Strange USB Problem

[Guest]

I have a user with a somewhat strange usb problem. The system is an Alienware
laptop/XPSP2/up-to-date patches, and the user just discovered today, that
when he plugs a usb flash drive or his usb printer or a usb hub, these items
are discovered as unknown devices. I checked the system out and the usb
keyboard and mouse work fine in any of the three onboard usb ports, but a
flash drive or hub or usb printer plugged into any of the same ports is
discovered as an unknown device. I tried removing/rediscovering the usb
subsystem in device manager, with no change in the problem. Any ideas? This
has me puzzled...

Thanks
LVDave
dave(dot)frandin(at)nv(dot)doe(dot)gov

 

[Guest]

Thier is a device mgr hotfix for SP2,#893249 As for the other,try kb297694
Or its kb304708 Other than that,try locating the usb controller in system
com-
ponents in device mgr,R.click,select uninstall,restart computer,let xp
reinstall

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply...

I'm not seeing the problem with the device manager referenced in 893249, and
297694 refers to a drive mapping problem, and 304708 is not found.. As I
said earlier, I did remove the USB support in device manager, reboot and
allow it to rediscover.. This did nothing...

LVDave

 

[Jane Colman]

Silly question but....are the USB device drivers installed (ie for the
printer and flash drive)??

 

[Guest]

Yes.. The failing printer had been in use on that system previously. Also
tried reinstalling the printer drivers (HP 2420) and the driver installer
complained that there was no printer detected on the usb bus. The usb drive
is normally detected/installed without any additional drivers under
Win2K/WinXP.. All evidence points to -something- having failed on this
system. I just don't know -what- ..

Thanks
LVDave