Hi there,
I hope that I can get some help with an issue I am having trying to connect new components via my usb ports. I've had the problem for some time and have tried various things which I will list below, but have been able to get around it by using another computer, which I now no longer have so I need to try to sort things out.

Problem computer : 2004 Dell Dimension 4600
O.S. : Windows XP home service pack 3 regularly updated.(originally supplied with XP service pack 1 install CD)
Norton AV & Firewall regularly updated and showing no problems.
Additional anti-spyware etc..Malwarebytes, A-squared, Spyware Blaster and IE spypad.

What happens is this.... Where the new device has come with a installation CD I have followed the manufacturers install instructions, the software from the CD loads fine until it tells me to connect the device to the usb port. When I connect I get the new hardware icon in my task bar and the new hardware wizard pops up as normal. Then, when requested, I try to install new hardware such as a webcam, tv tuner, phone,or a new usb flashdrive into my usb port and the wizard starts going through the process of installing. (The usb flashdrive has no install CD so I presume Windows should select a generic driver). However it then stops and brings up the same window every time "There was a problem installing this hardware. An error occurred during the installation of the device. The data is invalid."
I have tried...
1) Putting the device in the usb port first before installing the software and wait for the wizard to tell me to put the install disc for the device in. Also tried a manual search for device and drivers.
2) Putting the device in usb port and restarting the computer with it still attached, both with the software installed and not installed.
3) Tried on all usb ports with same outcome.
4) Updated, rolledbacked, deleted, jumped up and down on :-) and reinstalled usb drivers/controllers.
5) Looked in Device Manager with hidden devices turned on and it shows no conflicts. Under the various usb/controller properties each device shows as operating normally.
6) Where applicable I have downloaded the devices latest software direct from the manufacturers site to get the latest version.
7) Ran scannow/
8) Tried the above tasks in safe mode.
9) Tried numerous google searches before asking here.
10) When problem originally was noticed I tried system restore, over a year ago.
11) Done AV and spyware scans.
12) It is not a usbv1.1 or usbv2.0 problem.

I searched on Microsoft's site and found two articles relating to my problem
h##p://support.microsoft.com/kb/810882 and h##p://support.microsoft.com/kb/841567

Being computer illiterate I have not tried these. The first article because I only have a service pack 1 installation CD that came with the computer. Will it still do the required job?The idea of replacing the CAB file in I386 from the installion disk fills me with dread, not the ability to physically do it but that I might make my computer in accessible as a result particularly as I only have a SP1 install cd. SP3 was downloaded during Microsoft update
And the second article mentions registry changes which I know can go badly wrong.
It has also been mentioned to do a clean install of windows but that is a bit out of my league I think.

I don't think it is a problem with the usb ports because older installed hardware such as camera ,ipod,usb sticks ( by the way the same model as the one I can't get Windows to aknowledge) all load fine from usb.
There doesn't seem to be a problem with the devices I can't load onto this computer as the loaded straight away on another computer.
It seems like at a certain point in time something related to my New Hardware wizard stopped working.

Just been having another little look around google and came across something called setupapi log which apparently contains info on what has been installed in windows. Here is what a portion of my log said about my putting a newusb device into one of my usb ports.Really don't know if this might help...it certainly didn't help me :-)

