Windows 7: Why aren't my USB Device Divers not working on my laptop?

I have an HP G71 Notebook PC. Recently, some of my USB devices haven't been connecting because the drivers fail to download. It says they can't be found. I've tried to uninstall the driver in the Device Manager and plug it back in again to install it, and it does the same thing. Next to the drivers in the Device manager it has yellow caution signs saying something is wrong. It does this for my iPod Classic Generation 8 160GB and my WD My Passport 500GB External Hard Drive. It also is saying my CD driver has an error, and that won't work when I put a CD in it. Yet my mouse, printer and Gigaware 16GB pen drive work fine and there's nothing wrong with their drivers. I used them before this started happening, so i figured anything I used before now will continue to work, but anything new won't because the driver won't download. The devices work, I've tried them on another computer. Updating the drivers doesn't work either, I get the same error. I've also tried finding the drivers myself but I haven't had any luck. Any advice would be great, thank you!

Hi Mista Monroe,

Welcome onboard.

The infcache.1 in C:Windows/System32/DriverStore might have been corrupted. Deleteing it and allowing Windows rebuild it may resolve the issue.

Do the following:

1. Disconnect all USB devices except the keyboard and mouse. (Desktop only) (Remove all USB devices in a Laptop)
2. Locate the INFCACHE.1 file in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore , right click on it, and then click Properties.
3. In the INFCACHE.1 Properties dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click Edit.
4. In the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
5. In the Permissions for INFCACHE.1 dialog box under the Group or user names section, click Add.
6. In the Select Users or Groups dialog box in the Enter the object names to select text box, type Administrators, (plural) not just Administrator. Click OK.
7. In the Permissions for INFCACHE.1 dialog box in the Permissions for Administrators section, select to allow Full Control, and then click OK.
8. In the INFCACHE.1 Properties dialog box, click OK.
9. In the Windows Explorer window, delete INFCACHE.1 (Instead of deleteing you can rename it as INFCACHE.1bak and keep it as a backup, just in case you need to go back.)
10. Connect a USB device other than the one or all that Windows had trouble detecting. (That means that it has to be one that had not been connected to it earlier anytime.) This forces Windows to rebuild the INFCACHE.1 file.

This detection issue can happen several times in a row. If so, repeat steps 1-10 until the device is detected.

Thank you, glad to be here.

Well I did everything as you told me, plugged in a new device and everything, but it didn't work. The INFCACHE.1 file was remade, but the driver still failed to install. I don't have any more devices that haven't been used or that I've attempted to use on this laptop though.

OK, now try these two procedures to 1. wipe off all non-present storage volumes still held by Windows and 2. replace the drivers which Windows installs with fresh copies from its repository. After these two procedures, 3. repeat the infcache.1 rebuild. ( This time there is no need to plugin any new and hitherto not used USB device, since we have completely wiped off all previous history and drivers a confused Windows could bring in.)

1. Remove all non-present storage volumes:

Download drivecleanup.zip v 0.8.1 from Drive Tools for Windows. Unzip it to a folder, select the 32bit or 64bit drivecleanup.exe depending on your OS and copy it to the c > windows > system32 folder.

Shut down your Comp, Unplug all USB devices from your computer.( you may keep USB KB and mouse plugged)

Reboot.

On an elevated command prompt type drivecleanup.exe and Enter. After the cleanup close the window.

Shut down your comp and reboot.

2. Replace the USB related files:

From the Windows FileRepository- as in the screenshot - locate and open the the USBStor folder with the latest date - if you find more than one



Copy the usbstor.inf and usbstor.PNF files to C > Windows > inf and the USBSTOR.SYS to C > Windows > System32 > drivers.

Reboot your PC.


3. Rebuild infcache.1


As in post #2. ( no need to plug-in a hitherto unused USB device. You can plug in any USB device.)


If after this complete USB rebuild, the problem is not resolved a repair install, I would think, is the only option left.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

I hope you have made the recovery CDs for your machine.


Jai Ho! ( Let victory be yours. )