Windows XP problem

[timmyneedham]

I've tried a number of ways to try to solve the following problem but none works so I hope a Ppruner can help.
I am running XP on a Time computer with all SP2 updates installed but when I try to install anything via USB, XP can't find the drivers. This even applies to my CD rom. So anything which should self install won't. This includes cameras, flash drives and anything which does not come with an installation CD.
I have tried all sorts of alleged solutions including a hotfix from Microsoft and trying to fix it through the registry but no luck. I have also tried uninstalling and trying to reinstall eveything, which just made everything worse. I had to go back to an earlier restore point to get out of that one.
I'd be grateful for any ideas.
Windows was pre installed so I can't reinstall from a disk.

cheers
tn

[Lancelot37]

It may have been pre-installed, but didn't you get a repair disc?

[frostbite]

There may be a sort of install disk in a folder on your hard drive.

I bought a machine once where they didn't give me an OS CD but I found a folder containing everything I needed.

[PPRuNe Pop]

This may be stating the obvious but I just did a Google and came up with this.

http://www.usbman.com/Drivers%20and%20Patches.htm

There are others - loads of 'em!

PPP

[seacue]

Go to ControlPanel|System|Hardware|DeviceManager and see whether the Universal Serial Bus controller(s) are enabled.

[Keef]

What seacue says.

Analyse the problem from first principles:
Are the USB controllers enabled?
If so, does the "system" see new USB devices when they arrive?
If yes, where is it looking for the USB drivers for those devices?
What does the Event Log tell you? (Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Event Viewer. Check Application and System for error messages).

[timmyneedham]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Everything seems to be working properly vis a vis the USB controllers. Every time I plug anything in, I get the found new hardware wizard which I then run, but it keeps saying it can't install whatever it is, because it can't find the software. This is the case whether I use the automatic search or whether I point it at a file. Does this ring a bell with anyone?
cheers
tn

[dazdaz]

Just a thought, have you a 'Microsoft verification' file (don't ask me where) downloaded at some time on your HD via updates.

Microsoft don't like sofware/drivers that ain't paid $$$ for the right to be on XP.

Daz

[carholme]

Sir;

I am not sure of the age of your computer but are you sure that the computer may have USB 1 while the newer gear you are playing with is USB 2?

carholme

[timmyneedham]

No, I've got USB 2.0 - machine is 3 yrs old but has 1GB ram and 1.8ghz processor.

[green granite]

Try turning the process on it's head, download and install the driver you require then plug the device into the usb port. that worked for me with an obscure driver that XP didn't think was a driver file.

[bnt]

Some devices like modern cameras & USB keys follow the "USB Mass Storage" standard, so they should not need separate drivers installed. Next time you get the "driver not found" message, try and select the USB Disk driver manually. If you choose "Select drivers manually", I think it's under "Disk Drives" or perhps "USB Devices".

[aligee]

Two quick suggestions here reset the bios to defaults and if that doesn't work change the bios battery (rs232) as a three year old machine may have a gubbed one.

[Jhieminga]

Just my thoughts but if the USB ports work (show up) then they're obviously enabled in the BIOS so resetting the BIOS shouldn't resolve anything. An empty BIOS battery is easily detected as most MBs start with an error message about the time/date being wrong in this case.

This sounds like a Windows issue relating to the location of your installation files. Have you tried borrowing a Win XP cd and pointing at that during the sequence?

[Keef]

USB memory sticks don't normally need separate drivers (as mentioned above).

If you have an install disk for the particular device, look on it for the XP driver .inf file for that device. When the installer asks you for the file, navigate to that .inf file and point at it.

If that doesn't work, note the time you did it, and then go to Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Event Viewer. Look in "Application" and "System" to see if there are any reports in there about what exactly went wrong.

[timmyneedham]

Thanks and happy Christmas to all those who made suggestions as to how to fix this problem. I'm afraid the issue has not been resolved. My own solution is as follows.

1. Buy Macbook Pro.

Cheers

tn