Do you have a system restore point far enough back that could get your
registry right again if that's the problem?
"Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eEOcOblcIHA.5400@xxxxxx
Quote:
>I think my problem may be corruption in the registry, where drive letters
>may be assigned.
>
> The problem started last month. Prior to that I had no problems attaching
> new storage devices. Then I bought a new PNY 8gb thumb drive certified
> for Vista ReadyBoost. That memory stick didn't work in Vista so I
> returned it and got the SanDisk 8gb thumb drive. That didn't work either.
> Now new external hard drives and thumb drives aren't assigned drive
> letters, and Vista claims they are an "Unknown Device". Hard drives and
> thumb drives that were in use prior to the PNY drive still work in Vista.
>
> - Michael Faklis
>
>
> "Bob" <nowhere@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:sMadnYiBit2GXSTanZ2dnUVZ_gKdnZ2d@xxxxxx Quote:
>> Same problem here with WD external drive. I have not been able to find a
>> solution but I have found a pain in the ass workaround. I plug the drive
>> into my XP machine where it is recognized and then connect it back to the
>> Vista machine. Vista then recognizes it for a week or two then the cycle
>> starts again.
>>
>> "Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:%23n2$P7kcIHA.5348@xxxxxx Quote:
>>> My Vista Ultimate laptop stopped assigning driver letters to new
>>> external
>>> drives, whether external hard drives or thumb drives. Old thumb drives
>>> I
>>> used in the past are still recognized. This problem is happening on my
>>> new
>>> Western Digital 1 tb external drive, whether using USB 2 or Firewire
>>> 400.
>>> It is also happening on my new SanDisk 8gb U3 thumb drive and a new PNY
>>> 1gb
>>> U3 thumb drive.
>>> When inserted, Vista starts loading driver drivers for the device, but
>>> then
>>> claims the drive is an "Unknown Device". For the external hard drive,
>>> the
>>> driver software installation finds the WD My Book USB Device, USB Human
>>> Interface Device, USB Mass Storage Device, USB Composite Device, and
>>> then it
>>> fails to find "Unidentified Device". Device Manger shows the WD My Book
>>> USB
>>> Device under disk drives, and also an Unknown device under Other
>>> devices.
>>> Disk Management shows the drive, but without a drive letter. My computer
>>> shows nothing for this drive.
>>> All of these drives work fine on my older XP Pro laptop.
>>> Please tell me why a drive letter is not being assigned to this "Unknown
>>> Device" and how do I correct this problem.
>>>
>>> - Michael Faklis <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> >
>