[SetupAPI Log]
OS Version = 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3
Platform ID = 2 (NT)
Service Pack = 3.0
Suite = 0x0300
Product Type = 1
Architecture = x86
[2010/02/02 2045 596.3 Driver Install]
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#-198 Command line processed: C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
#I022 Found "USB\Class_08&SubClass_06&Prot_50" in C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf; Device: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Driver: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Provider: "Microsoft"; Mfg: "Compatible USB storage device"; Section name: "USBSTOR_BULK".
#I023 Actual install section: [USBSTOR_BULK.NT]. Rank: 0x00002000. Effective driver date: 07/01/2001.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_INSTALLDEVICEFILES.
#I124 Doing copy-only install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#-166 Device install function: DIF_REGISTER_COINSTALLERS.
#E057 Registering coinstallers failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#E157 Default installer failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
[2010/02/02 2053 660.2]
#-199 Executing "C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe" with command line: rundll32.exe newdev.dll,ClientSideInstall \\.\pipe\PNP_Device_Install_Pipe_0.{D199A49B-BC9F-4649-BA6E-B88F367897D8}
#I060 Set selected driver.
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#I022 Found "USB\Class_08&SubClass_06&Prot_50" in C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf; Device: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Driver: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Provider: "Microsoft"; Mfg: "Compatible USB storage device"; Section name: "USBSTOR_BULK".
#I023 Actual install section: [USBSTOR_BULK.NT]. Rank: 0x00002000. Effective driver date: 07/01/2001.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#I022 Found "USB\Class_08&SubClass_06&Prot_50" in C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf; Device: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Driver: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Provider: "Microsoft"; Mfg: "Compatible USB storage device"; Section name: "USBSTOR_BULK".
#I023 Actual install section: [USBSTOR_BULK.NT]. Rank: 0x00002000. Effective driver date: 07/01/2001.
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#-124 Doing copy-only install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#-166 Device install function: DIF_REGISTER_COINSTALLERS.
#E057 Registering coinstallers failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#E157 Default installer failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I125 Installing NULL driver for "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#I121 Device install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181" finished successfully.
[2010/02/02 20:23:48 2392.375]
#-198 Command line processed: "C:\WINDOWS\system32\mmc.exe" /s C:\WINDOWS\system32\compmgmt.msc
#I060 Set selected driver.
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#I022 Found "USB\Class_08&SubClass_06&Prot_50" in C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf; Device: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Driver: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Provider: "Microsoft"; Mfg: "Compatible USB storage device"; Section name: "USBSTOR_BULK".
#I023 Actual install section: [USBSTOR_BULK.NT]. Rank: 0x00002000. Effective driver date: 07/01/2001.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-124 Doing copy-only install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#-166 Device install function: DIF_REGISTER_COINSTALLERS.
#E057 Registering coinstallers failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#E157 Default installer failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I125 Installing NULL driver for "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#I121 Device install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181" finished successfully.
[2010/02/02 20:24:32 2392.380]
#-198 Command line processed: "C:\WINDOWS\system32\mmc.exe" /s C:\WINDOWS\system32\compmgmt.msc
#I060 Set selected driver.
#-019 Searching for hardware ID(s): usb\vid_13fe&pid_3100&rev_0110,usb\vid_13fe&pid_31 00
#-018 Searching for compatible ID(s): usb\class_08&subclass_06&prot_50,usb\class_08&subc lass_06,usb\class_08
#I022 Found "USB\Class_08&SubClass_06&Prot_50" in C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf; Device: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Driver: "USB Mass Storage Device"; Provider: "Microsoft"; Mfg: "Compatible USB storage device"; Section name: "USBSTOR_BULK".
#I023 Actual install section: [USBSTOR_BULK.NT]. Rank: 0x00002000. Effective driver date: 07/01/2001.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-166 Device install function: DIF_SELECTBESTCOMPATDRV.
#I063 Selected driver installs from section [USBSTOR_BULK] in "c:\windows\inf\usbstor.inf".
#I062 Class GUID of device changed to: {36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I058 Selected best compatible driver.
#-124 Doing copy-only install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#-166 Device install function: DIF_REGISTER_COINSTALLERS.
#E057 Registering coinstallers failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#E157 Default installer failed. Error 13: The data is invalid.
#I060 Set selected driver.
#I125 Installing NULL driver for "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181".
#I121 Device install of "USB\VID_13FE&PID_3100\078B13610181" finished successfully.


Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. Thankyou.
crankek

Hi crankek Welcome to D-A-L

I can see from your post you've tried hard to resolve this
the two links actually relate to the two Microsoft articles I have posted below.
Error Message: Cannot Install Hardware. An Error Occurred During the Installation of the Device
You receive a "Cannot install this hardware" or "An error occurred during the installation" error message when you try to install a PCI device

First article kb/810882

Method 1: Install Windows service packs
To update Windows by installing the latest service packs, visit the following Web site, and then select the version of Windows that you are using:
Microsoft Update

You say "I have not tried these. The first article because I only have a service pack 1 installation CD that came with the computer"

You don't say if you have all the latest update i.e. service pack 2 & 3 installed.
If you don't know if you are up to date go to the link provided above and check.
You will need Internet Explorer 6 or higher for this. If you've never been to the page
before you will need to go through the validation process. This is a simple process
just follow the instructions provided.
Once validation is complete and you are back to the updates page.
Click on the Custom button
When the search as completed it will give you a list of in the pane on the left hand side.
If there are any high priority updates the will be already highlighted in the right hand pane.
Select them first and install them They are for your PC security.
Once all High priority are installed (if there are any) You will probably need to do a restart.
Once back at the updates page and having clicked on the Custom button again.
Click on the Hardware option.
Are there any hardware updates that could be related to your problem. If so
select it/those for installation. You can also install any other updates you think you may
need. The choice is yours to decide if you need them or not.

