USB device Freezes my PC

[dadguy]

Greetings all,

I am stymied by several jobs where insertion of a USB device freezes my PC

1. An HP DV8000 laptop, about two years old.

- XP Professional, SP3, 1GB Memory

- The USBs have worked fine for two years. Suddenly they are not working. No indication of what event started the problem.

- If I insert a USB wireless mouse, I get an "Device Not Recoginzed" message. I still have control over the Synamptec (SP?) touchpad to operate the cursor, but the wireless mouse doesn't work (yet it always has before). The power LED on the mouse USB stick flashes once but doesn't light like it used to do. The Device Manager shows an "Unknown Device"

- If I insert a standard memory stick, the cursor locks up and I cannot recover. Everything is frozen, even after romoving the stick. The only recovery is a forced shutdown with the power button (hold for 5 seconds). Likewise, other devices like a USB External Disk locks me up.

- The devices (mouse, stick, Ext Hard Drive) all work properly in other PCs.

What I have tried:

- All Device Manager USB items are "Working Properly" with no yellow !

- I tried upgrading the drivers of all of the USB devices in Device Manager. Each time, "An upgraded driver could not be found" result was returned.

- I disconnected power and the battery overnight. Powered up after... no change.

- BIOS had no choices for changing any settings. No "Legacy Device Support" or even a "Rest to Default" choice was available. Remember, they were working with the original BIOS.

- Flashed the BIOS to the latest level. No change.

- Restacked the USBs by uninstalling all USB devices in Decice Manager. then scanning for Hardware Changes. All were re-installed but no change.

- Re-installed all OEM drivers from OEM driver disk. No change.

- Checked Services, and noticed that "Universal Plus & Play" was not running (Manual). Switched it to Automatoc and started it. No change.

- Uninstalled SP3. No change.

- Took the PC to Geek Squad. They ran a Hardware test from a boot CD and said it was "hardware related" and that hardware compnents needed to be replaced. They sent it to HP and 2 weeks later HP returned it saying that the problem was OS related and left it for the Geek Squad to re-install the OS.

- I picked it up (since I am a competent PC guy) and executed the following (it still had the same problems):

- I booted from the OEM OS disk and did a Windows repair install; new operating system, retained the installed programs. No change.

- I ran through all of the above efforts with the fresh install, no change.

- I did a system restore (more invasive) to re-install to the OEM condition. No change.

- I ran through all of the above efforts with the fresh install, no change.

- I connected to HPs online driver install. Nothing found. No change.

I have searched the internet tirelessly. Many have my problem, yet no one seems to have solved the problem. The forums always end without resolution. Many have solved it temporarily with the "remove power for 30 minutes" suggestion, but no one seems to know what the problem is.

What is it with USB problems that I cannot find someone whom has a similar problem and a solution?

I hope you can help.

Dadguy

[jaclaz]

It's difficult to say whether it is something that can be resolved.

From what you say, it seems to me actually software related, I suspect a problem in the Registry, and even more specifically my guess is for some upper/lower filter badly installed or simply badly coded/conflicting with something else.

Check these, first thing:

http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=75587

Filter drivers that may cause a conflict are typically installed by "Virtual drivers" (something like Daemon Tools as an example) and by hard disk partitioning/manipulating utilities (Acronis products as an example).

Even a number of "demo" or "trial" software, relating to the above "kind" of apps may install "something" that conflicts and it is not removed properly when uninstalling, again, as an example, Winmount, and as well a number of USB specific "Manufacturer Tool" may install conflicting drivers.

Only you can say what you have currently installed or what you have installed in the past....

jaclaz

[dadguy]

Thanks for the reply, jaclaz. I read those links... the first one had some interesting stuff, but nothing I haven't considered so far. The second wasn't applicable.

Hmmm... I would have thought that the System Restore would have brought me to a safe place with a fresh registry. It certainly looks like a new registry (it's size is a fraction of what it was).

I wonder how HP can so definitively say this is software, not hardware? Is this a routine to deflect costs associated with replacing hardware under warranty? One wonders....

I hope someone out there recognizes this and has come up with a solution or recommendation.

[jaclaz]

I wonder how HP can so definitively say this is software, not hardware?

Maybe because they tested the hardware and didn't find anything faulty?

Is this a routine to deflect costs associated with replacing hardware under warranty? One wonders....

It's easy to prove that.

Simply, install a second copy of XP from scratch (in dual boot) and see if the problems remain with the new "clean" copy (with a "kosher" Registry and no third party app installed).

jaclaz

Edited March 7, 2009 by jaclaz

[dadguy]

Assuming they opened the case and removed the muriad of hardware to finally get to the motherboard and USB module. But I don'tsee any evidence of that (the screws look untouched). The geek squad booted from a hardware test CD and claimed that this tool used only software frm the CD; they determined that it was a hardware issue before sending to HP. It doesn't matter... I am just a little skeptical after trying so many other things.

I do appreciate the responses, and your idea sounds like a good one. Many thanks! I will report back so this question gets resolved.

Dadguy

Edited March 7, 2009 by dadguy

[jaclaz]

Well, really cannot say.

I would guess that HP assistance technicians know their manufactured hardware slightly better than the guys from Geek Squad...., and they should be more "dependable"

........of course if they actually looked at your PC , but for all you (and me) know, they could have diagnostics programs sophisticated enough to check a laptop without an actual need to open it up....

....no offence intended to the Geek Squad "category", but I have reasons to believe that while there are among them very good and prepared technicians , there also some kids that actually know nothing about PC's, and expecially hardware troubleshooting, they can only run their pre-made CD/DVD (of which they know just some bits and pieces).

Besides, their CD is necessarily "generic" and may misdiagnoose a problem.

FYI:

http://www.google.com/search?&q=geek+squad+ranting

jaclaz

[DigeratiPrime]

Turn on your pc, hit the Pause key before Windows loads, insert USB device.

If it locks up, try another USB Port or USB Device.

Reboot into Safe Mode (hold F8 right before Windows boots) insert USB device.

If it locks up, try another USB Port or USB Device.

Please tell us what happens in both scenarios.

Might also want to disable Autoplay / Autorun

Start > Run > gpedit.msc > [Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System] Enabled Turn off Autoplay on: All drives