"USB Device Not Recognized" - seeking advice

Last evening my notebook PC (specs below) apparently and abruptly stopped recognizing five of my Western Digital Passport and Elements external hard drives (HD). Each time I inserted one of these HD's, the balloon message "USB Device Not Recognized" appeared at my taskbar and the HD did not activate. [I attached a JPEG of the entire message, although probably unnecessary.] Immediately before this problem began, I had been copying some files between two of the external HDs and web-browsing when my PC froze. After several minutes, I tried to shut down the PC. but it failed to power down normally and the "circling arrow" replaced my pointer. After 10 minutes of this, I simply turned off the PC with the power switch, after which the HD recognition problems began.

I have since shut down my PC properly and rebooted it several times without resolution of the HD recognition problem. The recognition problem occurs regardless of which of the two USB ports is used. My PC seems to be operating normally otherwise and other USB-operated devices (speaker, cooling fan) continue to operate normally. Three of the HDs not recognized by my PC were not in use at the time of my abrupt PC bypass shutdown. My external HD's have operated normally with my PC for at least six months (several years for two of them); two of them worked normally as recently as 6 hours ago. In the interim, I verified that these five external HDs work normally with my back-up notebook PC. My PC has installed Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes; both are active and up-to-date and have detected no threats. The HDs' drivers self-installed upon initial activation with no additional software CDs/DVDs.

I apologize if I omitted any critical data--please let me know if additional information is needed. Thanks much for reading and any suggestions or advice.

 

Do any other USB devices work? Mouse or usb stick? Do the hard disks spin up normal?

I have solved similar problems by uninstalling the USB 2.0 controllers in Device Manager. Reboot and let the system reinstall them.

 

Are you just removing the USB drive without safely ejecting it?

Also try updating your chipset drivers.

 

Thanks for the informative responses.

Wave, as mentioned in my initial post, other USB devices (external cooling fan, speaker) work normally. My internal HD works normally and the external HDs not recognized by my main PC work normally with back-up PC.

Tsunade_Hime, except for the abrupt turn-off by power switch, I always use the Windows deactivation sequence for each external HD before I physically disconnect them. My chipsets are up to date.

I'll try disconnecting the 2.0 controllers in Device Manager and report back.

Thanks,

 

Apparently my notebook PC is recognizing my external HDs again this evening. Early this AM, I uninstalled the empty USB root hubs and rebooted my PC, but the problem persisted. I also noticed that periodically my external USB-powered speaker emitted the noises of being disconnected and reconnected, although without interruption in sound. This evening I noticed the uninstall-install sounds ceased and tried connecting my HDs again with apparent success. I don't know exactly what occurred, but I speculate that the USB interface software, perhaps the USB root hubs, were corrupted by my abruptly powering off the PC without going through the standard Windows shutdown and the PC found the proper software codes for repair on the internet and installed them unobtrusively. Of course, I could be wrong, as I am not a PC expert.

Thanks for your attention.