Once your sure you are update date try to install new hardware. If you
still unable to do this post back and we will go through the other options

Jim

His post says: O.S. : Windows XP home service pack 3 regularly updated so he should be current with all updates.

Originally Posted by Ztruker

His post says: O.S. : Windows XP home service pack 3 regularly updated so he should be current with all updates.

Your right
My fault for scan reading just saw (originally supplied with XP service pack 1 install CD)
But it still wouldn't hurt to check Microsoft updates. Because hardware updates are not
included with priority updates. So there could be an hardware update that may remedy the problem.

Do you have a XP install CD? If so, doing a Repair Install is always an option if we can't fix this any other way.

First though, try the following.

Follow directions in this MS article, see if that helps: Advanced troubleshooting tips for general USB problems in Windows XP

If not, before continuing which will make changes to the registry, please back it up. An excellent way to do this is to install ERUNT. Let it add an entry to your Start menu during the install process. That will allow ERUNT to backup your registry each time you boot. It only takes a few seconds and has no real impact on boot time. Run ERUNT immediately after installing it to create a full registry backup.

Then if something is deleted that shouldn't have been, simply go to the C:\Windows\erdnt folder and pick the erdnt.exe wanted to restore the registry to it's state when it was backed up. This can even be done from the Recovery Console if needed

Once that is done, try this:

• Shutdown and unplug all USB devices, except USB mouse or keyboard.
• Boot to BIOS Setup and load defaults (F5 or F9 usually).
• Boot XP and create a new Environment variable called devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices and set it's value to 1 as follows:
  • Right click on My Computer and select Properties
  • Click on the Advanced tab
  • Click on the Environmental Variables button
  • Click the New button under the User variables for xxxxx" area.
  • Set the Variable name as: devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices
  • Set the Variable value to: 1
  • Click OK as needed to close all the windows you opened.
• Open Device Manager (Control Panel, System, Hardware tab, Device Manager)
• Click on View then Show hidden devices.
• Scroll down to USB and click on the plus to expand it.
• Uninstall them one at a time. DO NOT uninstall your mouse if you are using a USB mouse.
• Shutdown and reboot, let XP rediscover everything and load necessary drivers. This can take a few minutes, be patient.

Now try the USB device, see what happens.

An alternative would be to uninstall just the non-present USB devices (associated icon is dimmed). If that doesn't help, then uninstall as described above.

Thank you very much for your detailed replies. Sorry I haven't replied sooner as I got called away on business.
Anyway, I'll get right on and check out your suggestions, give it my best shot and get back to you as to how things went.
Thanks again.

Hi there,
Thank you for your welcome Jim23, and I appreciate your suggestions.
I've been to Microsoft Update and I am definitely up to date, I also checked for hardware updates but there was nothing relevant to my problem.
Thank you also Ztruker, I've downloaded ERUNT and it's good to know I've an option if things go wrong. I've also generated a Norton Ghost image file in case things go dramatically wrong but I still need to do an integrity check on it.
I'm afraid your suggestion regards the uninstalling didn't work.
Because the usb ports work with older installed devices is it likely to still be a problem in this area?
I do have an XP install cd but it is the original SP1 version that came with the computer.

Looking on the Dell site today and there was a post with exactly the same issues, dated a few years ago and on a different model. However, it was suggested that he update his chip set. Is this an option? I checked for updates using my Dell service tag and it does show an option to update mine, the update was dated 2003! That gives an idea of how old my computer is, but other than this issue it works fine. Is this a straight forward proccess and how badly can this go wrong? It sounds pretty hardcore to me !

There was also a mention of reflashing the bios. Is this a sensible option that would have any effect on my problem do you think?

My primary concern overall is that I'm going to make matters worse, as my computer knowledge is pretty poor.
Any further ideas would be gratefully recieved
Crankek

I would go ahead and update the chipset and see what happens.

If that doesn't help, I would then flash the BIOS. The one on the Dell site is the A12 level. Boot to BIOS Setup and see what level you currently have. If it's earlier than A12 then it may be worth flashing it. From what Dell says, you can run it directly from Windows. What it will do is setup to do the flash then require you to reboot. During the reboot, the BIOS will be updated. I've done this numerous times with no problems. As long as you don't lose power during the flash process all should be well.

Either may help but likewise neither may help.

Thanks Ztruker,
I will let you know how I get on, I will have to wait until the weekend to try this though due to time constraints.
crankek.

Actually done both the chipset and bios flashes just now while I had an oppurtunity.
Sadly it hasn't solved my problem but atleast it went smoothly with no complications.