USB+Nanny+Microsoft

USB Nanny Microsoft

Microsoft in their wisdom are behaving similar to Blair’s Nanny State in that they are assuming they know best for you and consequently creating problems with USB attachments.

If you haven’t noticed problems with your Printer or Scanner for example you are lucky.

Microsoft have written into XP a Power Conservation program.

Which is useful for Laptops, but death for Desktops.

It puts USB’s into Lower Power Mode when they are idle.

You then can get a message

“ Cannot communicate with Scanner etc. or unable to Initialise Scanner etc. “

Now there are a number of ways to fix this but I prefer the overall kill, not individual attachment fixes.

Sadly this means a trip to the danger Zone again Registry.

Do not proceed without implementing my tip from the First Edition.

Then Go to :‐

Start > Run In the box type without the Quotes “ Regedit “

Go to :‐

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

Here you have to create a new subkey

And here is how take it slowly and you will be OK.

With Services highlighted take the cursor to the top of the window and click Edit

Then New > Key

Click the newly created Key to Highlight and once again go to Edit

Select New but this time choose DWORD Value

Go back to the Key and where it is highlighted name it:‐

DisableSelectiveSuspend

Click away from name to enter it

Then go back to the name you have just created and now Right‐click on it

Select Modify

This is the last bit

Type 1 in the box it should have been displaying 0

Press Enter

That’s it.

Hopefully now your Printer /Scanner etc. will cease to have problems.