I have a AVIXE flash drive that is not properly detected under Windows (tried under normal mode as well as safe mode), I have tried on many computers, the drive can be detected but not recognize, it is shown as 'unknown', and the content not readable. However, when I boot up any computer using BartPE or XPE with the flash drive plug in, I have no problem reading it, a disk check on it show no problem. It is very puzzling to me. Is there anyone experiencing this kind of symptom before? What might be the reason?

It's very strange, USB drivers in both XP and PE should be the same.

Please post some more info on the stick:
Make/model
Vid and Pid
Size
Partitioned or "superfloppy"
Filesystem(s) used


any other info you have, like which tool did you use to partition/format it, if it is bootable, etc.

jaclaz

Sometimes the infcache.1 or the pnf files can get corrupted in your windows installation. First backup c:\windows\inf directory. Then when the device is not connected go into c:\windows\inf and delete all pnf files and the infcache.1 file. You may have to adjust permissions on the infcache.1 file to be able to delete it. Now reboot and try plugging in the device

I only have this info about the drive: AVIXE (that's the brand); 256MB, FAT32, non-bootable. This drive was pre-formated before shipping, no idea of what tool was used to partition it. The drive was working normally for a year or so (means no problem when using it on Windows). It started to have this unreadable problem only today, and I have tried on 4 computers. These computers have no problem reading other known-working flash drives.

Look at my reply to Jaclaz, all the computers that I tested on to read this drive have no problem reading other known-working flash drives, so I don't think Windows\inf is an issue.

No, but there could be a problem in the Registry.

You need to find the USB VendorID, ProductID, Vid and Pid of that device, use the checkudisk linked to here:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=15776

Then open Registry and navigate to key:
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR

You will find an entry for each USB stick ever connected to your machine.

Delete all occurencies of the VendorID & ProductID matching the data you found, check also in
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB
for corresponding Pid & Vid and in other Controlsets.

(OF COURSE, BACKUP the Registry before)

jaclaz

Though I can't check for the id info and the registry keys now. I have doubts: For the 4 computers I used to test, 3 computers have never met this flash drive before and since their all couldn't recognize it, can their display the vid and pid? will their have the registry keys propagated? Are we doubting that all 4 computers have registry problem of the same kind?