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USB Problem


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#1
BamaMel

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I have a problem with USB Flash Drives on my home PC. They work on other computers. When I plug a USB flash drive into any of my USB ports it launches the found new hardware wizzard. When I run the wizzard it says the hardware was not installed because the wizzard cannot find the necessary software. When I look in device manager under USB Controllers everything looks fine. But, there are 3 items listed under other devices with yellow ?! marks. One is my monitor and one says USB Mass Storage and the other is USB Mass Storage Device. When I click on USB Mass Storage it says The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28) To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver. When I click on the other I get This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1) To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver. Trying to reinstall the drivers for this device gives me the same results as above. However, I have an ext USB HD, Digital Video Camera, and one digital still camera (Fuji FinePix) that work fine. But, my three USB flash drives (all from Centon won't work) and my Minolta still camera won't work. My USB keyboard, joystick, and printer also work fine. Except for the portion of my printer that lets me put in my memory sticks from my cameras. I have went to the Centon web site for my datasticks and they don't have drivers for XP. Same for my Epson printer. I used to have a Scandisk flash drive that would work as well but I lost it. I can't figure out why some things work and some don't? Any ideas?

I have a Dell Dimension 8300 with XP Home with SP2.
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#2
Jack123

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01 – BamaMel – [USB Flash Drive]
29th March 2006

BambaMel – Welcome to – Geeks to Go

That is quite a list – but after breaking your post down into sections of – Working USB & Non Working– It appears that all –Non Working USB Devices – are relative to – Mass Storage Devices –

**Now I need to know if these Devices that are – Non Working – if they were – Working & then became Nonworking**

(1)- Printer – Card Reader – Was this working at one time
(2)- The 3 USB Centon Flash Drives – Did any work at one time – (I would think so being that you have 3
(3)- Minolta still camera – Did this work at one time

(4)- Scandisk flash drive – Do you mean – Physically Lost
_________________________________________________________________________

I can't figure out why some things work and some don't? Any ideas?


Your Dell appears to be rather new – It has 8 USB Ports – INTEL Chipset – This should eliminate – some of the earlier USB Anomalies – However the – 2 Front USB Ports – are or could still be part of the Problem –

The Front USB Ports – in the past – incorporated – [Poorly designed Wiring Interface] – and were only used for – Low Powered – USB Devices – [<100 milliamps] – and at least I believe subjected – to EMI – from – Wireless Devices – [??]

The 2 best USB Ports – are the 2 Ports that are – [Directly Hardwired with USB Connectors directly to the Motherboard] – that have – Shielding around them – In your case you may have 4 USB Ports – but more than likely the other 4 Ports may be cabled to Motherboard – but better integration designed than the – [Front Ports]

Also you seem to have enough USB Devices installed – that you probably have a good understanding of the – USB Installation Process – so this probably eliminates anther common issue -

That is enough of – What I think is not wrong .....
_____________________________________________________________________________

I have noticed lately on the – Flash Drives – is the – Sudden occurrences – of these Devices to cease to function on certain Computers - & - Function on others –

Microsoft has recently downloaded several – Security Updates – for [??] – and I think I am beginning to piece a link together [??] between – These Updates & Flash Drive Issues – So it is PC related – but appears to be – OS Issues – more than – USB Anomalies
___________________________________________________________________________

I need you to run a search for these drivers and/or variations installed on your PC –
1- secdrv.sys
2- sptg.sys
Search Process
1- Click – [Start Button]
2- Highlight [Search]
3- Click – [For Files & Folders]
4- Click – [Advance Search] Options & Check [Search Subfolders] Box
5- Type – secdrv* - in the [Search for files or folders named] input box
6- Click – [Search Now] Button
7- Type – sptd* - in the [Search for files or folders named] input box
8- Click – [Search Now] Button
9- Post back all instances of these two searches for [secdrv.sys] & [sptd.sys] driver files
____________________________________________________________________

I will give you another tool – [Enhanced Device Manager] – that will permit – [Device Manager] to show the USB Device History – Download the – [Attachment]

Attached File  02_Attachment_Device_Manager_Prep_for_Non_Present_Devices.doc   20.5KB   54 downloads

1-Now Open [Device Manager] – Check – [Show Hidden Devices] – View Option
2-Expand all folders by clicking the [+] Box
3-Browse for more instances of [Problem Devices] – [Unknown Devices] – [Question Devices] and you should see more instances of your – [Flash Drives] – Check the Driver Details & Post back if you see any of the secdrv & sptd drivers showing up in any – [Non Working USB Devices]


Jack123

Edited by Jack123, 30 March 2006 - 06:01 AM.

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#3
BamaMel

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Jack123,

Thanks for the reply. Yes the 3 Centon Datasticks and printer card reader have worked in the past. Then the data sticks began to work sometimes until not at all. The printer card reader still works independent of the PC. I can print photos using it. I just can't view them on the PC through it. About the same time my flash drives started being intermittent I also started getting the found new hardware wizzard everytime I rebooted. With a little isolation I determined it was the printer card reader. I just got the Minolta and it has never worked.

Yes the scandisk was physically lost.

