Windows XP Won't Install New USB Drivers

Ok, I'm going nuts hear and I would REALLY like some help, if someone can help me.

I really don't no "computer talk" but I usually know how to figure out problems I'm having with the computer, but not this. Anything I try to plug into my USB ports it wont let me "install" it. The pop up comes up but it says unable to download.

I was wondering if someone can talk me through the Windows\inf way to try to fix it. One problem I have is I have no mouse now! So I'm doing everything by keyboard. So I can't save all my files to reinstall Windows XP right now. I'm just trying to install the new mouse/keyboard I have since my old mouse stopped working, and any other I try to wont work cuz there USB. *sigh* Please help someone

EDIT:
Ok I figured out how to do the windows\inf (its 4:40am, not thinking to clearly) but it sadly didn't work. Is there anything that you can help me with with out reinstalling Windows XP? As I can't save all my things and I really can't loose some of the stuff.

SilverPhoenix~

I'm not expert on these matters either but will take a stab at making suggestions.

If you haven't done so yet, try performing an XP repair install. If you aren't comfortable doing this, read the instructions from this link.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

If you have done this and it didn't help, consider that your USB device drivers might need updating. Sometimes after Windows Update installs patches, older drivers stop working I've found. Also, I'd like to share something that recently helped me install an old Microsoft Sidewinder Commander Pro gaming mouse on Vista Ultimate. You don't need to do everything I did, but one part in particular might be a key to your problem. Mainly the part where they tell you to go into the device manager and right click on two files there and 'install' unrecognized drivers using the driver properties dialog. Keeping in mind I don't have the 64 bit OS but 32 bit, yet these instructions helped - proving you never know where an answer might come from!

http://www.vistax64.com/vista-hardware-devices/39283-sidewinder-strategic-commander-problems-2.html

"go to control panel and open Device manager. Under the heading Human Interface Device you will see two items: HID-compliant device and USB Human Interface Device. Right click on the HID-compliant device choose update driver software; then click browse my computer for the driver software; then click let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer; then you will be given a list in that list will be Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander HID Drivers, click on that, will get the usual warning that the driver is unsigned, click on "install anyway". When finish repeat same steps for USB Human Interface Device."

One more thing came to mind. If you have another USB port (even a hub) try connecting your mouse to it and see if this makes any difference. Sometimes it's the port acting up in which case you'll need to deal with it until your next fresh install. If you get your files backed up do yourself a favor and fresh install XP. Longest I've gotten away without doing this is 2 years, and that was like a miracle. lol

Hope you get your devices working again, and I wish you best of luck discovering the solution.

Hey, thanks the the links. I'll check them out.

We haven't done a fresh install ever lol. Its been about 3-4 years since we've had the computer, and we haven't had a problem until now *sigh*.

I have about 6 USB ports :S two in the front, 4 in the back and I've tried them all. I honestly don't no what a hub is, they might be that? Blah! I'm just frustrated.

Will doing the repair whip out all my stuff? I have a lot of pictures, that I'm pretty sure I've saved them all but I can't loose them if I haven't. There's also a few other things that I really can't loose lol.

How do I install the unrecognized drivers? and I really don't no what 64 or 32 bit OS is lol, and I have no idea what I have.

Thanks for replying!

This type of repair won't wipe out your stuff

So just follow what the link said and I'll be fine? No chance of it wiping out anything?

Everything will be the same, desktop items, and no data loss... The only thing you may have to do is reinstall some Windows updates

Ummm I think I might know whats missing..Possibly. When I go to the Device Manager, the USB human interface Device is there but not the Compliant Device is that possibly whats wrong?

I don't have the Windows XP CD right now. We lost it when we moved. So my moms going to get one from her work *sigh* Can I repair it with out the CD some how?

You will need an XP install disc... If you are using XP Home or XP Professional, it may make a difference, so make sure your mom knows what version you are running

She knows *sigh* thanks for all your help!

Thanks helped me too !

SilverPhoenix~

A hub is a small electronic USB extension to have more ports to plug devises in that may or not work. lol In your case a hub might not help the situation as it sounds like all your ports are down, and I'm guessing it's an OS corruption matter.

It's okay not to know all about computers, lovingly call my boyfriend 'technospaz' and help him a lot too, but in his case must do so remotely as he is cross channel. You will need the install CD to perform a repair install, there's no way around that because it's where uncorrupted files must be obtained. Over time your system gathers a lot of grime in the registry from installing or uninstalling software, so this is why a fresh install every so many years is inevitable. You've gotten by fairly well from the sound of it, probably because you don't fiddle with your system as much as I do. You need not worry a repair install will wipe out your system, that's why it's called a 'repair' install rather than 'fresh' install. All it does is over write bad files and replace them with good ones. Tmagic650 is correct in saying you should run Windows Update afterward to ensure your computer is completely protected.

