How to setup or activate USB in Windows NT Server 4.0 1

[ffleitas]

Hello connaisseurs,

I have a Windows NT 4.0 Server that does not have USB listed but the USB hardware on the computer is active. How do I activate, setup, or install USB to work on this Server? Microsoft states:

Windows NT 4.0 does not support Universal Serial Bus (USB) host controllers. There are no plans to provide USB support in Windows NT 4.0 in a future service pack.

Thank you,
Felix

 

[Grenage]

You've answered that question yourself really havent you

You can't.

 

[PeteH2]

As USB is not supported by MS and there are no plans to do so, from a pure MS point of view, USB just wont work under NT4.

There are, however, a few third party drives about, but I've not heard of one being used successfully.

Therefore if a USB connection is business critical, then you should consider several things:

* Moving to an opsys that supports USB
* Adding the USB connection to another PC on the network
* Purchasing the hardware that uses USB in another form:
IDE,SCSI, Ethernet, etc


HTH

PEte H

 

[merlinx]

I also had to spend alot of time on the same issue, part two was due to fire-wire. I did not find an appropriate answer at that time, anything used was so slow that the usb advantage was lost...

And a non-usb device was always better and available.

 

[willscarlet]

Hi Guys,

I have NT4 server with sp6a running on a Gigagyte GA5AX motherboard with an AMD K6-2/400 processor and I use an IOMega Zip drive on the USB port with no problems.

Just luck I suppose.

 

[Grenage]

Are you using a card or something then ?

NT4 doesn't support USB in itself does it ?

 

[willscarlet]

Hi Grenage

The motherboard I used has two USB ports as standard. I haven't installed a USB card, I just installed NT4 server/sp6a/IOmega Zip driver and it worked.

I also tried to install an HP scanner as USB connected but the install software said "you can't do that" without even trying to do the installation.

Weird huh!

 

[Grenage]

Mad stuff, I guess i'll have to give that a go our side

 

[willscarlet]

I just came across another thread which mentions Iomega/USB

thread55-205076

says the driver only works with Iomega devices

 

[jojo73]

The only time I had USB port working on NT4.0 with SP6a is for ZIP250.

 

[OzDog]

It can be done - we use NT4 with USB for digital cameras.

There is a driver available (for a few USD$39.95) at the following link.

http://store.bsquare.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog&parent_id=127

Works fine for us. Cheers,
Sam

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