Summary
I had difficulties in installing USB flash card readers with Vista.
I had tried products by both Kingston and Belkin :
- Belkin F5U271
- Kingston FCR-HS215/1
Each time Windows tried to get a driver online and asked for a CD with a driver. But there was no success.
Eventually I found a solution. To skip to the solution see “Detailed Solution Steps” below.
Problem Research
I sent an email to Kingston and telephoned them in the UK. Amazingly there was prompt help via both routes. However they gave slightly different solutions.
Their most detailed response was…
Thank you for contacting Kingston Technical Support.
Note that Windows Vista does not require any drivers for the DataTraveler.
1. Insert drive and wait for about 20 seconds to see if the driver installation is slow.
2. During device driver search, point to a location Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository and enable “Include subfolders” in the Browse window.
If this fails, point to one of the subfolders within FileRepository:
FileRepository\usbstor.inf_…
FileRepository\disk.inf_…
FileRepository\volume.inf_…
FileRepository\wpdfs.inf_…
3. If FileRepository location(s) doesn’t work, point to location Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers and enable “Include subfolders” in the Browse window.
4. Check Device Manager for incorrectly installed drivers for the DataTraveler; uninstall them and reinsert the drive.
I tried all this and still no success. Each time Vista reported “The system cannot find the file specified”.
After searching the web for a couple of frustrating hours I cam across this entry by WickedMX…
I’ve been experiencing the same problem with usb storage devices for the last few weeks and have visited numerous forums discussing it. After having no joy I decided to take a look around my system folders and have now got these devices working again. While looking around I discovered 2 points of interest:
- In C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository I had two folders named “usbstor.inf” but each one had a different set of numbers attached to the end of the folder name. - could this be where part of the problem lies?
- When I looked in my C:\Windows\inf folder I discovered the usbstor.inf and usb stor.pnf files were missing - this definitely had to be an issue.
Once I discovered these anomalies, I proceeded to copy the pnf and inf files from the most recently updated usbstor.inf folder to C:\Windows\inf. I then went back to the update driver wizard, pointed to the inf folder and what do you know but they all started working again.
So with some scepticism I tried this approach and it worked.
Detailed Solution Steps
1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository
Find files named usbstore…
2. Choose the most recent usbstor folder
Open the folder
You’ll see a number of files…
3. Select and copy usbstor.inf
4. Now go to C:\Windows\Inf
Paste the usbstor.inf file into this folder (On my system there was no usbstor.inf file already in this folder).
5. Now try again to install the reader
When Vista reports it cannot find a driver direct it to C:\Windows\Inf
If all goes well you will see the following information from Vista
Footnote
I don’t know whether this approach works with other types of USB device on Vista or other card readers but it certainly worked for me.
Worked for me as well, fantastic!
Thanks alot there was 20mins before school and i had a test! so i found this ssite and it worked! only took 5 minutes thanks!
Youre the man thanks very much!!
It doesn´t work on my notebook under vista home premium
What can I do?
Greaaaaaaaat……..
Geniusssssss……..
If anyone is having problems with USB Mass Storage not showing up on their Vista PC or laptop, and has recently installed a Netgear SC101 NAS, try to uninstall the SC101 management utility & reboot. I did, and it fixed my problem. I had Windows XP on 1 laptop, and Vista on another. I waited to upgrade to Vista on the XP machine due to no Vista driver for the SC101. They finally came out with a driver in October ‘07 so I took the Vista plunge & installed the latest Vista drivers & management software for the SC101 on both Vista laptops. Then later I noticed that Vista would recognize the external USB drive, but the drive letter did not show up. After about a month of looking for a solution, I finally found this suggestion, and it worked. So I thought I’d share the knowledge in case anyone else has this piece of crap Netgear SC101 installed. It has been a nightmare to use, and after I copied all my data on it for a backup, I lost it all.
Thanks so much for the solution!! worked like a charm
Não consigo instalar a minha webcam,qual o drive que devo colocar?
Obrigado…
Also works with huawei e220 modem
Thanks a lot works for my tomtom 910 and my cruzer mini as well
bless you
Thanks for the fix. Finally got my usb and media player recognised. Good work mate!!
Thank you, it really worked ! THANK !!!!!!
