USB drive problems

GrreatRon · Dec 29, 2007

I purchased a new USB drive and when I inserted it in the slot a window came up saying new hardware is found and tries to get me to install the software and/or driver. It also does not show up as a drive when I click on My Computer. I started having this problem after I installed a new wireless mouse which I had to do with any of the four USB slots that I have. I also use those same slots with other USB drives and have no problems with them. I took the new one back to the store and exchanged it for a different new one and the problem persists. Any ideas?

dlb · Dec 30, 2007

I'm assuming you're running Windows XP. Try updating your chipset drivers or see if there's a possible USB driver for your motherboard. If it's an older PC, it could be that it has problems with USB2.0 devices that aren't backward compatible to USB1.0/1.1. Most 2.0 devices are backward compatible, but not all of them, especially some really new USB2.0 devices. Check the drives documentation to see if it works with USB1.1. Check your BIOS to see what the USB settings are; I've seen some motherboards where the USB can be set for USB1.1, USB2.0, or USB1.1+2.0, or it may have a Legacy option that needs to be enabled/disabled. Maybe also check with your MB maker for a possible BIOS update....

GrreatRon · Dec 31, 2007

Thanks for the info, but I am not geeky enough to grasp what you are trying to tell me. My laptop is about 2 years old and has 4 USB ports and I have the same problem with all 4. I have some other USB drives that I use to backup some of my apps and have no problem with them. I wonder if the problem could be tied to the way I installed a wireless mouse a few months ago. I installed it using a USB port on the side of the laptop but then found out that that was the only port I could use for the mouse. Since I wanted to use a port on the rear of the laptop I installed it again there and it has worked OK since. Would there be any benefit in uninstalling the mouse and re-installing it?

Any other instructions from you will have to be simple step-by-step since I am technically challenged.

Thanks!!

DavidGP · Dec 31, 2007

Hi Ron

Just to rule out some driver issue, please goto Start > Run and paste devmgmt.msc hit enter and tell us if you have any Yellow ! Marks, if so what are they?

( or Right Click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device manager )

What its the name and make of this new USB Drive?
Do older USB Drives still work?
If you have XP what Service Pack do you have installed?

Also unplug all USB devices apart whats needed for Keyboard and Mouse and try your USB Drive, does it work now?

GrreatRon · Jan 1, 2008

Halo said: ↑

Hi Ron

Just to rule out some driver issue, please goto Start > Run and paste devmgmt.msc hit enter and tell us if you have any Yellow ! Marks, if so what are they?

( or Right Click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device manager )

What its the name and make of this new USB Drive?
Do older USB Drives still work?
If you have XP what Service Pack do you have installed?

Also unplug all USB devices apart whats needed for Keyboard and Mouse and try your USB Drive, does it work now?
Click to expand...

No yellow marks; PNY Optima Pro Attache; Older drives work fine; I have XP Home SP2. I did take the first USB back to the store and swapped it for an identical one so I'm assuming nothing is wrong with the drive.

Any other ideas?

GrreatRon · Jan 7, 2008

Halo said: ↑

Hi Ron

Just to rule out some driver issue, please goto Start > Run and paste devmgmt.msc hit enter and tell us if you have any Yellow ! Marks, if so what are they?

( or Right Click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device manager )

What its the name and make of this new USB Drive?
Do older USB Drives still work?
If you have XP what Service Pack do you have installed?

Also unplug all USB devices apart whats needed for Keyboard and Mouse and try your USB Drive, does it work now?
Click to expand...

Halo;

I have been communication with a tech from PNY flash drives and apparently I need some kind of driver that he said was on my Installation CD for XP. Would I run into a problem if I just re-installed XP again without removing anything first?

DavidGP · Jan 8, 2008

Hi Ron

Yes, XP should by default once that drive was plugged in start as you mentioend to install the mass driver hardware support for that USB, did you by any chance notice this popup say it had completed and the device was ready to use?

Try this for me, pop in the USB Pen then right click My Computer and select Manage > Computer Managment > Disk Managment and in the right top or bottom box, does it list a USB ( Removable ) with drive letter, if it does then right click it and choose "Change Drive Letter and Path" click change then Assign Drive Letter and choose X: ( only chose X as its random and up the top end of the letters ) then click YES.

Now see if the drive is acessable.

A re-install should not be necassary, as I just wonder if another device has taken charge of the allocated drive letter to this USB Pen.

You can force the OS to re-install the mass driver, it is possible that the driver could have been corrupted or the install halted, so have no USB pens plugged in, Right Click, My Computer > Properties > Click the Hardware Tab and then Device Manager > click the + by Universal Serial Bus Controllers to open up the tree, plug in the USB Pen and the page should refresh and the USB Mass Storage Drive should show, right click this and click Uninstall, then pull out the USB Pen, plug it back in and the driver should re-load ( do this option myself if I exhausted the above one on PCs with USB Pen issues, generally fixes it )

*also, your not using TweakUI for XP are you? IF you are and you turned off drive access to none used letters this will force the device to not have an allocated letter so will not show in my computer ( in TweakUI this option is located in My Computer > Drives and re-tick a letter to allow access*

GrreatRon · Jan 9, 2008

Note remarks in the body of the previous message.

Halo said: ↑

Hi Ron

Yes, XP should by default once that drive was plugged in start as you mentioned to install the mass driver hardware support for that USB, did you by any chance notice this popup say it had completed and the device was ready to use?

