Alcor Micro Unknown Fa00 - F W 3613 Site

Q: Is the Alcor Micro FA00 a virus or malware? A: No. It is legitimate hardware. However, malware sometimes uses "Unknown Device" as a hiding place. Run a Malwarebytes scan to be safe.

Q: Can I disable this device if I don't need the card reader? A: Yes. In Device Manager, right-click the unknown device and select Disable device. This will stop the error message and free up a small amount of system resources. You will lose SD/microSD card reading functionality.

Q: Does this device affect boot time? A: Potentially. Windows attempts to enumerate all USB devices during boot. An unknown device with firmware 3613 can add 2–5 seconds to boot time. Fixing the driver eliminates that delay. alcor micro unknown fa00 - f w 3613

Q: Will Linux recognize this device? A: Almost certainly yes. Linux kernels include open-source drivers for Alcor Micro FA00. If you boot a Ubuntu Live USB, the card reader will work out of the box, confirming that your hardware is functional and the issue is purely Windows driver-related.

  • Progress bar: 2–10 minutes. If stuck at 50%, the NAND is likely dead.

    • If you are comfortable with Registry edits, you can force Windows to treat the FA00 device as a standard USB hub. Q: Is the Alcor Micro FA00 a virus or malware

    Warning: Back up your registry first.

    This forces the USB stack to bypass modern container ID queries, allowing the legacy USBSTOR driver to bind. Progress bar: 2–10 minutes

    Firmware version 3613 is known to occasionally enter a "bricked" state if a card is removed during a write operation. In this state, the device enumerates with correct VID/PID but fails to respond to commands. The only fix is a hardware reflash using Alcor’s proprietary AlcorMP tool (used in manufacturing).

    Do not attempt AlcorMP unless you have specific experience. Using the wrong parameter can permanently disable the chip.