Господи, как всё просто, а я столько времени убил на поиск причины….
I actually cannot believe that an OS can be so flawed! I mean really, this is shocking, being a mac man who has had to switch for work I am truly stunned!
Anyway, thank you so much for this, it is much appreciated!!!!
Thanks a lot. weird bug this. Stuppid as well. In XP it worked great, somehow Vista had to change a setting to break a good working driver setting.
Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks
You made my day !
hey, thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much, it worked perfectly well, thanx buddy, ur the best!!!
Gracias!
MERCI BEAUCOUP !
THANKS A LOT
Thanks a lot, you are a genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A million thanks!
Thanks a ton dude ……..u have given wonderfull solution. I was going mad with this new hrad drive. but finally its working. Thanks again.
thanks
worked first time even after MS hotfix had no impact.
its so simple why don’t MS know about by now
Hi !!
Thanks for the solution.
I have two systems having vista 32 Bit
In one system it worked as you said but in other it dosent
I checked in C:\Windows\Inf and found both the files was avl before i replaced the usbstor.inf.
Nothing worked with my ausis motherboard xp
Wow !!
I changed the drivers from my other pc to the pc where the external storage was not working and found it is working fine!!
I got the sony Cybershot P31 vista updates also
Great after 3 days of search i got the solutions.
Thanks Once again
Sir. I am in great debt to you. I have spent the last 3 months trying to fix this. Forum after forum I have tried everything i’ve come across that hasn’t involved reformatting. Thank you. Thank you so much. Not only did it fix my USB drives, but also my SD flash card problems and SD Host Controller, and I can finally rest at peace with my computer. I also cussed out Dell tech support because of this issue, and was on the verge of slamming my laptop into the face of every tech support person within reach.
In short: Thank you.
omfg this worked perfect i wish microsoft would pull there fingers out there arse and sort this for every one else havving this problem
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Thanks a Lot. I had been struggling on this for Long time. I also contacted Dells Support, no one knew how to resolve this.
You instructions really helped in understanding the file transfer methods.
Thanks Again for your help.
Cheers!!
Brilliant!! Just point Vista to search for drivers here: C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository
Easy as that!
Thanks a million. All my usb devices are working now.
U da maaaaan!
Thanks!
You are a GOD..thank you much luv from Cleveland
Worked for me as well.
Thanks
Tzachi
thanks, saved my life!!!
Awesome, I was trying to find a solution for this issue for a month. Why doesn’t M$ create an update that does this exact thing? Seems pretty easy to me, just some file swapping. Thanks for your help!!!!!!
WOW OMG DUDE U FUKING SAVE MY ASSS WOW MY USB WILL NOT WORK UR THE MAN GOB BLESS YOU WITH ALL HIS HEART MAN TAKE CARE
wow again thanks wow
If you only know of the problems this article brought of my chest, I was about to ditch my Vista X64-install over this!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Okay, I’m excited about the prospects of solving my problem but I can’t find a usbstor.inf file just the .pnf.
If I just direct it to the File Repository, it tells me taht it found the driver software for my device but encoutered an error.
Any suggestions? My husband is planning to return the PC and the iPod tomorrow.
Thanx man!!!!!!
Your solution ROX!!!
After so much turmoil, I ws able 2 install my drivers at last….
Keep pouring in such awesome solutions.
Great, worked for me.
Thanks.
Okay- I got it figured out. I saw on another website that a user’s .inf file didn’t have the .inf in its name. I copied the .inf, .pnf and.sys files to the the specifed folder and voila! my iPod loaded right up!!
I am eternally greatful as well!
I won’t be very original : thanks a lot !!!
Merci beaucoup !
I tried your fix, also did not work but got a windows popup with a link to the hotfix for this problem:
Kim where did you find that site. I am having the same problem
THANKS FROM SPAIN!!!!!
I have fixed the problem in 5 minutes
You are more clever tahn microsoft stuff
BEst regards
My sister just purchased a PSP and Windows Vista doesn’t recognize the device. We copied the usbstor.inf from C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository
file and pasted in the C:\windows\inf and still did not recognize it. Any suggestions?
wow! what a great help. you are brilliant.
thanks
Nice one.. Worked a treat.