USB device malfunction

I've been using the compact wireless-g for a while now with very little problems. Suddenly I get a message the device has malfunctioned and Windows can no longer identify it at all. I have made no changes nor have I un/installed anything to my knowledge that should have affected it in any way. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling it recently with no success. When I tried it on a laptop it again came up as malfunctioned. Is there a way to fix this or is this simply a case of having to get a new one?