The Problem

While reconnecting the USB device you may face the following error
The contents of the error message in the little message balloon says

"Usb device not recognized"
"One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance in solving this problem, click this message."

If you try clicking the message but the troubleshooting assistance is of no help

I tried it on several Windows 2000 machines and two other Windows XP machines and it worked on all of them, so I concluded that it had something to do with computer rather than my hopes that it was just a faulty flash drive that I could exchange to solve the problem.

I did some research online and learned that sometimes the USB ports located on the front of the case don’t have enough power for some USB devices. Sure enough, when I tried copying the exact same directory with the flash drive plugged into one of the USB ports in the back, it worked several times in a row.

The Solution

Here is the solution that worked for me...

1) Remove all oem*.inf files

    1. Click start and click run then under the run line type in the command "cmd" (without the quotation marks)
    2. In the command line, type in the following (without the quotes) and press enter after each command:
       "cd \windows\inf"
       "ren infcache.1 *.old"
       "ren oem*.inf *.old"
       "del C:\windows\setupapi.log"

2) Removing all entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Enum/USB that start with "VID"

     Removing the VID entries from the registry will cause them to be redetected at restart.
    CAUTION: If you have a USB keyboard or mouse, do not remove the VID entry for these devices, otherwise, Windows may not restart correctly.

    1. Click Start and click Run. Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor window will open.
    2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB.
    3. Highlight and delete all the VID_…. entries.
       Permissions may be set allowing the deletion of the VID_ entries by following the steps below:
       a)Right-click the key to be deleted, and then click Permissions. The VID_… Permissions window will open.
       b)With Everyone highlighted in the Group or User name section, select Full Control in the Permissions section.
       c)Click Apply, and then click OK.
    4. Turn off the computer.

3) Reconnect the USB device to the computer system: 

    1. With the computer system turned off, reconnect the USB hub to the the USB port.
    2. Restart the computer.
    3. A New Hardware Detected window should open and reload the drivers.

DISCLAIMER: This process is a one-way process and all steps must be taken to ensure that data is backed up before attempting. The author is in no way responsible for loss of data, damage to disk, data and the computer as a whole.

Before you begin, please make sure that you know the following terms :

1. FAT : File Allocation Table is a computer file system architecture developed by Bill Gates and Marc McDonald in the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the main file system in use for MS-DOS and the earlier versions of Windows up to but not inclusive of Windows NT.
2. NTFS : New Technology File System is a relatively newer file system which is used by Windows NT, server 2003/2008, XP, and Vista. It is more powerful than the FAT system and employs newer security features and enhancements.

Now onto the process itself :

1. Backup all important files, folders to an external hard drive or DVD.
2. The conversion process must be initiated in the command prompt so :
   • Click Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt.

     OR

   • Click Start -> Run -> Type cmd in the box -> Press enter.
3. By now the command prompt should have opened up. In case you didn't know, the command prompt is the black screen with white text.
4. Now type vol followed by the name of the drive you wish to convert
   • Example : For D drive type vol d:
5. A name and a serial number will be displayed on the screen. Note down the name as you will need it later.
6. Now type convert (drive letter) /fs:ntfs.
   • Example : To convert D drive to ntfs type convert d: /f:ntfs
7. In the case that your operating system is on the drive you want to convert, the program will ask whether you would like to schedule the conversion for when the system is restarting. If you would like to do so, Click Yes.
8. Next, the system will prompt you for the label name of the drive you wish to convert. It will appear as follows :

   The type of file system is FAT.

   Enter the current volume label for drive d: (or whichever drive you chose)

9. Enter the volume name you noted down earlier and press ENTER.
10. Once the conversion process is complete you can quit command prompt by typing exit and pressing enter.
11. Congrats on your new improved NTFS drive!!