computer.

Microsoft also shared the steps that could trigger the bug and will disconnect all the external devices even if they are showing up in the Device Manager.

• On a computer that is running Windows 10, version 1909, 1903, 1809, 1803, or 1709, you enable Fast Startup.
• On a Thunderbolt Dock, several devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, and USB encryption key, are attached.
• You repeatedly do the following steps:
  • You connect the Thunderbolt Dock to the computer. Devices on the Thunderbolt Dock are enumerated.
  • You press the power button to put the system into a Soft Off (S5) power state. After the screen turns off, you remove the Thunderbolt Dock.
  • You wait for the S5 process to finish, plug in the Thunderbolt Dock, and then wait five seconds for the Thunderbolt Dock to become idle.
  • You power on the computer. Then, you check whether the mouse, keyboard, and USB key are functional.

As mentioned above, the bug triggers only 5% of the time and can be resolved by a simple restart. Unfortunately, re-connecting the dock won’t fix the problem.

Seeing as Thunderbolt is still not popular on Windows 10 devices and the fact that Microsoft’s own Surface lineup doesn’t come with Thunderbolt, it’s safe to say that the bug won’t affect a lot of people. Microsoft hasn’t revealed any details about a patch but we expect the company to roll out an update soon.