USB Device Loses Connectivity

[ericpaul2]

I getting a bizarre problem with USB external storage devices. This is not the normal flash drive problem, though it occurs with both flash drives and an external DVD burner.

Basically, when I first boot up, any USB storage device is visible. However, when I attempt to write to the device (either through drag and drop to the flash drive or Roxio burner to a blank DVD/CD)...the copy operation begins...a few files are copies to the media...and then I get a "Cannot find the file/path" error.

The second symptom is a "ghost" USB Mass Storage Device that appears even when there is nothing attached to the computer. It has 0 GB of storage and cannot be accessed.

Anyone else hear of a similar problem?

I have several other USB devices (printer, wireless mouse, etc) that are working fine.

 

[DelJo63]

where do you see the 'ghost' M.S. device appear? Device Mgr?

 

[ericpaul2]

"ghost" device

I solved the problem last night by uninstalling the USB controllers and root hubs and allowing Windows to reinstall them.

The "ghost" device turned out to be a card reader on my printer (I never use it). I've had the printer for over 6 months and it never appeared before (both in Device Manager and My Computer). Now that I reinstalled the USB controllers/hubs, it has disappeared again.

 

[DelJo63]

I solved the problem last night by uninstalling the USB controllers and root hubs and allowing Windows to reinstall them.

Very good! This is a typical solution for USB issues.

Sure goofy that XP has so many issues with USB, as neither OS X nor Linux
are so problematic!