A customer has a new XP Home PC. Some USB devices work perfectly, but others 
such as pen drives and a printer fail to install the correct drivers. The 
pen drives are known to work in another XP PC. I've not heard of device 
drivers having to be installed from a CD for pen drives on XP: the relevant 
drivers are part of Windows. The pen drive is being correctly identified by 
make/model, but Windows puts up the Add New Hardware screen and requires 
drivers to be installed from CD or the Internet.

The printer is one whose instructions tell you to plug it in first and then 
subsequently install the software, but the customer is going to try the 
opposite way round just in case.

Anyone got any suggestions? The drives work in another XP PC, so it's not 
the pen drives that are at fault. The USB ports work with other devices, so 
it;s not the ports that are at fault.

On Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:47:08 +0000, Mortimer wrote:

> A customer has a new XP Home PC. Some USB devices work perfectly, but others 
> such as pen drives and a printer fail to install the correct drivers. The 
> pen drives are known to work in another XP PC. I've not heard of device 
> drivers having to be installed from a CD for pen drives on XP: the relevant 
> drivers are part of Windows. The pen drive is being correctly identified by 
> make/model, but Windows puts up the Add New Hardware screen and requires 
> drivers to be installed from CD or the Internet.
> 
> The printer is one whose instructions tell you to plug it in first and then 
> subsequently install the software, but the customer is going to try the 
> opposite way round just in case.
> 
> Anyone got any suggestions? The drives work in another XP PC, so it's not 
> the pen drives that are at fault. The USB ports work with other devices, so 
> it;s not the ports that are at fault.

Switch to Linux ?


-- 
May the reality be rewarding to you.

"Mortimer"  wrote in message 
news:13lamj22gov5e02@corp.supernews.com...
>A customer has a new XP Home PC. Some USB devices work perfectly, but 
>others such as pen drives and a printer fail to install the correct 
>drivers. The pen drives are known to work in another XP PC. I've not heard 
>of device drivers having to be installed from a CD for pen drives on XP: 
>the relevant drivers are part of Windows. The pen drive is being correctly 
>identified by make/model, but Windows puts up the Add New Hardware screen 
>and requires drivers to be installed from CD or the Internet.
>
> The printer is one whose instructions tell you to plug it in first and 
> then subsequently install the software, but the customer is going to try 
> the opposite way round just in case.
>
> Anyone got any suggestions? The drives work in another XP PC, so it's not 
> the pen drives that are at fault. The USB ports work with other devices, 
> so it;s not the ports that are at fault.

Some USB memory sticks have file encryption or other software like
"U3" : http://www.everythingusb.com/u3.html
which might need drivers.  If the cust doesn't need or want that, try
reformatting them in a working XP machine.
XP sometimes gets its knickers in a twist with USB (probably by
someone pulling a USB device without stopping it.)  You can fix
this easily by going into Control Panel and deleting *all* USB
ports and hubs from Device Manager.  Then simply reboot and XP
will redetect them and install the correct drivers.

HTH,
-- 
Rob

"Rob"  wrote in message 
news:fj672t$pgr$1@south.jnrs.ja.net...
>
> "Mortimer"  wrote in message 
> news:13lamj22gov5e02@corp.supernews.com...
>>A customer has a new XP Home PC. Some USB devices work perfectly, but 
>>others such as pen drives and a printer fail to install the correct 
>>drivers. The pen drives are known to work in another XP PC. I've not heard 
>>of device drivers having to be installed from a CD for pen drives on XP: 
>>the relevant drivers are part of Windows. The pen drive is being correctly 
>>identified by make/model, but Windows puts up the Add New Hardware screen 
>>and requires drivers to be installed from CD or the Internet.

> XP sometimes gets its knickers in a twist with USB (probably by
> someone pulling a USB device without stopping it.)  You can fix
> this easily by going into Control Panel and deleting *all* USB
> ports and hubs from Device Manager.  Then simply reboot and XP
> will redetect them and install the correct drivers.

Thanks, I'll try removing all the USB port/hubs and letting Windows 
re-detect them on the next boot.