Here are search results

SECDRV.INF C:\I386
SECDRV.SYS C:\I386
secdrv.sys C:\Program Files\SimThemePark
secdrv.sys C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$
SECDRV.INF C:\WINDOWS\INF
SECDRV.PNF C:\WINDOWS\INF
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield Vietnam
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer Generals
secdrv.sys C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386
secdrv.sys C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS

search for sptg* and sptd* had no results

After using the Enhanced Device Manager steps and expanding all folders I see four more instances of USB Mass Storage Device and one MAXXUM 5D (Which is my Minolta). I don't see sptd.sys or secdrv.sys any where in the driver details.
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#4
Jack123

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02 – BamaMel – [USB Flash Drive]
30th March 2006

Ok – Here is the problem. I only stumbled onto this yesterday. It has to do with the –Security Drivers that deal with the Games on your PC. Now I do not know for sure. but it may be coincidental with a Microsoft Security Update - that you recently downloaded & installed, or with some game problem/incident[??]

Can you link any Microsoft Updates or Game Incident to the Timeframe of Problem? I am not sure of the proper method of removing these drivers – but what was done – was to change the Extension from sys to old – which would disable the drivers but you could change them back if – removing messed up the games. I do not think that they are required for playing – I think they lie –dormant until a – Security Breech – [Real or Fiction] – I think Microsoft may have a messed up – Update – which is pretty common for Bill Gate$[??]

The following sys drivers should be changed to old Extensions
secdrv.sys C:\Program Files\SimThemePark
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield Vietnam
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour
SECDRV.SYS C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer Generals SECDRV.SYS C:\Program

You may have to reboot after making the changes – and then try connecting your USB Mass Storage Devices – [??]

Here are some links to study – before messing with the drivers –

http://www.macrovisi...isc/index.shtml
http://www.neuber.co...secdrv.sys.html

http://www.securityf...d/17070/discuss

SafeDisc is prone to a local privilege-escalation vulnerability. This issue is due to the failure of the application to restrict access to the configuration parameters of an installed service.

This vulnerability allows local attackers to execute arbitrary malicious code with SYSTEM-level privileges, facilitating the complete compromise of affected computers.


(http://www.securityf...rchive/1/427410)

I have a found a serious flaw in the well-known and widely deployed copy protection scheme SafeDisc.

The issues arrises from the how the installation of the driver secdrv.sys is managed. When installed, the associated driver service is assigned the SE_CHANGE_CONFIG flag, which means that any user is able to modify the start-up behaviour (automatic, manually, on-demand, system, boot).
Luckily the default installation of Windows XP which also ships the secdrv.sys driver (bad thing, Microsoft!) is not vulnerable.

The bad thing is that, not so well documented, it also allows the user to change the binary that is assiocated with that service.

The exploit is obvious: change the configuration to point at your binary, change the start-up behaviour to what you like (means: automatically, system or boot) and wait until the next reboot. Tadaa, full SYSTEM access.

This is just one instance of a well-known class of exploits. See these links for other known vulnerable services, detailed description and the srvcheck2.exe utility.


http://seclists.org/...6/Feb/0231.html
http://www.cs.prince...pers/winval.pdf
http://www.microsoft...ory/914457.mspx
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/16472

You now know as much as I do – See if you can tie – some kind of timeframe together – If you can pass on any details concerning – Games – and Updates – would be greatly appreciated

Jack123
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#5
BamaMel

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Jack123,

I changed the file extension to old for the secdrv files in my game folders and restarted.

No luck, still having the same problem.

I can't really tie the start of the problem to anything because I've been having this problem for several months now and had given up on it until I got the new camera and it has the same problem.

Things that could be related are

Installing an IEEE 1394 PCI card
Installing an ATI Radeon X700Pro video card
Had a problem with BattleField 2 (but was able to resolve/if I rember right it was a registery change)
I try to stay on top of Security Updates from MS and ussually install them soon after they are released.
I don't install all the optional updates.
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#6
Jack123

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03– BamaMel – [USB Flash Drive]
31st March 2006

Ok Try the Search Process again to see if the drivers were reinstalled after new Startup – We may have to change or find the Origin/Source[??] – In the meantime I will revisit my Sources – on this development

Jack123
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#7
BamaMel

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Jack123,

I ran the search again and the files have not been recreated.
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#8
Jack123

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04– BamaMel – [USB Flash Drive]
31st March 2006

Ok – Maybe I was just trying to use this newly found USB info – on your USB Issues – a little too eagerly –[??]
I was shooting from the hip again – Never works –

Download the Free Home Edition of Everest – from link below. This is a good Program that can analyze your PC – See attachment – For instructions on creating Everest Reports & Instructions on Attaching these reports to return Post – I will review these reports – and look for conflicts – and other clues -
http://www.filehippo...d_everest_home/

See Attachment for Creating Reports Instructions & Attachment Instructions -

Attached File  02_Instructions_EVEREST_Report_Attatchment.doc   31.5KB   39 downloads

Jack123
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#9
BamaMel

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Jack123,

Here are the reports. Thanks for all your help.

Attached Files


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