USB PnP Device Problem

[Deviate]

I'm working on a friends PC. The main complaint was that USB devices aren't working (flash drive, card reader, printer..). It's running XP Pro that was cleanly installed just a few months ago by myself. I've never run into this issue before..

Turns out flash drives/card readers connect, but the Add New Hardware Wizard comes up each time a different device is connected. Once you just go through it and let it grab a driver it's fine. However, he doesnt understand any of that (as simple as it is), and it shouldnt be doing it in the first place. It should blow through the install itself the first time one of these is connected, then from then on bring up the "What do you want Windows to do?" window.

I havent been able to find any information with this with XP, and any similar instances I find on forums or TechNet are with Windows 2000.

UPnP Device Host service is running, Plug and Play service is running, and PnP OS is enabled in the BIOS. (It wasnt at first, but I set it to Yes and the problem still exists.) All Windows updates are up to current.

I'm baffled. Why does it keep going through Add New Hardware Wizard? Possible mobo issue? Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks.

[Paintbait]

Did you try going onto the Device Manager list and making sure it wasn't on there, and if it was 'uninstalling it' and then restarting the PC. I had some issues with a PCI card that were similar, it came up as being 'installed' on the Device manager list but each time I booted the PC the wizard would come up and try to install it again.

Also you might try to find some Bios updates for the Mobo (but be careful if you find some and decide flashing is the only remaining option I had a bad experience with a baaad flash.