SmartMedia Card Reader/Writer causes bluescreen/reboot!

[Feltsoles]

I have a COMPAQ Armada 7800 Notebook computer Model 6300/T/8000/V/0/3 running Windows 2000 Professional. I am trying to install a Microtech SmartMedia Car Reader/writer into to USB port of the laptop. This is a small plug/unplug type device the is used to read SmartMedia from my digital camera.

I have loaded the lastest software/drivers from Microtech, upgraded Windows 2000 to Service Pack 2, upgrade my notebook BIOS to the latest from COMPAQ.

The problem: After all the above was completed, I then plug the SmartMedia Car Reader/writer into the USB post. The computer senses it's presents, goes thru an install routine to the USB port, then BLUESCREENS and reboots. It will cycle BLUESCREENing and rebooting until I unplug the device at which time it boots properly. However, I am not able to use the device.

I have contacted both COMPAQ and Microtech (

http://www.microtech.com)

about this problem to no avail. Any suggestions??? Thanks for any.

Feltsoles

 

[HugoGuessit]

I'm not too familiar with the microtech card reader, but I seem to recall that the readers I've seen tend to be tempermental. Have you tried any other card readers? Have you used any other USB devices? Considering you've got the newest software, I'd take a quick look at the hardware aspect of it next. Test the USB ports with other USB devices if you haven't already. If possible, test the card reader on another PC. If it's an option, I'd try it on the same OS as well as a win 98 machine. This will help eliminate the option of it being a Win 2k issue. Good Luck. hg

 

[cbm24]

I have the same exact problem using an Olympus MAUSB-10 card reader. I am running XP w/service pack 1. MY card reader is new and both ports have been verified to be in working order. I have ACPI and USB sharing IRQ 9, but I don't think this is the issue. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Feltsoles]

Unfortunately, I never did solve (or rather the manufacturer of the SmartMedia reader) never did sove my problem. What they did do, however, is to send me a new reader of a different type (Dazzle) I believe. This one works just fine and I have no more issues. It took about 6 months or more and a lot of persistence to get this resolved. I wish I could be of more help. Get Olympus to replace it with one that works (at their expense of course).

 

[burtg]

Same problem - Win2K and a Zio smart media reader. Got the Blue screen and could not reboot until I disconnected the reader. There happened to be a deal with Sandisk 128 card for a very good price including a rebate for their card reader. The new Sandisk reader works flawlessly. The gltchy Zio is now in landfill! I actually had periodic problems with the Zio before but didn't have crashes with Win98 on the same computer. With Win98 the Zio sometimes wasn't recognized.