6 Best Fixes for Kindle Not Showing Up on Windows 11

Using a Kindle or Kindle Paperwhite can give a more comfortable reading experience. A lot of users prefer using a Kindle over physical books for a plethora of reasons. You can carry tonnes of books simultaneously, use Dictionary on Kindle to find word meanings, and long battery life are some of them.

You can also download E-books, PDFs, and EPUB files on your Windows PC and transfer them to your Kindle. But if your Kindle or Kindle Paperwhite is not showing up on your Windows 11 PC, here are some troubleshooting methods to fix the same.

1. Check the USB Cable

Let us address the most common issues first. You need to check the USB cable if your Kindle device is not showing up on your Windows 11 PC. Kindle devices 10th generation or below support micro-USB (USB 2.0) for charging and data transfer. The Paperwhite, Oasis, Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Scribe models support USB Type-C charging. We suggest using the same cable you receive out of the box with your Kindle model and avoiding third-party cables. You can also switch between different USB ports on your PC.

You can manually install software updates to your Kindle device using the USB cable.

2. Disable Screen Lock and Passcode

If your Windows 11 PC is still not recognizing your Kindle device, you should disable its Screen Lock and Passcode. Your Kindle needs to remain unlocked for content access on your Windows PC.

Step 1: On your Kindle homepage, tap the down-facing arrow.

Step 2: Select All Settings.

Step 3: Tap on Device Options.

Step 4: Select Device Passcode.

Step 5: Tap on Turn Off Passcode.

Step 6: Enter your existing passcode and tap on Ok.

Step 7: After you remove passcode, check if the problem is solved.

3. Update Kindle Driver

If you are still facing the same issue, you need to update the Kindle driver for your Windows 11 PC. Just like for any hardware connected to your PC, like keyboard and mouse, you need to use the latest Kindle drivers for it to work smoothly on your PC.

Step 1: Connect your Kindle via a USB cable to your Windows 11 PC.

Step 2: Click the Start icon on your Windows 11 PC, type Device Manager, and press Enter to open Device Manager.

Step 3: Select the option of Portable Device Category.

Step 4: Right-click on MTP Device or Kindle and select Update Driver Software.

Step 5: Select ‘Browse My Computer For Driver.’

Step 6: Click on ‘Let Me Pick From a List of Device Drivers on My Computer.’

Step 7: Click the checkbox next to Show Compatible Hardware.

Step 8: Select Standard MTP Device and click on MTP USB Device.

Step 9: Click on Ok to confirm the Update Driver Warning.

Step 10: Install the driver on your Windows 11 PC and check if the problem is solved.

4. Disable USB Selective Suspend Feature

Connecting your Kindle device to your Windows 11 PC shows up as a Portable Computer to save battery life. However, if your Kindle device is charging but still not showing up on your Windows 11 PC, we suggest disabling this feature. Here’s how.

Step 1: Connect your Kindle via a USB cable to your Windows 11 PC.

Step 2: Click the Start icon on your Windows 11 PC, type Control Panel, and press Enter to open Control Panel.

Step 3: Click on Hardware and Sound.

Step 4: Select Power Options.

Step 5: Click on Change Plan Settings.

Step 6: Change Advanced Power Settings.

Step 7: Select USB Settings and click on Disable below USB Selective Suspend Setting.

Step 8: Click on Apply and Ok at the bottom to confirm.

After that, check if the problem is solved.

5. Update Kindle

The last resort is to just update the software version on your Kindle device. Installing a new software update should remove the bugs in the current version causing this issue.

Step 1: On your Kindle homepage, tap on the down-facing arrow.

Step 2: Select All Settings.

Step 3: Tap the three vertical dots menu at the top-right corner.

Step 4: Select Update Your Kindle.

If this option is greyed out, your Kindle device is already running on the latest software version.

Access Kindle on Windows PC

These solutions will resolve the Kindle not showing up on Windows PC. You can also read our post if your Kindle is not connecting to Wi-Fi Network.