The popup said that the driver was not installed.

Try this for me, pop in the USB Pen then right click My Computer and select Manage > Computer Managment > Disk Managment and in the right top or bottom box, does it list a USB ( Removable ) with drive letter, if it does then right click it and choose "Change Drive Letter and Path" click change then Assign Drive Letter and choose X: ( only chose X as its random and up the top end of the letters ) then click YES.

I did this and the USB drive showed up under Other Devices and did not give me the option of "Change Drive Letter and Path" when I right clicked.

Now see if the drive is accessible.

A re-install should not be necessary, as I just wonder if another device has taken charge of the allocated drive letter to this USB Pen.

You can force the OS to re-install the mass driver, it is possible that the driver could have been corrupted or the install halted, so have no USB pens plugged in, Right Click, My Computer > Properties > Click the Hardware Tab and then Device Manager > click the + by Universal Serial Bus Controllers to open up the tree, plug in the USB Pen and the page should refresh and the USB Mass Storage Drive should show, right click this and click Uninstall, then pull out the USB Pen, plug it back in and the driver should re-load ( do this option myself if I exhausted the above one on PCs with USB Pen issues, generally fixes it )

the USB Mass Storage Drive does not show up.

*also, your not using TweakUI for XP are you? IF you are and you turned off drive access to none used letters this will force the device to not have an allocated letter so will not show in my computer ( in TweakUI this option is located in My Computer > Drives and re-tick a letter to allow access*
Click to expand...

With TweakUI I had unchecked several drives but even after rechecking all of them, nothing different happened.

Any other ideas?

DavidGP · Jan 9, 2008

Hi Ron

What happened in the other options I gave above TweakUI, did any of them help?

GrreatRon · Jan 10, 2008

Hi Halo;

I answered those issues in the body of your last answer to me. Re-read that part of that message.

I appreciate all your efforts for me.

BTW, I don't know if this is related or not but every time I start my laptop I get a window that says "New Hardware Found", just as if I had plugged the USB drive in the port. I think you may have something when you said something about the drives being taken over by another app or whatever.

DavidGP · Jan 13, 2008

Hi Ron

Sorry missed the text in my quoted text.

Very weird this one and I without sitting with the actual PC, I'm getting stumpted slowly to a fix as the ones listed should have this USB pen working by now.

So a few other things to try;

1. Could you post a screenshot like mine of Disk Managment with the USB plugged in as the device is recognised by the OS

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3756/46751830th4.jpg
just wish to see the filesystem format and options on right click of that drive.

2. The main culprits to taking over an device would be security and backup applications, so disable all of them and try the PEN, if it works great, then enable one at a time to find the cause.

Actually boot into Safe Mode and try the USB Pen, if it works fine then its likely to be an application at fault.

3. Does this USB Pen work ok in another XP PC?

GrreatRon · Jan 13, 2008

Hi Halo;

Well, things are not any better. I probably am going to have to take my laptop to a geek to see if he/she can salvage it.

Here is an attachment of a screen shot as you requested. This is when a flash drive is inserted which is still read as a flash drive.

I've tried everything you've suggested including the Safe Mode and disabling security and backup. In the process of trying various things I uninstalled the USB 2.0 drive so now all I have is USB 1.0 and everything is slooooowwwwwww!.

Yes, the flash drives work in other machines.

Any other ideas would be welcome.

DavidGP · Jan 19, 2008

Hi Ron

I cannot think of anything else to suggest to fix this, without actually being infront of that PC and looking for myself.

You tried re-installing the drivers, used different USB sticks, this USB works in other PCs so its not a Vista only thing as that USB is aimed at Vista compatability, its not security apps blocking the USB, you unplugged all USB devices apart from needed ones so not a power issue, TweakUI is not hiding any drives as you changed this to show all.

That screenshot is different to the one I asked for so doesnt highlight what I was looking for, but does show all drivers are fine as far as I can see.

There is nothing that should be stopping this drive from working as Mass Drivers are built into XP by default, ok its possible that the USB Pens device code is exactly the same as one you already have, but thats a million to one shot of that happening!

If this drive works in other PCs, random thought is change its drive letter as I mentioned earlier on that PC its working on then try in yours, plus what is its file format? FAT, FAT32, NTFS or exFAT?

other than that I really stumpted and thats rare, so sorry I cannot help further Ron.

GrreatRon · Jan 20, 2008

Hi Halo;

Thanks for all your efforts and time. I left my laptop with the Geek Squad at Best Buy for 3 days and they could not find the correct driver for it so I decided to start over and re-install everything which I am now in the process of doing.

Don't feel bad 'cuz I'm sure I will be asking for help again in the future.

DavidGP · Jan 20, 2008

Hi Ron

Yes it was a odds on bet that they wouldnt also find the driver for this if I couldnt either, main reason is this driver is built into XP by default, but cause of why it wouldnt load correctly is a mystery.

DO please let me know if after this re-install that the USB driver for this pen is picked up, I really interested as to why its not.

David

GrreatRon · Jan 20, 2008

I am far enough along to let you know that everything seems to be fine as far as the USB ports are concerned. I used the Recovery CD for my laptop and it set up everything like it was when I bought it which included XP Home. I don't whether the drivers were from the Toshiba part of the CD or the XP part. In any event, I shore am glad it's fixed. Now to finish installing the various apps.

Thanks again!

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USB drive problems

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