I'm still having problems getting new devices to be recognised by the USB on my Win XP Pro laptop.

I've spotted that it lacks the line Generic USB Hub in the Device Manager.

Might this be my problem - and is there a fix?

All help welcome.

Kind regards,

TP

Publisher

Check your laptop manufacturers website for a bios update, there's usually a 'downloads and drivers' section somewhere or other. You'll probably need to know your model number and you usually update the bios from within Windows these days.

If there isn't an update, you usually enter your bios by pressing F1 when you start up your laptop (the bios loads before Windows starts loading).

I don't have anything labeled Generic USB Hub on my laptop which is an Intel model, just a few items labelled 'USB Root Hub' and Intel 'USB Universal Host Controllers' plus a 'USB2 Enhanced Host Controller'.

Give the bios update a try as this is generally a good idea and I suspect you've not ever done this (many people don't). While you're at it have a look round your manufacturer's site in the downloads and drivers section to see if there is any known problems of patches.

After that have a look at a few of the links in this google search -

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=usb+OR+usb2+xp+device+%22not+recognized%22+site%3Asupport.microsoft.com&btnG=Search&meta=

Post up your make and model if you're still having problems.

Hope this helps.

jj50 - I'd pour some distilled water over the area where the coffee spilt and then follow the instructions. Cofffe especially wth sugar in it, will eventually eat through the tracks of the circuit board if not removed.

Miner,

Thanks for those ideas. I managed to get in touch with Asus and they concluded that I had the right bios.

That Google line is interesting and opens up a few new roads to explore.

What I am using is an Asus S5n.

Any further clues will be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

TP

TP

You might like some of the stuff available at

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/page/download_id

Miner,

You have reminded me. I had an office PC that refused to recognise it's internal CD and it turned out to be this Upper/Lower Filter problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925196

Snag is that I can't delete the two entries it asks me to. Maybe something to do with the 'rights'.

Back to the experimenting.

TP

Exec,

Wow, what a treasure trove.

Tried this http://scan.esupport.com/?CFID=2783901&CFTOKEN=58932890

and it said that all my USB drivers were out of date

http://driveragent.com/driveragent_results.php?hwid=2e204026d738ac6357604a9fae837a76&ticket=17LKLQZ&PHPSESSID=2pa3eco5higehkmn8t59m29td1

I am not sure whether you'd be able to read that link. Is this Driver Agent operation safe to use.

Foregive me if that link is not showing correctly. I can do it the proper way if it helps.

TP

TP

Here's some more from the web site of the guys who look after my computing needs when I really do need the professionals:-

http://www.computerdoctors.uk.net/pages/links.htm

As far as I am concerned, if they recommend it or give a link to a site to get it, then it's OK.

You say, "Is this Driver Agent operation safe to use?"

Hmmm? Well it comes from Touchstone Software and they have been in business for over 20 years. I guess they must be reasonably ethical.

Here's their Terms of Use for Driver Agent: http://driveragent.com/privacy.php

Of course, you will need to download their specific version of Active-X to do a scan. Nice to see it is specific to them.

Importantly:

Q. G8. Does DriverAgent install any other software onto my PC?
A. No! When you scan with DriverAgent, no other software is installed onto your PC. Our DriverAgent Scan Technology is 100% Guaranteed Adware Free, Spyware Free, and Virus Free.

Hmmm? Yes. I'd give it a go.

I've had a quick look at the asus drivers page, I wouldn't bother with the driveragent thing. USB drivers are included in Windows if you have an Intel motherboard (which you do). I can't see anything obvious to do with USB except a BIOS update.

What USB devices are you trying to connect? You might need a driver for the devices and maybe have to use the Add Hardware control panel applet to scan for new hardware.

Leave it with me and I'll have a think and little look at a few things. I'll try and get back to you either later today or by tomorrow.

Yes. Just a thought...

Having done the free scan, well, then you can look to find most of the required drivers, which should be for free.

eg, Start Here:- http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2

"What USB devices are you trying to connect? You might need a driver for the devices and maybe have to use the Add Hardware control panel applet to scan for new hardware."

Yes, there is a coincidence here. What does work on this machine are a couple of Canon cameras, my HP printer, my Asus MyPal PDA and my Maxtor external hard disks. All came with software driver disks.

What has worked and did not come with any disk was a CF card reader.

