Vista SP2: USB Devices Don’t Work After Sleep

A number of users have experienced an issue in which various USB devices do not work properly or at all after systems that have been upgraded to Windows Vista SP2 wake up from sleep or hibernation. In some cases, USB devices do not respond for 30 seconds or more after the system has awoken; in other cases, functionality is missing or the devices do not respond at all.

Potential fixes

While many users still experience these issues after applying this fix, Microsoft has released a downloadable hotfix that may resolve the problem in some cases.

You may also want to try deleting the INFCACHE file then restarting. Instructions for this process are as follows:

Open a Windows Explorer window and type c:\windows\inf then press return, and locate the file “INFCACHE.1,” then follow these steps:

1. Right-click on INFCACHE.1 and select “Properties”
2. Click on the “Security” tab, then click “Edit.”
3. Click “Add,” then type the name you would like to give to the user group.
4. Set the new group to “Full Control” then click OK.
5. You can now delete the file INFCACHE.1

You should now restart your computer and check for proper operation of the device. You may need to re-download the device(s) driver from the manufacturer website.

For more potential fixes, see our previous coverage regarding USB problems.