USB Unrecognized Device ... ad infinitum

[Chuck Anderson]

It's more of a nuisance than anything, but somehow my Dell Laptop with
Windows 7 (I mention the computer because this may be a mother board
problem) occasionally lets me know (balloon by the "systray") that there
is an unrecognized USB Device. If I look in Device Manager there is an
unknown USB device with the warning "!" sign on it. I can disable
and/or uninstall it, reboot and it seems to go away, but eventually I
will get the balloon popup again and the unknown device has returned.
All USB ports and devices still work, it's just Windows being .... well
..... Windows.

It may have begun when I plugged a friend's iPhone into my computer to
charge it. Or it was their SD card, which I also used. I did use the
safe Eject procedure for the SD card. There wasn't one for the iPhone.
I believe the supposedly Unknown port is the SD card reader (which is
connected by a USB port), but my SD card reader still functions.

I've read a lot forums and blogs where people complain and ask about it
- even suggest a solution - but I've yet to see confirmation of any of
them - and none of them work for me. Has anyone ever had this situation
and cleared it up ... permanently.

Besides uninstalling the device or trying to reinstall the drivers
(Windows says they are up to date), I've even disconnected the battery
for > 1 minute after uninstalling and shutting down. Nothing has
worked. I can go days without seeing the warning, but it inevitably
returns.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://cycletourist.com
Turn Off, Tune Out, Drop In
*****************************

 

[Ken1943]

It's more of a nuisance than anything, but somehow my Dell Laptop with
Windows 7 (I mention the computer because this may be a mother board
problem) occasionally lets me know (balloon by the "systray") that there
is an unrecognized USB Device. If I look in Device Manager there is an
unknown USB device with the warning "!" sign on it. I can disable
and/or uninstall it, reboot and it seems to go away, but eventually I
will get the balloon popup again and the unknown device has returned.
All USB ports and devices still work, it's just Windows being .... well
..... Windows.

It may have begun when I plugged a friend's iPhone into my computer to
charge it. Or it was their SD card, which I also used. I did use the
safe Eject procedure for the SD card. There wasn't one for the iPhone.
I believe the supposedly Unknown port is the SD card reader (which is
connected by a USB port), but my SD card reader still functions.

I've read a lot forums and blogs where people complain and ask about it
- even suggest a solution - but I've yet to see confirmation of any of
them - and none of them work for me. Has anyone ever had this situation
and cleared it up ... permanently.

Besides uninstalling the device or trying to reinstall the drivers
(Windows says they are up to date), I've even disconnected the battery
for > 1 minute after uninstalling and shutting down. Nothing has
worked. I can go days without seeing the warning, but it inevitably
returns.

This page may help. I had usb problems and used a program from the web. I
may still have the program on one of my other computers. Will look
tomorrow.

http://www.techspot.com/community/t...up-and-remove-old-usb-storage-drivers.145884/


KenW

 

[Ken1943]

Do Google search for

clean usb enumerations

That's what you want to do.

I couldn't remember enumerations or spell it in my last post.


KenW

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <[email protected]>, Ken1943

This page may help. I had usb problems and used a program from the web. I
may still have the program on one of my other computers. Will look
tomorrow.

http://www.techspot.com/community/topics/usb-drive-or-flash-problems-how
-to-cleanup-and-remove-old-usb-storage-drivers.145884/


KenW

Thanks for that. I'm a _little_ concerned that it seems to, from the
description, remove _all_ drivers for anything not currently connected;
this would be OK for things whose driver is included in the OS, but
could be tedious for something like a printer (which you might not have
connected - or turned on - all the time), and where you might need
drivers from a CD.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick as to how this works?

http://forums.anandtech.com/archive/index.php/t-127466.html seems to
suggest a way of being able to do them manually - though I suspect
knowing what some of them are would be difficult.

 

[philo]

In message <[email protected]>, Ken1943


Thanks for that. I'm a _little_ concerned that it seems to, from the
description, remove _all_ drivers for anything not currently connected;
this would be OK for things whose driver is included in the OS, but
could be tedious for something like a printer (which you might not have
connected - or turned on - all the time), and where you might need
drivers from a CD.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick as to how this works?

http://forums.anandtech.com/archive/index.php/t-127466.html seems to
suggest a way of being able to do them manually - though I suspect
knowing what some of them are would be difficult.

