Flash drive problem

[tortnotes]

I've got an interesting problem. My home XP SP2 machine does not want to recognize flash drives. I have tried several, ranging from an old 64MB Sandisk to a 1GB Kingston U3 that I use each day. Whenever I plug in a flash drive -- to any open port or hub -- CPU utilization goes up to around 65% and stays there. The U3 drive never gets as far as initializing its interface. If I try to open My Computer, the window freezes. I've tried just leaving the flash drive plugged in, but something is stuck in the software and nothing changes. Then, when I remove the CPU-hogging flash drive, the computer freezes completely.
All of these flash drives work in all of the other computers I use. I just hate having to use my laptop to burn a 600MB project to CD just so I can use my primary PC. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your help.

 

[Tedster]

Do you have usb 1.1 or 2.0? Are all your updates installed?

 

[tortnotes]

I have USB 2.0. I'm not sure what updates are possible, as this feature is built in to XP. What an I missing? There are no XP drivers for flash drives....

 

[Tarkus]

I have an Acer flash drive that refuses to work in any of my A7N8X MBs, but it works fine in the POS PII computers at work. I went out and got a mini SD card reader and an SD card and it works fine. The reader is an Ezonics and it's about the same size as a flash drive, just slightly wider.

 

[tipstir]

There is a lot of these mini flash drives that don't work? I recommend end users getting PNY brand they seem more likely to work. That's what I've been using for year now no problems. I got the Memorex Travelmate 1 GB that works too on everything I got here at home as does the PNY. Mix bag of systems from Toshiba, Compaqs, DELL Latitiudes, and stuff I don't use any more for laptops all the desktops towers I've built myself have 6 to 8 USB 2.0 ports on MOBO all can access my jumps drives.

At work I use brand new DELL GX680, DELL D620, D820, and older D810 and D610. I have to run all type of blackberry configuration, patches updates, data recovery an etc.. I use the PNY on these at work they get access easy. Now I use to use the stuff from LG and Scandisk and so much trouble with the LG even it did come with 3 years protection and just returned it for my money back. Scandisk has it moments. Again eithe r get PNY or Memorex they work 100%..

 

[Tedster]

Sanddisc is also a less reliable brand. I have been using an XtremePC flash drive I recovered from my work's trash can and fixed it at home. It's been working fine for 2 years now.