USB quit working

[jldavis138]

My USB quit working and I can't figure out how to fix it.  I use Windows XP.  Everything has been working fine since I bouth the machine two years ago.  A couple days ago I plugged in a thumb drive (which I have used many times before) and was told the "device was not recognized" by windows.  The thumb drive still works at my office.  Now my printer is "not recognized" either.  I am not terribly computer savy, do I have serious problems, or is there an easy fix for this?

Thanks

[soybean]

I think the patio's (another forum member) regimen is called for here.  Open Device Manager.  Go down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand that section.  Right click on each item and uninstall it.  Close Device Manager and restart your computer and let Windows reinstall the USB drivers.  Now, see whether your computer recognizes your USB devices (flash drive, printer, etc.).

[jldavis138]

Thanks for the advice.  It worked and all my USB tools are working.