During normal computer use can happen that Windows Vista no longer recognizes USB devices like USB hard drives, pen drives, when a file is damaged on the driver database, the device is recognized but the drivers are not installed.
After analyzing the problem carefully, I discovered that just delete the old drivers database. This database is recreated automatically by Windows if not in the system. The only problem is that files related to the database can not be deleted while running Windows.
METHOD 1: USE OF LINUX
To delete them I booted to linux and I deleted the following files from the Windows / inf:
* Drvindex.dat
* Infpub.dat
* Infstor.dat
* Infstrng.dat
* Infcache .*
* Setupapi .*
The * indicates any extension, so for example the file setupapi .* means setupapi.app.log, setupapi.dev.log, setupapi.ev1, setupapi.ev2 and so on.
Restart Windows Vista and everything is back as before.
METHOD 2: USING THE PROGRAM "OWN"
Make sure you have disabled UAC in Windows ( here the instructions), then install the program: "Own-eng.
Go into your Windows / inf and right click on each of the following files and select "Own":
* Drvindex.dat
* Infpub.dat
* Infstor.dat
* Infstrng.dat
* Infcache .*
* Setupapi .*
The * indicates any extension, so for example the file setupapi .* means setupapi.app.log, setupapi.dev.log, setupapi.ev1, setupapi.ev2 and so on.
Once you modify the permissions of these files must be removed.
The problem by restarting Windows should (conditional ™ is a must) be resolved.
Update: Carry forward the instructions to remove the own-eng, already posted a comment.
Open regedit (click Start and type regedit) and delete the entries:
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell \ Own \ command
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ * \ shell \ Own \ command.
Rebooting the system should have more voice in own right-click menu.
If you also want to physically delete the files, they are in C: \ Windows \ System32 and can be called and own.bat ownf.bat.
Source: Scogna