USB Device Error Code 10 in Windows XP

Plugging a USB storage device into your computer can often result in either nothing or an error code; both being frustrating for the user. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus which is a way for a computer to establish a communication link between a device, such as a memory stick or flash drive, and the host computer.

Portable storage devices are small and can be purchased with different amounts of memory on them. Many people use portable storage devices to store information that they can easily transfer from one computer system quickly and easily. As with any computer equipment, you have to be prepared that systems, devices and connections don’t always work as they are intended. USB error codes do occur and usually in a few steps, problems with the device or the USB port can be easily remedied.

If you get any type of USB error code, you first want to ensure that the device itself is working. Plug the USB flash drive into the USB port on another system and see if you have any problems. If not, the device is not the problem; rather it is the configuration of the computer that would not accept the device. As with other errors, different codes mean different things. For instance, the code 10 error indicates that the device cannot start.

If you are using Windows XP and have encountered a USB error code, the best way to resolve it is to remove and re-install all of the USB controllers:

• Click on Start
• Right click on My computer
• Click on Properties
• Click the Hardware tab
• Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers Section
• Right click the devices under the USB controllers and click Uninstall to remove them one at a time
• Restart the computer, which will allow the computer to reinstall the USB controllers
• Plug in the removable USB storage device
• Test your USB device to see that this has resolved the issue and the error code 10

If you continue to have problems with USB error codes you should first contact Microsoft Support or your local computer repair shop for further assistance, as this could actually be a faulty connection in the computer hardware itself.