Windows 2000 SP4 has lost it's mind, and it is causing me to lose mine!

Bottom line: I think a recent windows update messed up the USB drivers on my machine. I cannot install simple "plug-and-play" USB devices on the machine. Details follow. I'm not too good with hardware, so I apologize if I provide too much or the wrong information.

I have an 8-year old Dell desktop running Windows 2000 SP4 with all the updates that are offered by Windows update.

In the past, all USB devices would be found and installed by Windows automatically, without the need for any special drivers from the manufacturer. For example, I have flash disk drives, that "just work" when plugged in. The same goes for an SD memory card reader. I do have a USB optical mouse that requires a driver for extended features, but the basics work with whatever driver that Windows supplies by default.

Recently I plugged in a USB flash drive that has been working fine for YEARS, and Windows is now asking for a driver. I know for a fact that I never did anything special to use this drive in the past. Why is it now, all of a sudden, looking for the driver? It works as "plug-and-play" when I plug it into my WXP machine.

I fiddled around a bit and Windows found C:\WINNT\inf\oem3.inf which as far as I can tell, was pointing to USBSTOR.SYS, which I confirmed was NOT anywhere on my system. I found a Windows 2000 copy on the Web and installed it, and now the USB drive works.

Next I went to plug in the SD card reader (that has also been working fine for YEARS) and Windows is asking for a driver. I think that it, too, found oem3.inf, but after that installation completes, the New Hardware Wizard starts again, trying to install "Generic USB SD Reader USB Device". I know this has never happened in the past. If I cancel the installation, I do see the drive as something like "E:", and I can navigate it just as I used to using Windows Explorer. However, after I eject the device and plug it back in, the New Hardware Wizard once again wants to install the "Generic USB SD Reader USB Device". If I cancel this time, the drive does not show up in My Computer. I contacted the manufacturer and confirmed that no special drivers are needed for W2K. Again, this device works as "plug-and-play" when I plug it into my WXP machine.

I have 2 USB hubs that are connected and working fine. I have my optical mouse plugged into one, and decided to plug the mouse directly into the back of the box, instead of the hub. Big mistake! The mouse does not work at all, and the New Hardware Wizard is asking for a driver. It's a Microsoft mouse, so downloaded and installed the latest software from the MS site. I see a bunch of OEM*.INF/PNF files in C:\WINNT\inf\ that are specific to the mouse, but the New Hardware Wizard keeps reporting that no drivers were found.

And you guessed it, when I plug the hubs back in, they are not found either.

One fix I saw in the forum involved deleting the fine "infcache.1", but no such file exists on my system. Any ideas? It seems like I need to get copies of the standard USB drivers that are part of Windows. Please don't say reinstall Windows!!

Thanks.

Vince