I just found the solution! Dunno how I found it, but it worked! If your Raspberry Pi Pico has stopped showing up as a COM port in Windows 11 (or other earlier version if you use it), then go here:
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/misc_tools_e.html
Scroll down and and download "DeviceCleanup".
It shows all the devices that are non-present... and I had a TON of them (most of them hundreds of days old)! I think around 100 devices. Select All and then Remove. Then reboot your system. I ran SystemCare after Windows 11 came back up and fixed all the few issues it found, rebooted again, and then I went to Device Manager and opened up Ports (COM and LPT) and then plugged in my Pi Pico W. And a few seconds later, it showed back up as COM3!
Amen, Hallelujah!!!
I had a feeling it was some type of Windows 11 corruption, but nothing I tried/did would fix it. I was about to buy a cheap laptop ($200) at Best Buy just to see if that fixed it... and then buy another Pi Pico if that didn't work. Thankfully, now I don't have to. This program is going in my Software Toolbox! Whew!
Please spread the word as far and wide as you can, because I've been searching for a solution to this issue for days and no one really had a concrete answer... certainly nothing that was as absolute as this.
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/misc_tools_e.html
Scroll down and and download "DeviceCleanup".
It shows all the devices that are non-present... and I had a TON of them (most of them hundreds of days old)! I think around 100 devices. Select All and then Remove. Then reboot your system. I ran SystemCare after Windows 11 came back up and fixed all the few issues it found, rebooted again, and then I went to Device Manager and opened up Ports (COM and LPT) and then plugged in my Pi Pico W. And a few seconds later, it showed back up as COM3!
Amen, Hallelujah!!!
I had a feeling it was some type of Windows 11 corruption, but nothing I tried/did would fix it. I was about to buy a cheap laptop ($200) at Best Buy just to see if that fixed it... and then buy another Pi Pico if that didn't work. Thankfully, now I don't have to. This program is going in my Software Toolbox! Whew!
Please spread the word as far and wide as you can, because I've been searching for a solution to this issue for days and no one really had a concrete answer... certainly nothing that was as absolute as this.
Statistics: Posted by Luposian — Wed Jun 25, 2025 3:18 am — Replies 0 — Views 43