Alcor Micro Unknown Fa00 - F W 3613
If you are comfortable with Registry edits, you can force Windows to treat the FA00 device as a standard USB hub.
Warning: Back up your registry first.
This forces the USB stack to bypass modern container ID queries, allowing the legacy USBSTOR driver to bind.
When you see this string in a diagnostic tool, here is how to parse the data: alcor micro unknown fa00 - f w 3613
Before we dive into the error, let’s identify the player. Alcor Micro is a Taiwanese semiconductor company famous for one specific thing: USB flash drive controllers.
If you buy a promotional USB drive, a generic SD card reader, or an unbranded flash stick from an online marketplace, there is a very high chance the "brain" inside that stick is made by Alcor. They are the industry standard for cost-effective, mass-produced flash memory controllers.
Flash drives are tiny computers. They have an OS (firmware). If a drive is unplugged during a write operation, or suffers a static shock, the firmware table can become corrupted. The controller is essentially "amnesiac"—it has the engine (F W 3613) but has forgotten the map (FA00) for the data stored on the chip. If you are comfortable with Registry edits, you
This is common in the grey market. Unscrupulous manufacturers often buy "dead" or rejected controller chips and pair them with low-quality, recycled NAND flash memory. The firmware (W 3613) might be a generic "mass production" firmware that wasn't properly tuned for the specific memory chip attached to it. The result? The computer sees the controller, but the controller can't manage the memory correctly.
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. This forces the USB stack to bypass modern
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.
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.