No, do not delete all drivers

simply go into device manager and delete all USB ports, then reboot

 

[Ken1943]

In message <[email protected]>, Ken1943


Thanks for that. I'm a _little_ concerned that it seems to, from the
description, remove _all_ drivers for anything not currently connected;
this would be OK for things whose driver is included in the OS, but
could be tedious for something like a printer (which you might not have
connected - or turned on - all the time), and where you might need
drivers from a CD.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick as to how this works?

http://forums.anandtech.com/archive/index.php/t-127466.html seems to
suggest a way of being able to do them manually - though I suspect
knowing what some of them are would be difficult.

Every time a usb device is plugged in, an entry is written to the
registry. That's called enumerations. The enumeration contains the id of
the device. That is what has to be cleaned up. It doesn't remove any
drivers because most of the drivers are built into windows 7.

I haven't been able to find the program I was talking about. Probably
deleted it.


KenW

 

[Ken1943]

Every time a usb device is plugged in, an entry is written to the
registry. That's called enumerations. The enumeration contains the id of
the device. That is what has to be cleaned up. It doesn't remove any
drivers because most of the drivers are built into windows 7.

I haven't been able to find the program I was talking about. Probably
deleted it.


KenW

This program from Nirsoft may be what I used.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html


KenW

 

[Ken1943]

I just ran the program on my win 7 64 bit desktop. It showed every flash
stick I use and Radio Shack scanner programming cable which had it's own
drivers.


KenW

 

[charlie]

It's more of a nuisance than anything, but somehow my Dell Laptop with
Windows 7 (I mention the computer because this may be a mother board
problem) occasionally lets me know (balloon by the "systray") that there
is an unrecognized USB Device. If I look in Device Manager there is an
unknown USB device with the warning "!" sign on it. I can disable
and/or uninstall it, reboot and it seems to go away, but eventually I
will get the balloon popup again and the unknown device has returned.
All USB ports and devices still work, it's just Windows being .... well
.... Windows.

It may have begun when I plugged a friend's iPhone into my computer to
charge it. Or it was their SD card, which I also used. I did use the
safe Eject procedure for the SD card. There wasn't one for the iPhone.
I believe the supposedly Unknown port is the SD card reader (which is
connected by a USB port), but my SD card reader still functions.

I've read a lot forums and blogs where people complain and ask about it
- even suggest a solution - but I've yet to see confirmation of any of
them - and none of them work for me. Has anyone ever had this situation
and cleared it up ... permanently.

Besides uninstalling the device or trying to reinstall the drivers
(Windows says they are up to date), I've even disconnected the battery
for > 1 minute after uninstalling and shutting down. Nothing has
worked. I can go days without seeing the warning, but it inevitably
returns.

The most troublesome USB devices that I've had to deal with are cameras
(web and digital), and cell phones. Most recently bought memory sticks
and cards, no problem. (Except for perhaps E-Bay no name memory cards
and sticks.)

The old trick of finding a P/S 2 keyboard and mouse (Mainly insurance)
and disabling with perhaps removal of the MS USB port and controller
drivers, than, after reboot, then allowing them to reinstall seems to
work most of the time.
Many of the MBDs can still use the USB keyboard and possibly a mouse,
thanks to BIOs. Others require the P/S 2 versions until the USB drivers
etc. are restored.

 

[Chuck Anderson]

In message <[email protected]>, Ken1943
[]

This page may help. I had usb problems and used a program from the web. I
may still have the program on one of my other computers. Will look
tomorrow.

http://www.techspot.com/community/topics/usb-drive-or-flash-problems-how
-to-cleanup-and-remove-old-usb-storage-drivers.145884/


KenW

Thanks for that. I'm a _little_ concerned that it seems to, from the
description, remove _all_ drivers for anything not currently connected;
this would be OK for things whose driver is included in the OS, but
could be tedious for something like a printer (which you might not have
connected - or turned on - all the time), and where you might need
drivers from a CD.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick as to how this works?

http://forums.anandtech.com/archive/index.php/t-127466.html seems to
suggest a way of being able to do them manually - though I suspect
knowing what some of them are would be difficult.

Every time a usb device is plugged in, an entry is written to the
registry. That's called enumerations. The enumeration contains the id of
the device. That is what has to be cleaned up. It doesn't remove any
drivers because most of the drivers are built into windows 7.

I haven't been able to find the program I was talking about. Probably
deleted it.


KenW

This program from Nirsoft may be what I used.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

I downloaded that program and coincidentally got a USB popup that very
day ... and Device Manager showed an Unknown Device. I opened USB Device
View (right from the zip file, no install needed) and saw extra Unknown
devices listed along with other devices I have used in the past. I
Uninstalled the Unknown devices and so far they have stayed away. Only
time will tell, but in two or three days I'll be pretty confident that
they are gone for good.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://cycletourist.com
Turn Off, Tune Out, Drop In
*****************************