[ksouthar]

Windows XP SP-3, Panasonic Toughbook CF-18.

I can't seem to get common USB devices to work. Even ones like USB mouse, or USB flash drives.

When I plug them in, the system goes through the normal routine of searching for a driver but then fails to find a driver.

I can see the driver is in the windows/system32/driver folder but it will not allow me to manually load it (the OK button is greyed-out).

The flash-drive driver, for example is there - USBSTOR.SYS version 5.1.2600.5512 which is the same driver that is used on the other 4 laptops and 2 desktops that I have. Just can't get it to load, even if I put a copy on the desktop and try to manually load it from there. It is as if the system doesn't see any driver files in that location.

Some devices, a external CD/DVD drive, and a USB to Serial converter work just fine (I was able to load the driver for the USB/Serial converter manually, the DVD drive loaded automatically). An external USB hard drive doesn't.

This is a used laptop I just bought on line. Virus software is up to date and the machine is clean.

Ran a registry cleaner (CCleaner) to clean up issues there. All to no avail.

Ideas?

ks

[zabusant]

Hi!

Registry cleaners = always a bad idea.

Control panel>system>hardware>device manager. Any yellow question marks/exclamation marks?

Is USB support enabled in BIOS? (although I don't know how that would affect your problems).

[ksouthar]

When I plug any USB device in, the hardware manager shows the yellow exclamation mark.

Says no drivers are loaded. When I try to load the driver, that is when the problem occurs.

Don't believe it is a bios issue since I have been able to load some USB devices.

[zabusant]

Sorry, I completely missed that it's a used computer.

So it probably came with the OEM OS installed, right? Or did you install your own copy of windows? Did you also receive the original OS install disk (or does it have a recovery partition)? Do you have a windows xp SP3 cd?

When you right click the item in device manager, can you select "uninstall"? Please try that and then restart your computer. Have you tried running it in safe mode?

Also, could you be a bit more specific on the model - I should say something like "CF-18 K/L(mk4)"

[pedroguy]

If this seems to become a driver issue,perhaps this link might be useful.

http://www.howtodrivers.com/model508180.html

[ksouthar]

Operating system already installed. I updated to SP-3 via the Microsoft Update website.

Safe mode, uninstalling the hardware, all of the routine stuff has had no effect.

Normal driver installation procedures have had no success. The problem, once again, is that when a device is recognized and the normal process of driver installation begins, the system can't find the driver. The driver is there, it is the correct driver, the system doesn't seem to recognize it as a driver. The standard flashdrive driver is USBSTOR.SYS. I can see the file but the system doesn't let me load it. The "OK" button is greyed out. It is as if the system can't find a single driver in the "Driver" folder. The "OK" button is greyed out.

One other interesting development -

When I attempt to repair XP from the Windows Disk, the system prompts for the Administrator password. There is only one User shown, "Panasonic" which does have administrator priviledges. That password doesn't work.

When I try to create an account "administrator", it won't allow me saying the user already exists.

Model is CF-18DHB22KA

bios v2.00L11

[zabusant]

Originally Posted by ksouthar

One other interesting development -

When I attempt to repair XP from the Windows Disk, the system prompts for the Administrator password. There is only one User shown, "Panasonic" which does have administrator priviledges. That password doesn't work.

When I try to create an account "administrator", it won't allow me saying the user already exists.

Model is CF-18DHB22KA

bios v2.00L11

"Administrator" is created by default when you set up windows XP - you can access it if you go to safe mode. The default password is blank - so you should just press ENTER when prompted (unless you/sbd. else have changed the password).

[ksouthar]

Tried just "enter" but that didn't work (before when I was trying to repair).

Went to safe mode. It was there with no password. Went ahead and added one (at least I'll have something to type in later?).

I'll take another run at repair.

Any additional deas on the driver issue?

[zabusant]

I know there was a glitch when windows setup didin't accept the password: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...08402&x=7&y=13

As far as the USB issue - maybe reinstall chipset drivers.