Windows drivers can opt to mark the device they are responsible for as "non operational". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_Manager#Error_Codes https://en.w

Windows drivers can opt to mark the device they are responsible for as "non operational". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_Manager#Error_Codes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_Manager#Error_Codes I think it's the #43 I've seen from time to time: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems." http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725873(v=ws.10).aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725873(v=ws.10)... They get a special icon in "Device Manager", and, if I remember right, the statusbar-thingie that dances around while newly-connected devices are detected will put up a bubble with an error message.