Fix Arduino Port not Showing Up or not Detected [IDE, UNO]

Development boards like SparkFun RedBoard for Arduino require special drivers or code that lets your PC interact with them. If the Arduino port is not showing up on your PC, you’re in the right place.

We will show you how to enable a port in Arduino, and properly update, or install Arduino port drivers on your Windows, or Mac OS.

Let’s see why the port is disabled or now showing in Arduino, to begin with.

Why is my Arduino port not found?

• Faulty USB cable or connection
• Port drivers are deprecated or corrupted
• Drivers are not installed

Now, users have had a hard time with this for quite some time. Let’s quickly go through some of the most common issues:

• Arduino port not showing up Windows 10, Windows 11, or Mac
• Arduino port not detected, no ports discovered or not recognizing port
• Serial port not selected Arduino
• Arduino USB, OTA, NANO port not showing up
• Port not showing in Arduino IDE
• Arduino port not showing in Device Manager
• Arduino port greyed out

How do I enable Arduino ports?

1. Verify that ports are enabled both on the board and on the PC

Arduino side:

1. Open the software and go to Tools, then access the Board menu.
2. Locate the Port menu and hover over the option to display all the ports (COM, respectively LPT).
3. Verify if there is a board connected to the port you’re interested in (the name will be shown after the port).
4. If not, make sure your board is connected to the computer and restart the software.

PC side:

1. Open the Device Manager and head over to the View tab.
2. Select Show hidden devices from the drop-down menu.
3. Locate the Ports section and expand it to identify COM, respectively LPT ports.

If you need further help on how to show hidden devices in Device Manager, we have some extra tips for you.

2. Update Arduino drivers

1. Open the Start Menu, and type Device Manager on the search bar.
2. Click the Device Manager icon to open a new window.
3. Scroll down to Software Devices and click to expand.
4. Double-click the unknown Arduino device for the Properties window to display.
5. Select the Driver tab, and click Update Driver.
6. Choose the Search automatically for drivers option.
7. Windows will begin to update.
8. Run a final check to be sure the driver was updated correctly.

If your Arduino drivers are not up to date you will usually get Arduino ports not showing up. Update them accordingly.

However, if this method fails, you will have to reinstall the Arduino driver to fix the issue.

3. Install Arduino port drivers

The next solutions will show you the right ways to install the driver on Windows and macOS.

3.1. Install Arduino drivers on Windows

1. Click the search bar and type Device Manager. Open it.
2. Check the options under Ports COM & LPT. You will see an open port labeled Arduino UNO COMxx.
3. Right-click on the Arduino UNO COmxx and select Update Driver.
4. Continue by clicking the Browse my computer for driver software option.
5. Navigate to the driver folder of the Arduino software, locate Arduino.inf driver file, and click on it.
6. After selecting the file, click OK.

When an Arduino board is plugged into a Windows computer, a driver is installed automatically for it to be able to communicate properly with your PC.

The driver configures it as a virtual COM port in the Device Manager. Should you require further assistance on how to install Arduino software and drivers on Windows, we have some extra tips for you.

3.2. Install Arduino port drivers on Mac

1. On your Mac OS, go to the FTDIUSBSerialDriver_v2_2_18.dmg file.
2. Double-click on it and select the driver file that matches your OS version.
3. Wait for it to install and click Close.
4. Open the Arduino software for a final check.
5. Go to Tools -> Serial Port and look for the USBserial option.

If you do not know the version of your OS, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen, and select About This Mac.

We hope you managed to fix the Arduino port not showing up issue with our solutions.