Error message when trying to connect computer to download photos

I have an Olympus SP-100EE and it may need repair. I am getting error messages when trying to download the photos from the camera into my Olympus Viewer 3 software. Using the same connection cable which I've been using for 2 years now, I get a message that "a USB device has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it." I thought the Olympus Viewer 3 automatically opened upon connection but that may be technological ignorance on my part regarding the operating system. I need to know if this is a camera repair problem, an operating system problem, or simply a need to replace the USB cable.