Tomecc, what dell said is absolutely true, providing everything is uptodate.

What service pack level are you at on xp? You need sp2 - if you right click on my computer, select properties, on the window that opens, it should tell you the service pack level... if there is no mention, you have no service packs installed.

chipset drivers that Archer mentioned are here. Download and install them.

there is also a bios update while it is possible to render your laptop useless by installing this update incorrectly or turning the power off, often bios updates sort out usb connectivity problems.

Code 10 means lack of resources, but I have also seen this happen where the usb port cannot supply enough power. The drive should have it's own power supply unit... is it plugged in and switched on?

When you have updated both the bios and the chipset drivers (doesn't matter which order), try again and post the results.