I'd recommend getting a nice external backup if you can swing it to store valuable files on, or at least a DVD-ROM combo to write files to DVD that you can't stand loosing. There are ways to recover data, but it's always best to prevent loss in advance and backup regularly. One way you might salvage files would be to buy a new internal drive to install a fresh copy of the OS on, then convert your old drive into a slave. It is what I'd do personally if I had important files in peril, and believe me, I've been there! Most have. New drives have become affordable, so that's the good news. This might be complicated for you to do on your own without learning how, but there are people in business who could do this for a nominal fee. In our area we have what's called 'Geek Squad' tech to make house calls in a pinch.

If you don't know the difference between 32 and 64 bit, you probably have a 32 bit OS. The more you know about your system, the easier it is for others to help you though. The unrecognized drivers would be listed in the devise manager under 'human interface devises'. To get to the devise manager in XP:

Click on Start then choose Control Panel.
Locate the System icon within the Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon to open the System Properties window.
Within the System Properties window, the General tab will be opened by default. Click the tab labeled Hardware and click the button labeled Device Manager
Under the Device Manager you will see a long list of the different types of hardware installed on your system.

This is where you can see if various peripherals are working or not, install and/or uninstall drivers and such. It might take a little hunting and pecking to find the right one, but my advise is to look and read each one carefully to determine which belongs to each devise. If you do not have drivers installed or Windows doesn't install them for you, they will not be found here though. While USB is plug n' play, there still needs to be something communicating between each devise and your operating system.

I seriously hope you recover all your precious files. If you need help it sometimes is worth hiring someone, but only you can decide how much your data means and if it's affordable to recover or just start over again. One thing I can say for certain. If you loose these, you'll probably start backing up data from then on so it doesn't happen again. Like I said, most of us have been there one time or another. Wish I could be of more help than I have... as my heart truly goes out to you. One last bit of advise is to never work on your computer when you feel either tired or upset. More mistake have been made under these conditions than any other. Try to remain cool and collected, and think everything through.

Good luck with your mission!

Lynn Ava

Thanks so much Ava. I'd post a better post to you, but its 4:30am and I'm ready to crash.

After about 5-6 days with out a mouse, I became a pro at using the keyboard for everything, so something good came out of it all.

My mom ended up taking the CPU to the "Professor". Someone she knows at work. He tried to fix it but sadly he couldn't and just wiped out the whole thing.

I was smart and ended up saving all the files we needed to DVDs, or at least most of them. I've been telling my mom that we needed to just crash the computer for a few weeks now. Meh, next time she'll listen to me . I can usually figure out how to fix things, but this was just...frustrating. All is good now though, I have a mouse, keyboard and the files I need.

Thanks so much for all your help!

SOLUTION for inf folder not working

I was having the same issue as everyone here (existing USB devices worked but no new ones, happened after I tried to plug in and use a WD external HDD) and this is how I solved it.

I had also tried pointing the driver wizard to the i386 folder (in C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386 as well as on the original XP install CD) with no luck. Also tried the C:\Windows\inf folder with no luck AND replacing individual files like usbstor.inf

Finally I copied the entire C:\Windows\inf folder from a working XP computer and backup the original inf folder on the "broken" XP machine and replaced it with the files from the working XP machine.

Ran the update drivers wizard again via device manager and managed to get the USB 2.0 Hub Controller (something I had uninstalled during my troubleshooting and hadn't been able to get working again) AND the WD external HDD.

Don't know what caused it but obviously something in the inf folder became corrupt and copying the entire folder from a working machine fixed it! I didn't even have point it to that folder specifically, Windows just automagically picked it up when I choose to install automatically.

Thank god I got it solved. This has plagued me on several machines over the years and I have re-installed windows entirely several times to fix it. By the way, to those who were wondinerg if an OS reinstall would fix it reinstalling Windows will always fix software related OS problems (if it was working before that is). If it doesn't you're probably looking at hardware problem or a problem with software that is not part of the OS.

YES

I too had this problem and wanted to join to say thank you to taberh for the .inf tip. I will now be able to sleep tonight !!!

Thanks

it worked for me too

Thank you DigitalOxygen! I had this usb problem and I tried everything under the sun with no help. But replacing the entire inf folder fixed my computer. Yeehaa!

Windows XP won't install USB devices

It has been 2 days and arround 5 hours working on this issue. I was unable to install my new Microsoft Wireless Media Keyboard and Mouse along with the HID Non-User Input Data FIlter drivers identified while attempting to install the prior.
Removing Microsoft's own Service Pack 3 resolved all of my issues. A company that loves to step on thier own feet.

Also, I returned a Kensington Wireless Key Board and Mouse prior to this because it had failed to install. I am sure the service pack 3 was the problem there also.

A bios update might have been useful prior to installing SP3. I have installed XP SP3 on 20 computers ranging from 3 to 9 years old... No problems were encountered, although most all of these computers were freshly formatted before a "clean" XP SP2 install was done

solved this problem

i don't know how by you all, but when i've got this problem, i had only service pack 2, now i downloaded sp3, restarted and problem solved i hope this will help for someone