AboutRider Expertise With 20 years experience I can answer almost any question about Intel computers ror build, restore, backup, configure, OS problems, Hardware issures. Setup of hardware components, repair, remove and replace. Trouble shooting hardware/driver issues.
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Expert: Rider Date: 1/16/2008 Subject: Vaio XP Boot Hang - usbstor.sys
Question Hi There
I have an old Vaio SR31K which has just developed the following fault. Half way through the XP logo boot screen it locks up. That's it.
The drive is fine.
I reinstalled XP Home SP2, fine.
At desktop, all great. Restart, same problem. Bootlog shows last driver loaded is usbstor.sys
Mounted drive on another box and renamed file.
Boots fine again until I plug in a usb drive when it reinstalls usbstor.sys and will then not restart.
If I plug in a PCMCIA USB card and boot it hangs in the same place but will continue booting if I remove the card. I can then replace the card and have it work for mouse and card reader. Hard drives lock up the system until I disconnect them.
usbstor.sys is the latest version. System fully patched and never connected to a network or internet.
Bios non upgradeable.
My hunch is the usb controller on the mboard is dying/dead but thought I's bounce an unusual one off you as most of your questions seem a little straightforward.
All the best.
Ade
Answer Sony spec's show one USB port, you use the mouse on that port, correct?
The PCMCIA card is a USB card, it it required to access the hard drive?
Try this:
If you can get by with a regular mouse use the mouse port on the computer, uninstall the usbstore.sys file from the System Manager/Devices. Shut down remove the PCMCIA card.
Start the system then plug the hard drive into the USB port on the computer.
If it runs with out locking up and doesn't look for the PCMICA card then the card has failed, if the hard drive needs the card you will not be able to access it but this test is to see if the hard drive is the problem.
Do you have another laptop available to test the PCMCIA card with? If you do that would tell you if the card has failed or if the interface for the card in the compture has failed.
My opinon is that the PCMCIA card has failed, the interface inside the computer rarely fails, usually it is damaged by inserting the wrong type of card in the slot.
