USB 2.0 flash drive and XP Pro

[DaveP]

I have a new USB 2.0 1 GB flash drive. It does not work on my computer
running XP Pro 32 bit SP2.
It is detected but doesnt show up in Explorer and after a couple of minutes
the computer tends to
stops responding until I unplug it.

The 1 GB flash drive works fine on this same computer running WinXP Pro 64
bit.
It works on an older PIII running Win2K.
It works fine on my laptop running XP Home SP2

I have 6 other USB devices including a 64 MB Flash drive, a 120 GB USB
harddrive and a USB zip drive,
they all work fine.
Device Manager recognizes it as a mass storage device and says it is working
properly.

I have uninstalled all USB items in Device Manager and reinstalled, no help.
I have disconnected all other USB devices, no help.
I have reassigned drive letters for my DVD writer and DVD Rom to open drive
letters behind harddrive, no help.
I have wound my butt and scratched my watch, no help.

I have read through this newsgroup and searched the internet, no help.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Dave P

 

[Guest]

Try downloads at microsoft.com,type in: Windows XP Above the scroll-bar,
then select by date,within the last week thiers an update for flash drive.

 

[DaveP]

I would appreciate a response a little more exact. I did find a hotfix for
Serial Bus Protocol 2. Didn't fix the problem, well not completely.
Computer still responds when i try to access the drive, I get a drive letter
assignment, however will not read the drive. CAnnot access disk management
with this drive inserted either.

For a drive that works flawlessly on any other operating system, XP Pro sure
has a problem with it.
Surely its not that hard to run a simple flash drive on this OS?

Any further assistance would be appreciated.

Dave P.

 

[DaveP]

This really sucks. 1 GB flash drive works on any computer or OS EXCEPT XP
PRO!

Shouldnt have to spend hours or days trying to figure out how to patch an OS
when every other one works fine.

 

[Richard Urban]

A vague answer, as usual, from Andrew.

I would format the flash drive as there may be issues with "it".

There is a neat program from HP that is designed to do just that. I have
used it on a few different make drives and it seems to work on all of them.
You can get it here (free)
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/20306.html

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[DaveP]

I appreciate your response. However, since the problem is only present in XP
Pro 32 bit, I dont see how formatting the drive is of any help. But I
tried. I had to go to a Win2K machine since the XP Pro machine wont
recognize the drive.

Downloaded and formatted the drive. No help. This is totally ridiculous.

Where are all the experts with the fancy titles in here? Anyone? ;-)

Dave P

 

[Anna]

I have a new USB 2.0 1 GB flash drive. It does not work on my computer
running XP Pro 32 bit SP2.
It is detected but doesnt show up in Explorer and after a couple of
minutes the computer tends to stops responding until I unplug it.

The 1 GB flash drive works fine on this same computer running WinXP Pro 64
bit.
It works on an older PIII running Win2K.
It works fine on my laptop running XP Home SP2

I have 6 other USB devices including a 64 MB Flash drive, a 120 GB USB
harddrive and a USB zip drive, they all work fine.
Device Manager recognizes it as a mass storage device and says it is
working properly.

I have uninstalled all USB items in Device Manager and reinstalled, no
help.
I have disconnected all other USB devices, no help.
I have reassigned drive letters for my DVD writer and DVD Rom to open
drive letters behind harddrive, no help.
I have wound my butt and scratched my watch, no help.

I have read through this newsgroup and searched the internet, no help.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Dave P

Dave:
I can only sympathize with your problem but offer no concrete suggestions
that would help you. And I have some doubt (although I hope I'm wrong) that
others will be able to offer any substantive help as well. You seem to have
done all the right things re this situation to solve this problem.

The experience we've had with a variety of USB 2.0 devices, particularly
jump (flash, pen, thumb, etc.) drives parallels yours. And we know that many
other users' experiences also have run into these puzzling occurrences,
i.e., *apparently* non-defective USB 2.0 devices installed in *apparently*
working USB 2.0 ports in an *apparently* properly-configured system that
simply don't work or work erratically, or work in one machine and not in
another. It's been an aggravating problem for many of us because there
doesn't seem to be a common denominator to explain all these anomalies.

We've just about concluded that either there must be some fundamental
incompatibility inherent in the USB 2.0 specification that is causing these
types of problems as it involves the design and manufacture of these USB
devices, and/or the system protocols and devices that are employed to work
with these devices. Or perhaps it's just a matter of poor quality control in
the manufacture of these devices (even extending to the same make & model)
in that sometimes they work; sometimes they don't. Or perhaps some
incompatibility problem existing between the XP OS and the USB 2.0
specification that results in these puzzling occurrences.