What is now causing problems is my wife's Ricoh GRD2 and my Garmin Nuvi 760t. Neither of these come with drivers as 'you don't need them with XP it says'. In fact the Ricoh has a disk but it won't load onto XP.

So it might be the case that this machine has always needed external drivers to work its USB devices.

Incidentally I have just bought a version of SiSoft Sandra Pro Home, recommended by ComputerDoctors, but I can't get it to install - so I am waiting for their Help Desk on this one.

That viaarena site looks pretty scary when you look at the USB area. I get the impression they are saying that if I have SP2 I have up-to-date drivers. I'd hate to install anything else and lose the USB devices that do work.

But thanks for all the help.

TP

There's a firmware and software update to download for that Ricoh camera http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/download/ Updating are firmware is usually a good idea, but I'd install the software first and then apply the firmware update.

As for the Garmin sat nav thingy, there's software for that here https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00538-00&cID=134&pID=6291

You probably need the software to communicate with the devices and you ought to bookmark these sites for future updates.

See if this works for you.

Thanks miner,

The Ricoh software turned out to already be on my machine from when we had the Ricoh GRD1 - which did work fine with this machine. But it still does not allow the GRD2 to plug and play.

The Garmin software presumes that the 760T is already showing up as a USB device. Which it is not so I am no further on with that either.

Sorry.

I have got that SiSoft Sandra software running now. It was a problem with the MS root permissions. Snag is I have no idea how to get it to tell me if there is anything wrong with my USB software. It could be thirty quid wasted as they did not do a try and buy deal - but I will keep trying.

TP

You could have a look here, it seems to have more solutions than anywhere else I've seen http://www.usbman.com/WinME%20USB%20Guide.htm

There's a few tricks on that site like disabling power management for USB item(s) in device manager. USB always seems to cause weird problems, so you're not alone.

Also, I wouldn't trust what you were told about the bios being updated. Have a look on the Asus site and try applying it, it won't do any harm even if it really is up to date. Do that first, then have a look at that USB website.

Miner,

You could be right about that BIOS. The support guy asked me what version I had and I replied:-

You asked for my bios version. It is:-

BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 0211, 30/04/2004

SMBIOS Version 2.3

But when I look at the Asus S5N on the Asus site it says version 0213A is the current one.

Can you point me to a URL that will tell me how to apply an updated BIOS please.

Thanks for the USBman site. I had already found it - but it's not solved my problem yet.

There is certainly something odd. I found


When I tried to install it this came up


and then this




TP

TP

I'm wondering if you have an ASUS motherboard in that machine. What does Belarc Advisor report?

Opt,

Here are the shots from my recently purchased Sandra and from Belarc



and



Any clues?

TP

And Belarc on my bus:-



TP

TP

I too am confused when comparing your info and that on the ASUS site. It still looks a though you have an unlisted motherboard.

Have you checked that the serial no and Asset Tag are the same as the coputer label?

Did ou get the support people to check verify your machine from the serial no.?

Did you try option 4 on the Bios flash utility?

I assume that you're not using Win2K - there is a USB driver update for that.

It appears from the ASUS site that BIOS V 0213A did address some USB issues if you could install it.

There is a DOS version of the BIOS utility which may work better, but the DOS versions are not always as clever as the Windows versions so yo need to be 100% sure of your motherbord first.

BTW. I'm sure that they have it worked out properly, but I would always download the BIOS to disk rather than get it straight fro the Internet.

"Have you checked that the serial no and Asset Tag are the same as the coputer label?"

No they are different.

"Did ou get the support people to check verify your machine from the serial no.?"

No, but that's because they didn't ask. I can try again, but it takes up to 48 hours (and ignores weekends) to get a reply.

"Did you try option 4 on the Bios flash utility?"

No, because it refused to install. As per the screen shots above. Said I did not have an Asus board.

"I assume that you're not using Win2K "

No. XP Pro.

"It appears from the ASUS site that BIOS V 0213A did address some USB issues if you could install it."

Yes, I saw the reference to booting from a USB. If I could install? I am not sure (a) how you do install a new BIOS - and (b) even more importantly how you protect the old one in case the new one does more harm than good.

Yes, it is confusing. Belarc seems to be saying that the motherboard is Asus and the BIOS is American Megatrends. But I think that is the same with my big studio PC - an Asus board and Am Meg BIOS.

TP