Losing usb drive and search errors.

I have a relatively new dual core machine that I use specifically for photoshop and associated imaging applications.

It recently started with an odd behaviour that when I put one of my memory cards into the card reader or I put my flash drive into one of the usb ports it doesn't find them. I have to boot each time I want to read something like this. Even when using Adobe Bridge CS3 it will sometimes just abort or seldom photoshop itself will just quit. The error message is the standard "Windows has encounters problems". This will consistently appear on a windows search. It seems to be surrounding file browsing type of functions.

I am running Windows XP Pro SP2. I know that I am going to have to run something for you but not sure what. I have had the hijack issue on another pc quite some time ago and it doesn't appear to the same thing.

I would greatly appreciate any direction that you could give me.