USB drives problems

[chrestomanci]

Hi.

When I plug in a USB flash drive, it takes ages to be detected, and often does not work at all.

I have a new Asus laptop with windows XP home pre-installed. I am logged as a user with admin privalages. When I connect a USB storage device, I get bleeps from computer to show that it has detected the drive, but it does not create a drive letter or mount the drive.

Under the hardware manager, under USB devices the device is shown with a yellow exclamation mark. If I click on the device, then the device manager says ‘This device cannot start (code 10)’ The trouble shooter says to uninstall & reinstall the driver and to unplug and replug the device. Neither cures the problem.

Help.

[ultimate]

In the hardware manager and click on the yellow exclamation mark to hilight it then you can then delete the item restart your computer with the flash drive connected it should then correctly reinstall the usb drivers, also have you sp2 installed? if not then this might help.

[chrestomanci]

The PC is fully up to date. When I first got it I went to windows update & downloaded all the recomended updates (51 in all).

I have tried deleting the item in the device manager, and then reconnecting immedately (without a reboot). It did not cure the problem. I got an icon in my system tray that said "new USB device" and then "problems installing device, it may not work propery".

Any ideas? Thanks.

[ultimate]

I note that when you deleted the item you did not reboot so have you tried this since as it cant reinstall correctly unless it is rebooted when you do this have you tried all the usb ports as you may have a faulty port and also have you checked the usb controllers in device manager to see that they are in fact installed.

[richy]

Hi there, whilst i have been working on site i have found a similar problem with usb devices not being available after re-boot or not being correctly installed, the work around i normally use to fix this problem is to go into the device manager locate the usb root hubs go to power management and disable any power saving options on the usb hubs. also (silly as it sounds have you tried plugging the device into another usb port?)

[peterb]

I've had a problem with drives that are powered through the USB connection where the USB port can't supply enough current. (and the same with a PCMCIA card). Some drive cases come with external PSU connectors, or ypu can get the power from a keyboard port. Otherwise coose drives that have a low power requirement.