[SOLVED] Computer Doesn't Recognize my USB devices.

[runehero123]

Alright, so about 2 day's ago I started recieving a weird error with my usb drives. I have four USB port's on my computer, 2 on the front, and 2 on the back. If I plug a device into the 2 ports on the front, I don't get any power. However, if I plug a usb device into one of the usb ports on the back, I get a power signal from the usb device, but Windows doesn't seem to recognize that it is plugged in.

I'm not exactly sure how this happened but I have one idea. When I first recognized this problem, I had checked for any suspicious processes running in the background of windows xp. I found out that a hidden program called mousepad17.exe was running. So I deleted the program, but that didn't fix my usb trouble.

The odd thing is that Windows doesn't report any problems with my USB drivers. Also, I notice that the 2 usb ports on the front still don't send any power signal to my device during the boot-up sequence, so I figured it was something to do with my BIOS.

Here is what I've tried so far to fix this problem:

1) Removed BIOS battery to reset the BIOS settings

2) Checked the USBSTOR registry setting to make sure Windows was allowing me to access my usb device.

3) I tried resetting bios settings in the BIOS screen on bootup.

4) Tried re-installing the USB drivers in the device manager.

I am running an old P3 Compag Presario with windows XP, any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, it's not my device(USB Hard-drive) because plugging it into my XBOX 360 it works fine.

[runehero123]

So, no ideas? Would anyone suggest a bios update? Maybe that could fix my problem...

[dai]

in the device manager click on view at the top and in the dropdown
show hidden devices
then uninstall all listed usb items
turn the computer off
unplug usb plugs
reboot twice
replug in the usb plugs
in the bios check usb is enabled on boot
being as the computer is getting long in the tooth a bios upgrade may be in order if you can find one

[runehero123]

Thanks, I'll try the device manager stuff first. If that doesn't work, I'll install a bios update.

[runehero123]

Okay, I tried uninstalling all the hidden usb devices in Device manager. That didn't help the situation. However, there was a device located under "Other" as Controller(it had a little exclamation mark next to it. Not sure what that was, but I uninstalled it.

I also installed a bios update, but that didn't fix the problem either. So the problem must be in the registry. Is there a program that can search for infected registry files?

I'll run a normal virus scan in the meantime.

[dai]

this will identify what unknown devices are
http://www.zhangduo.com/udi.html
check pnp and usb on boot is enabled in the bios

[runehero123]

Just updating to let everyone know that I managed to fix this problem. It appears that the USB Port on the front of my computer was "dead". Which is why I wasn't recieving any sign of power when I plugged my devices into the port.

To get my other USb port's on the back of my computer to work. I needed to unplug the cable connecting the port's on the front to my mother-board. After doing so, my computer was able to communicate with my usb devices again.

Also, thank's for the help. I appreciate it. ;)

[dai]

thanks for posting your fix

[zssakena]

Thank you for all the reponses, Zssakena