I looked at Administrative Tools and Logical Disk Manager is started and Automatic.

G: is my IOmega Drive. There is nothing in it as I only use it for backup.

I was just using G: as an example. I thought that it might be one of your Pen Drives.

So you are saying that when you insert a Pen Drive that Disk Management says: Server execution Failed?

I am searching that error but have not found a link yet.

Also verify in Services that Plug and Play is Started and set to Automatic.

Plug and play is started and automatic.

I plugged in the lexar drive and this time it showed up in disk manager.

It comes in as disk 2 under the other 2.

It also shows up under the f: and D: drives. Should I be looking for something?

Where it shows in the lower area on the right side > right click and see if you can choose: Format...

If so: see if this will then allow you to see it under My Computer and or Windows Explorer.

Yes, when I click in the area to the right, it shows a selection to format and it is dark indicating to me I could do it.

If I do it, will I write all over the drive? I have been using it and seeing it in the director up until I tried to upgrade. Before that, I never formatted it. I just plugged it in and it was there.

There is also another thing. I have a digital camera that plugs into the USB port. It also doesn't show up when I plug it in. I never formatted it, it just worked right off.

Formatting a drive is essentially wiping it clean so all data would be lost.

Formatting is a process for disk drive preparation to accept data.

Devices such as your camera require no formatting.

From what you are saying I am suspecting some problem with your USB drivers.

What do you mean by: I have been using it and seeing it in the director up until I tried to upgrade

What did you try to upgrade?

I was having problems with my video driver and windows kept telling me an invidia dll was the problem. I was given a copy of windows xp Pro and tried upgrading using it. It appeared to work and I went merrily on my way. When I plugged in my USB items like my camera or my lexar drives, I can see the computer doing something and I get the message that shows it is connected. I always right clicked on start and selected explore to see the drive. That is how I worked with them.

They now don't show up.

Maybe I should just reformat my harddrive and reinstal the original operating system.

Where are you typing from anyway? I am in southern oregon.

Southern Florida

I think that this is your problem.

If you have a manufactured computer e.g. Dell; HP; IBM; Gateway; etc. then their restore disk depends on their particular drivers.

Such manufacturers load their own versions of XP referred to as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture).

If you overwrote an OEM with a Microsoft version there is a good possibility that the motherboard drivers were left out.

I have a computer that put together in San Diego by folks that build computers. It's a couple of years old. It sounds like I should save anything I want to my zip drive and go through the process of formatting my harddrive and reinstalling the op system. I did this once quite awhile ago and ended up with F: as my main drive instead of C:

Any tips as to how I should undertake this task so I can get back to C: instead of F:?

Thanks for all your help. I learned a little tonight. Us old farts rejoice in that. Any good places to go to before I start from scratch?

Thanks again. I'll read your reply in the morning. I need to get to bed.

John

Here is my favorite site as to instructions for installing XP in a variety of options:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/index.html

A Clean Install would be a total fresh start.

You will probably also want to find the drivers for your motherboard.

This can be found on-line from the manufacturer.

In order to ID your motherboard this is a good tool:

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php


I should probably slleeeep tooo as it is 3:05 AM here on the beach.


...I'll be back.