Computer Help Needed!
 

I'll save the rant for later about my love/hate relationship with computers.

Now I need any Dorki with knowledge of these machines to speak to me in the very simplest terms how to fix what was working yesterday and is no longer.

I have a "unknown device" error on all my usb ports. They have worked forever and today they stopped working. What is bad about this is all my accouting backups personal and business are on these portable usb flash drives.

So far I have used the utterly useless troubleshooter, uninstalled and reinstalled the usb device, tried SanDisk's fix in the regedit thingy

This has taken up my whole Sunday so far.

Here is what I have:

HP Pavilion
XP with all updates

Non-working devices:

SanDisk cruzr mini flash drive
Memorex flash drive

No ports are working but the devices work on the other computer.

Recent changes to my machine include installing a new HP all-in-one that may have queered the drivers? I have uninstalled the All-in-one but no change.

I have run Windows update and update driver.

WTF? Why would these things just stop?

I have 4 usb ports, 2 on the front and 2 on the back so they can't all go bad.

All other usb devices work.

HEEEEELP!

Hunt, did you uninstall/reinstall the specific USB flash devices or did you go to Device Manager and uninstall and let Windows reinstall the Universal Host Contrtoller and USB Root Hub in the USB controllers section?

Also, I have experienced a USB component failure on the motherboard and all USB ports failed. Rare, but it can happen and the motherboard has to be replaced - not worth it. In that case - a laptop - I bought a PCMCIA USB card with two ports and it works fine allowing USB I/O.

This is incredible but I found a fix on some techie forum. The answer after hours and hours of frustration:

UNPLUG THE COMPUTER!

It's true! All the software fixes on microsoft's (read crooks) help site, sandisk's help site, HP's help site and I stumble on the solution. Unplug the machine so all electric current is absent, wait 30 minutes to be sure and plug back in. It worked. All usb ports now function as before.

The stupidest thing I've ever waited a full day effin with.

Now I'll start the thread "Microsoft is stupid"

No product this flawed should have survived in the marketplace. None ever have. They owe everyone with a windows based computer $200 in this country and worldwide. The software never worked and never will. We spend too much time "updating" not to be compensated. There should be a lemon law for software. They are crooks unlike any we've ever seen. Yet somehow they get away with the fraud.

My first computer was a Mac and never had any trouble for the 4 years I've had it. I have a MacBook now and suffer none if the issues I face with Windows.

There's no arguing that Windows is crap, always has been and always will be even with Vista's huge improvements :lol: There ought to be a class action for lost productivity and mental anguish. It's simply amazing that we all put up with it.

The argument can't be made anymore that it's user error or garbage in garbage out because very few people program these machines. The vast majority are point and click and the shit just doesn't work reliably for any length of time.

If you had to take in you car or coffee maker or TV in for updates every morning so they would continue to function don't you thing you'd ask for your money back?!

If you purchased anything else and discovered later that you had to take it in to have a flaw patched up over and over and over and over again don't you think you would begin to question the original products quality and integrity and maybe question whether it should have been sold to begin with?

I want my $200! That's a low estimate and for the software only, not lost productivity or mental anguish. They are all billionaires buy bilking each of us out of a minimum of $200 and they should give it all back. It's complete fraud that many others have paid for in lawsuits or jail time.

I feel much better now.

Buy a Mac

As I sit here in Deer Valley (windy, took a day off from skiing), there are 9 people in the room. My brother-in-law has a 5-6 year-old IBM X-series notebook, his brother didn't bring a computer (for some reason he thought there might already be enough here - read on) and the rest of us have Macs. 5 15" MacBook Pros and 2 MacBooks. Those of us with the MacBook Pros have to pick one up, open it, and see whose it is.

Peter

glad you feel better after your rant. Hard shutdown and sometimes unpluging the computer is just basic troubleshooting, before tech support. The simplest solution is most often the best solution. I don't like Mac's but their advertising is better...anyone want to buy my 6mo old iMac?

I have a Pavallion and maybe I can help.

It is not the operating system. It sounds like either there is a hardware problem or a piece of software is arguing with your computer and causing the ports to be dropped.

Going into the device manager and deleting all of the USB ports and then rebooting is a solution. I've done this. It forces the ROM to rerecognise the ports.

Another solution is to click on Start and then Help & Support Center. Next click on Troubleshoot a Problem, then click on Perform Hardware Tests. Make sure all other programs are closed then click OK. Next click on System and then test each USB port. This may eliminate that it is a hardware problem.

Another option is to choose Contact a Support Person. They can look at your computer and then troubleshoot the problem. It is secure. I used the service whhen my HP scanner was driving me nuts.

Hope this helps.

Wow Hunt I'm glad to see you have finally droped the huggy-huggy state of mind. Welcome back. :)

F the man! F everybody!

Happy Effin New Year!

F!

:D

In that case....its time to change your avatar....you f*$% sonovabeech slo-droven backmarker as#h&l@. :XX ...Wait, I almost forgot DumbAss......:D

And may the Great Bird of New Year take a mighty dump right in the middle of your side of the windshield. :twisted:
http://harveyg.smugmug.com/photos/175698766-O.jpg

Windows Lover!