Lost USB devices after last night's Vista OS updates

[Lee Stone]

Hello

I hope someone can help me. I cannot see any other posts on this issue.

Last night about three updates were installed using Windows Update on a
fully working Dell XPS1330 laptop. This morning I booted up to find that the
fingerprint sensor could not be found. Then my USB mouse and keyboard were
not operational. In fact no USB device is seen including my USB memory
stick.

Any clues how to progress? Do I need to go back to the last restore point?
Apologies if this information is already 'out there' - the most recent that
I could find was from April of this year.

Many thanks

L

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Control Panel/Programs and Features/View installed updates, remove the most
recent ones one at a time, rebooting inbetween until your devices return.

A system restore would accomplish the same thing similarly, but it would
remove all the updates not just one. It may be that only one is a problem,
and this you might want to mark to hide.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Lee Stone]

Rick, Max

Many thanks

L

 

[D Lirious]

This has been a common issue with some Microsoft updates, particularly
Service Packs in XP and presumably Vista.
The standard advice from Microsoft under these circumstances, which for once
actually works, is to open Device Manager and uninstall all the USB devices,
or whatever the malfunction is, you see, then reboot- in this case with the
USB peripherals not connected.
When you reboot fresh USB drivers will be installed. Then reinstall your
peripherals one by one.
This should work better than tracing backward through the updates.

 

[Lee Stone]

This has been a common issue with some Microsoft updates, particularly
Service Packs in XP and presumably Vista.
The standard advice from Microsoft under these circumstances, which for
once actually works, is to open Device Manager and uninstall all the USB
devices, or whatever the malfunction is, you see, then reboot- in this
case with the USB peripherals not connected.
When you reboot fresh USB drivers will be installed. Then reinstall your
peripherals one by one.
This should work better than tracing backward through the updates.

Thanks for the tip. I tried this. Unfortunately, the fingerprint reader is
built in - albeit connected internally via USB. The machine now boots into a
load or error messages and app warnings layered on top of each other.

I will now try and find the last restore point and work from there....

L

 

[GWL]

I too have had a similar problem. But I was not upgrading anything when it
happened. Yesterday, my computer suddenly issued a series of USB port
unplugging
sounds. Investigation has revealed that none of the USB ports on my machine
are functioning. No USB printer, keyboard or mouse (without PS/2). There were
five windows displayed with the following message: "One of the USB devices
attached to this computer has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize
it." Occasionally when I try to plug in a device, while no plugging sound is
issued, the malfunction message will be displayed. I also have one USB port
in a multi-card reader on my machine and it has a Ready Boost device plugged
in. This device works when plugged in at Boot, but is unrecognized if plugged
in after boot.

I have gone to the earliest restore point and that did not work. I have
installed all USB drivers in Device Manager and after Windows re-installed
them the Devices still do not work. Only return the malfunction message when
plugged in. In Problem reports there is a notation that Human Interface
Device could not load driver software. Then goes on the report that Windows
was able to install driver software, but encountered a problem when it tried
to run.

HELP, I have no clue as to what happened here.

 

[Lee Stone]

I too have had a similar problem. But I was not upgrading anything when it
happened. Yesterday, my computer suddenly issued a series of USB port
unplugging
sounds. Investigation has revealed that none of the USB ports on my
machine
are functioning. No USB printer, keyboard or mouse (without PS/2). There
were
five windows displayed with the following message: "One of the USB devices
attached to this computer has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize
it." Occasionally when I try to plug in a device, while no plugging sound
is
issued, the malfunction message will be displayed. I also have one USB
port
in a multi-card reader on my machine and it has a Ready Boost device
plugged
in. This device works when plugged in at Boot, but is unrecognized if
plugged
in after boot.

I have gone to the earliest restore point and that did not work. I have
installed all USB drivers in Device Manager and after Windows re-installed
them the Devices still do not work. Only return the malfunction message
when
plugged in. In Problem reports there is a notation that Human Interface
Device could not load driver software. Then goes on the report that
Windows
was able to install driver software, but encountered a problem when it
tried
to run.

HELP, I have no clue as to what happened here.

Hello

I only just found your note. I tried all the above and more.

Eventually, after a few abortive boots, all my USB devices just sprang back
into life. All are now working well, including my fingerprint reader
(internal USB connection). The most recent Windows Updates are all listed as
present, too. Very odd.

I hope yours is now working also?

L

 

[GWL]

Thanks for the reply Lee. I fought this all weekend. Yesterday I gave up and
completely disconnected the computer from everything, then unplugged it
getting ready to take it to a shop. Shop found nothing wrong. So I am left to
assume that either the complete unplugging of the machine did something or
the vibration of moving the machine did something that restarted the USB
ports. I am leaning in the direction of the power off and unplugging as the
fix as I ran into another user who's IT men could not fix her company
computer that had suddenly lost all USB ports last Friday. She left it
unplugged over the weekend and it worked fine on Monday morning.