No USB in Windows

[macdude425]

Where I work, I have a laptop (Dell Latitude D520, C2D, 1GB RAM, etc. etc.) that inexplicably has no USB support in Windows (XP Pro SP3). I know for a fact that the USB ports do actually work because I can boot from USB devices. However, as soon as Windows starts, the USB ports do nothing.

There are six Unknown Devices listed in Device Manager - I have tried to update their drivers with no luck. I have also tried to update the chipset drivers for the computer - that too has done nothing.

Any ideas? TIA.

 

[KSoD]

Go to the Dell site and get the chipset drivers.

Drivers and Downloads

that should be one of the updates needed. It doesnt seem that there is much on their site. Do you have any disks that came with these systems? Like a driver disk?

 

[Trotter]

The functionality may have been removed by IT support as a safeguard.

 

[macdude425]

Nobody can seem to find the driver disk that came with the computer. I downloaded the chipset drivers from Dell's website and tried that (a different link than the one above, since the computer has XP), but no luck.

I checked with the guy I replaced in the IT department - he's 100% sure that no machine has ever had USB disabled by the department for any reason.

 

[KSoD]

Is it maybe a GPO (Group Policy) that is being enforced to stop people from using Portable Apps?

 

[macdude425]

Doubtful. There's no domain controller, and if it was done just on the local machine, the network guys would try to get us fired (yeah, that makes no sense, but so does a lot of other stuff around here).

Not to mention, when I say that the USB ports don't work, I mean that literally NOTHING works - mice, keyboards, Silverlink cables, nada.

 

[KSoD]

Is there anything you can do on the machine? Like use a PS/2 keyboard or anything? If so then go into the Device Manager and remove all those unknonw devices and restart Windows. See if it will go back through the device install and install them upon restart.

If anything maybe try a Restore Point or Repair install.