USB Flash Drive - drivers needed??

[Guest]

Hello,
I have a Toshiba Satellite A75-S211 with Windows XP SP2 (with all the
critical updates). I can connect my printer and my Ipod on a USB port without
any issues.

But with my new USB 2.0 Flash drive (PNY technologies 512MB), Windows
detects the new harware and would like to install a driver. But there is no
drivers provided with the USB Flash drive. As far as I know, there is no
driver either available or needed for XP service pack 2.
I have the same issue when I plug my new Digital Camera (Canon Powershot
SD700) and my new external card reader. In both cases, I have the same issue:
no drivers provided, but Windows requests them????
With each device, I tried my 3 USB port: same results.
I tested these 3 devices with another PC (same config XP SP2): they worked
!!!!

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Quatermass]

Hello,
I have a Toshiba Satellite A75-S211 with Windows XP SP2 (with all the
critical updates). I can connect my printer and my Ipod on a USB port without
any issues.

But with my new USB 2.0 Flash drive (PNY technologies 512MB), Windows
detects the new harware and would like to install a driver. But there is no
drivers provided with the USB Flash drive. As far as I know, there is no
driver either available or needed for XP service pack 2.
I have the same issue when I plug my new Digital Camera (Canon Powershot
SD700) and my new external card reader. In both cases, I have the same issue:
no drivers provided, but Windows requests them????
With each device, I tried my 3 USB port: same results.
I tested these 3 devices with another PC (same config XP SP2): they worked
!!!!

Any suggestions please?

Sounds like Windows is confused and thinks they're not standard Mass
storage devices.

This happened to 3 of my PCs recently.

I went into Device Manager and uninstalled the usb Root hubs and the
unknown device.
I also deleted the .PNF files in c:\windows/inf that had USB in their
name.
Then I rebooted.

These PNFs are compiled inf files and Windows rebuilds them.

You may also wish to do a "CHKDSK /F C:" just in case your drive has
errors on it.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

You need to try to install the USB device one at a time. It might be that the
USB ports can not allow all the devices to work at the same time. If each one
works correctly when the device is to only USB unit connected, then you might
need to try a powered USB hub. Powered USB hubs have their own power cord
which should provide additional power to the USB devices.

 

[Guest]

Yves,

I install one USB device one at a time: it is not a Power issue: the USB
flash Drive need only 200MA (vs 500MA provided by the USB port)
Thanks for the idea.

 

[Guest]

Quatermass,

I agree with you, I have lost the driver to manage "standard Mass
storage" devices. Nevertheless Ipod seems to use this type of driver and it
works.

So I followed your process: I dit it, but it is worst.

1/ I created a restore point.
2/ I went into Device Manager and uninstalled my 3 usb Root hubs and the
unknown device.
3/ I dit not delete the .PNF files in c:\windows/inf that had USB in their
name. I only update the name of the 6 files (from USBxxx.PNF to PVSBxxx.PNF)
4/ Then I rebooted.
5/ Windows detects new harware (I suppose my 3 USB Root hubs) and would like
to install a driver. But it did not find any drivers??
6/ Thereafter, I went into Device Manager: under "Standard Enhanced PCI to
USB Host controller" and "Standard OpenHCD USB Host controller" I have 3
"Unknow device" (I suppose my USB Roob hubs). Of course my USB Flash drive is
not visible.
7/ The 6 USBxxxx.PNF files were not re-created into windows/inf
8/ I will use my restore point to reinstall the USB Root hubs.

Thanks for the idea. But I don't know why windows was not able to recreate
the PNF file.

It is not possible to download a "driver" to manage the standard Mass
storage devices.

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Quatermass]

Yves,

I install one USB device one at a time: it is not a Power issue: the USB
flash Drive need only 200MA (vs 500MA provided by the USB port)
Thanks for the idea.

If only all vanilla USB ports did supply the correct 500mA.
Quite often the ports built into the motherboard are not capable of
supplying the full power specification.
If you do have any external hubs, I'd power them up to see it it makes
a difference.

I'd also plug the mass storage device directly into a USB port and not
via a hub.


If push comes to shove, I suggest you reinstall XP service pack 2. This
will reinstall native USB drivers. But will mean all your security
updates need to be re-installed.

 

[Quatermass]

Quatermass,

I agree with you, I have lost the driver to manage "standard Mass
storage" devices. Nevertheless Ipod seems to use this type of driver and it
works.

So I followed your process: I dit it, but it is worst.

1/ I created a restore point.
2/ I went into Device Manager and uninstalled my 3 usb Root hubs and the
unknown device.
3/ I dit not delete the .PNF files in c:\windows/inf that had USB in their
name. I only update the name of the 6 files (from USBxxx.PNF to PVSBxxx.PNF)
4/ Then I rebooted.

All sounds good so far!

5/ Windows detects new harware (I suppose my 3 USB Root hubs) and would like
to install a driver. But it did not find any drivers??
6/ Thereafter, I went into Device Manager: under "Standard Enhanced PCI to
USB Host controller" and "Standard OpenHCD USB Host controller" I have 3
"Unknow device" (I suppose my USB Roob hubs). Of course my USB Flash drive is
not visible.

Right this Standard OpenHCD USB Host controller' may be your problem.

7/ The 6 USBxxxx.PNF files were not re-created into windows/inf

Correct. As they're unknown devices.
So its really messed up if it can't install simple hubs.
IIRC it needs a correctly working USB controller installed to then pass
on the correct installation of the hubs.

8/ I will use my restore point to reinstall the USB Root hubs.

Thanks for the idea. But I don't know why windows was not able to recreate
the PNF file.

It is not possible to download a "driver" to manage the standard Mass
storage devices.

No, its built in.

I suggest you go to the Toshiba Support site and see if they have a USB
driver for your laptop (you may already have them on your harddrive or
on a CD). Or at least ask them what's the name of the drivers that
should be installed. Just to give you that bit of peace of mind.

I suspect your USB hardware isn't standard. what laptop is? ;-)

If I'm right (I could be wrong) once you've got the right USB
controller drivers installed the hubs will follow correctly.

No harm in getting the latest USB drivers anyway.


Or if you're keen, do my last suggestion again, but this time uninstall
ALL the usb devices and rename the PNFs and reboot. Its quick and
simple to do.

Good to see you did a Restore point!

 

[Guest]

Quatermas,

You did not give me the answer, but good ideas. Thanks.
Now it works. I will explain.

As I said, my Ipod works. I plugged it and went into Device Manager. I
noticed that it uses a "standard Mass storage" driver named USBSTOR.sys.
So I connected my USB flash drive and selected the driver
"c:\windows\inf\usbstor.pnf" and it worked. I was able to view the contents
of my USB drive with Windows Explorer.

I did the same with my new external card reader: it works.

Thanks again