External Hard drives and Flash Drive problem

[technogeek]

Please could anyone help me.
I have just built a basic PC for a friend and installed win XP home for them.
My problem is that I can not plug in any USB external hard or flash drives, it keeps asking me for the drivers!
Now, I have updated all the chipset drivers and also the BIOS, since the problem, and that has not helped.
Anyone ever has this problem before?

This is urgent as the person has all his personal files backed up onto his external hard drive.

[affiliate13]

As ever check the manufacturers website for driver updates. failing that and since it is urgent you can open the drive enclosure and slave the HDD from inside the external unit on an IDE or SATA connection directly to the new PCs mobo.
Is the copy of XP Home service packed yet?

[godsdog]

Alternatively try going in the registry (regedit) and making sure 'DevicePath' says '%SystemRoot%\inf under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion.

Then make sure all files and folders are visible ('show hidden files and folders') and delete C:\WINDOWS\inf\infcache.1 reboot and let XP recreate it. If that doesn't work C:\WINDOWS\inf could be corrupt, in which case, repair is in order.

[technogeek]

Service pack 3 has been installed.
I am off to see the client later, i will check the regestry. Im wondering if scannow /fsc would help?

[godsdog]

No, but sfc /scannow might

[Clunk]

Chipset drivers?

[technogeek]

Yes chipset drivers.
Yeah i noticed my spelling mistake but realised you would know what I meant.

Repair install might be good option.

[Clunk]

You know what?...I didn't see that you had already said chipset drivers

Sorry

[technogeek]

Your forgiven.

I'm off to collect the PC in a bit, I will be back later pulling my hair out no doubt

[technogeek]

Done sfc /scannow, checked for viruses with kaspersky 2009, still no joy.

I think that a repair install is the only nest option.

What do you think?