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A computer that is running Windows XP cannot detect a USB flash drive, an Apple iPod, or an external hard disk drive

Article ID: 925196 - View products that this article applies to.

To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows

SYMPTOMS

You attach a USB-based device to a computer that is running Windows XP. Then, you try to scan for hardware devices. However, the computer does not detect the attached device, and you do not see the device in the My Computer folder.

You may experience this problem when you are using one or more of the following devices:

USB flash drive
Apple iPod
External hard disk drive

Additionally, you may not see the iPod in the iTunes application.

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CAUSE

This problem can occur if there are corrupted or incorrect keys in the registry.

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RESOLUTION

Note For more information about other reasons that a USB device is not detected, visit the "References" session.

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.

Note The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then, click Run now button from the Automated Troubleshooting Services page and follow the steps in this wizard.

Fix this problem
Microsoft Automated Troubleshooting Services: Your CD or DVD drive cannot read or write media

Note This automated solution is not only for CD or DVD drive, but also works for general issues troubleshooting.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Let me fix it myself

Click here to view or hide detailed information

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

To fix this problem, delete the UpperFilters registry value and the LowerFilters registry value. These values may cause access problems. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the UpperFilters registry value. This value is located in the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.

Note If you receive an error when you try to delete the registry subkey, you may not have appropriate permissions to edit the subkey. For more information about how to set or change registry editing permissions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310426 How to set or change registry editing permissions in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003
Locate and then click the LowerFilters registry value. This value is located in the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.

Note If you receive an error when you try to delete the registry subkey, you may not have appropriate permissions to edit the subkey. For more information about how to set or change registry editing permissions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310426 How to set or change registry editing permissions in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003
Exit Registry Editor.
Restart the computer.

Note If you remove both registry values, and then you lose functionality in a particular program such as CD recording software, you may have to reinstall that software. If this problem occurs again, contact the software vendor for help.

For information about how to contact Apple Computer, Inc., visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Hardware and software vendor contact information

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the problem is fixed. If it is fixed, you are finished with this article. If it is not fixed, you can see related Microsoft Knowledge Base articles in the "References" section, or you can contact support .

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REFERENCES

There may be other reasons that a USB device is not detected. For related Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Click here to view or hide detailed information

For more information about USB devices that are not detected, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

892050

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892050/ )

A USB device that is connected to a USB 2.0 hub is not detected in Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, or Windows Server 2003 x64 versions

For more information about the error message "The camera device is not correctly recognized", click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

911737

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911737/ )

Error message that is similar to the following when you start a program that accesses a USB 2.0 camera device: “The camera device is not correctly recognized”

For more information about USB mouse devices that are not detected, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

893711

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893711/ )

A USB mouse that is connected to a USB 2.0 hub is not detected by Windows XP

For more information about how to troubleshoot unknown devices, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

314464

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314464/ )

How to troubleshoot unknown devices that are listed in Device Manager in Windows XP

For more information about the error message "USB device not recognized", click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

318773

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318773/ )

You receive a "USB Device Not Recognized" error message when you resume your computer from suspend or hibernation

For more information about reconnected USB devices that are not detected, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

920875

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920875/ )

USB devices that are disconnected and then reconnected to a USB hub may not be detected on a Windows XP-based computer

For more information about missing devices, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

812489

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812489/ )

The floppy disk drive is missing from the My Computer folder

314060

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/ )

I can no longer access my CD drive or my DVD drive, or I received an "error code 31" error message after I removed a CD recording program or a DVD recording program in Windows XP

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Properties

Article ID: 925196 - Last Review: April 24, 2012 - Revision: 11.0

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

kbmatsfixme kbfixme kbresolve kbhardware kbtshoot kbprb kbcip KB925196

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Article Translations

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Select the product you need help with

A computer that is running Windows XP cannot detect a USB flash drive, an Apple iPod, or an external hard disk drive

To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows

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SYMPTOMS

CAUSE

RESOLUTION

Fix it for me

Let me fix it myself

Did this fix the problem?

REFERENCES

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