Hopefully, others may shed some light on this continually nagging problem.
Please keep us informed if you've been able on your own to solve the problem
or have received any useful advice from any posters on this newsgroup who
have responded to your query.
Anna

P.S.
Just as I was going to send this precious cargo on its way to the newsgroup,
I came across your last posting (responding to Richard Urban's suggestion)
in which you ended by saying "Where are all the experts with the fancy
titles in here? Anyone? ;-)". I'm going to scold you for that because that
kind of snide remark is totally uncalled for. And the fact that you ended
the remark with one of those "smiles" does not, in my opinion, make your
remark any more palatable. I'm sure I need not give you a sermon about the
posters in this newsgroup with their "fancy titles" who graciously,
willingly, and with a fair degree of technical expertise (like the Richard
Urbans) respond to pleas for help from people like yourself on a daily
basis. And from what I know, their "remuneration" is somewhat paltry ;-).

 

[DaveP]

Anna,

I do apologize for my "comment" that was obviously not taken well.
Microsoft offers their Newsgroups as an avenue for support, one would only
hope to find some support here.

I appreciate the time you have taken to respond to my problem. You indicate
that the answer is that there is no answer.

Since the USB flash drive works flawlessly on 4 computers and 3 operataing
systems, Win2K, WinXP Home, and WinXP 64 Bit, I find it hard to believe that
the answer is there is no answer. The machine that is running XP Pro also
runs Win XP 64 bit. Drive works on XP 64 bit, not on XP 32 bit, seems to
take the computer out of the equation, and only leaves XP Pro 32 bit as the
problem. But hey what do I know.

Thanks for your time and again apologize for the comment.

Dave P

 

[Anna]

Just one clarification Dave. It's not that there is no *answer* to this
problem; it's just that we've not been able to find a universal,
one-size-fits-all global *solution* to the problem.
Anna

 

[DaveP]

and the mystery continues...... MS is working on it now, will see what they
come up with.

Thanks for your replies,
Dave P

 

[Pavel A.]

Please note that 64-bit XP Pro is not exactly 64-bit replica of 32-bit XP.
It is much newer and has many updated components.
So it is no wonder that it works where 32-bit XP fails.
Keep looking for update for the USB divers...
Also, try to connect your flash drive thru a *powered* hub. It can make it work.

Regards,
--PA

 

[Dave P]

Just for grins, I installed Win2K on the computer in question, (yes a triple
boot) installed all updates (SP4), and the 1 GB USB Flash Drive works fine
with Win2K also. So here we have 3 OS's. 1 computer, and the problem only
exists with XP Pro 32 Bit. I may be all wet, but sure seems like an OS
specific (Win XP Pro 32 bit) problem to me.

Again Thanks,
Dave P

 

[DaveP]

I just spent days looking for a problem with my new 1GB flash drive.
Looooooooooooooooong story.

Tonight, just after 12:30 AM, after doing more stuff than I care to talk
about, I found an old USB flash drive reader program with that I got years
ago with my camera that reads my camera cards, it was the ENTIRE problem.

Said program is called "ZiO" from www.microtechint.com which by the way
doesnt appear to have a working website any longer.

Uninstalled program and all my problems are gone. Really blows. lol

I had been working with MS support on this. Tomorrow I will share my
findings with them.

Good luck,
Dave P

 

[Jason]

I just spent days looking for a problem with my new 1GB flash drive.
Looooooooooooooooong story.

Tonight, just after 12:30 AM, after doing more stuff than I care to talk
about, I found an old USB flash drive reader program with that I got years
ago with my camera that reads my camera cards, it was the ENTIRE problem.

Said program is called "ZiO" from www.microtechint.com which by the way
doesnt appear to have a working website any longer.

Uninstalled program and all my problems are gone. Really blows. lol

I had been working with MS support on this. Tomorrow I will share my
findings with them.

Good luck,
Dave P

 

[Jason]

I have three different brand drives that arent't recognized by Windows
XP Pro and I don't ahve the ZiO software. Explain that?

Jason

 

[Guest]

I have a similar problem with Windows XP Pro SP2. I have two other Flash
Drives that work fine, but the latest one that I put in is recognized by its
brand name and assigned a drive letter, but it shows no size, and am unable
to assign a volume name, or do anything else. Another Windows XP screw up
that we will have to wait for them to solve. I had a problem that 3 1394
drives were not recognized until I connected each one to their own socket on
a 1394 board with three outputs.

Hope they get this resolved pretty soon. I had a problem a few months ago
where the icons in the notification area on the lower right side of display
in the task bar area would come and go from day to day. I downloaded a
program that seemed to fix that problem, but Microsoft finally solved the
problem themselves by changing how displaying the icons takes place.

Ron Geiken

 

[Thomas Wendell]

The USB problem is not necessarily an XP problem, as I've got it too..

Got a new computer 2 weeks ago, installed XP home and thought everything is
good.
But no, connected network cable to a newly bought router (D-Link DI-704P)
and no address?
(It worked connected directly to the ADSL-box, a Zyxel P645R). My old
computer had no
problem on the new router. OK, hope it's a fluke. Connected a USB stick,
seen and recognized
correctly, but ANY accessing it failed. OK, connect an external 120GB disk
(USB). Same problem.

Sent computer back to dealer, got it back 3hrs later. They told that the
first 2 USB device they
connected funtioned flawlessly, but the 3rd failed. Same for net..

Ergo, defective motherboard (Asus A8N-VM)


--
Tumppi
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Most learned on these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
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