USB Malfunction-No USB in use

I keep getting a pop up which says.....

"one of the USB device attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognise it"

However there is nothing attached to any of the USB ports.

Any ideas what is causing it? Am running Windows 7 Pro.

Do you have a multi-way camera card reader? They are on USB.

Yes I do have one of those but in the Device Manager it is showing an "unknown device" which has the yellow exclamation mark on it, not the card reader.

Check your usb ports for damage, check all devices connected by USB, you will most likely get to the cause.

All USB ports are working fine as in the card reader.

Go back into device manager.
Highlight the unknown device and hit the delete button.

With any luck when you reboot the computer the problem will go away.

In reply to a post by philippercival:

Go back into device manager.
Highlight the unknown device and hit the delete button.

With any luck when you reboot the computer the problem will go away.

Tried that, the pop up continues!!

I've had this prob for the last year or so (Win7). Doesn't seem to cause any harm other than mild annoyance.
See here too:-
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314464

In reply to a post by sobranie:

I've had this prob for the last year or so (Win7). Doesn't seem to cause any harm other than mild annoyance.
See here too:-
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314464

Yeah as you say doesn't seem to cause harm it is just the annoyance factor!!!

Have you tried upgrading the motherboard's firmware and/or installing the manufacturer's drivers. Microsoft's drivers do not always work correctly.

Not exactly relevant but I've had three usb SDHC card readers fail during the last couple of years with Win7. However I have been transferring several GB's of HD video clips from 4GB and 8GB SDHC cards.

When the those usb devices failed I got the same notification from Win7 that you�ve been getting

In reply to a post by 4M2:

Not exactly relevant but I've had three usb SDHC card readers fail during the last couple of years with Win7. However I have been transferring several GB's of HD video clips from 4GB and 8GB SDHC cards.

When the those usb devices failed I got the same notification from Win7 that you�ve been getting

My card reader is working so not sure it is the one causing the pop up.

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

Have you tried upgrading the motherboard's firmware and/or installing the manufacturer's drivers. Microsoft's drivers do not always work correctly.

What is best way to find out which motherboard it is?

In reply to a post by smc:

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

Have you tried upgrading the motherboard's firmware and/or installing the manufacturer's drivers. Microsoft's drivers do not always work correctly.

What is best way to find out which motherboard it is?

CPU-Z

Have a look at http://www.piriform.com/speccy

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

In reply to a post by smc:

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

Have you tried upgrading the motherboard's firmware and/or installing the manufacturer's drivers. Microsoft's drivers do not always work correctly.

What is best way to find out which motherboard it is?

CPU-Z

Excellent, thank you, got it!!!

When I search on motherboard results all seem to take me to www.devid.info is that ok to get update from?

It would be better to go to the motherboard manufacturer's website.

Have you tried taking said card reader out and see if said notification goes away?

Have you properly inspected the USB ports for damaged prongs or are you assuming they are OK?

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

Have you tried taking said card reader out and see if said notification goes away?

Have you properly inspected the USB ports for damaged prongs or are you assuming they are OK?

Yep I have inspected the USB ports.

I am not taking card reader out as not going to dismantle laptop. As I said the card reader is working ok so I really doubt it has anything to do with the problem.

Edited by deleted (Tue 17-Jul-12 21:29:28)

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

It would be better to go to the motherboard manufacturer's website.

I have had a look but cannot find motherboard firmware updates/drivers from manufacturer, seems a bit odd that they don't.

Hi, Download a tool called "Belarc adviser" and it will give a full set of information about your PC - including motherboard details bios etc.
Cheers, Les

BELARC is another very useful download. Cheers, Les.

In reply to a post by lelboy:

Hi, Download a tool called "Belarc adviser" and it will give a full set of information about your PC - including motherboard details bios etc.
Cheers, Les

Thanks, got details of motherboard but as I said in another post, can't find updates for it from manufacturer.