Windows 98 cannot find driver when adding USB devices

[music1111]

Hi. I have a computer running Windows 98SE. When I first bought it, I attached a scanner through the first of 2 USB ports available and it works fine. A few years later I bought a digital camera and could not get it to work (even through days of help calls to Kodak) because the computer kept saying it could not find the driver. I took it back. Then, I got a new printer this Christmas and the same thing is happening. I install with the disc and when it gets to the driver, the computer says it can't detect it. Why can I not add any more hardware via USB to my computer? I checked the USB properties and it is listed along with the USB root hub in the list with no X marks or ? marks or anything. Once I plug in the USB cable Windows detects the new device and goes to the part where it needs a driver. It makes me search for a driver and when I do search in what the new CD just installed, it never finds it. The original scanner still works.

I read some other threads but they weren't exactly this problem. I have even went to Microsoft.com and downloaded a USB driver fix (hoping that was it) and still no progress.

HELP!
Thanks,
Christine

 

[jrbarnett]

Hi

Does the scanner work if you plug it into the other USB port? Just a thought.

John

 

[kiddpete]

The drivers you are getting may not work with Win98SE. Do the printer specs list Win98? Are you downloading Win98 drivers from MS?

 

[carlos3904]

Hi, Have a similar problem, but with an old motherboard pcchips 571 USB ON BOARD. It works fine with some deskjets but I couldn´t make it work with ADSL NOR WITH A webcam genius express. I wonder it has to be with the speed or version of this USB like 1.0 or 2.0. I allso tried with the win98se patch of microsoft. May be somebody had a dificulty like me. Carlos3904

 

[music1111]

John,

Yes, the scanner works in the other USB port. Thanks.

Kiddpete,

Yes the printer specs say WIN98 is fine. The thing I downloaded from Microsoft was a fix for usb drivers. Didn't help.

Christine

 

[music1111]

Still a problem - I don't know if the problem is with the USB as it recognizes the new hardware right away. The problem is that it won't find the driver. I uninstalled and reinstalled again and when installing the printer software, it looked like the drivers where being copied. But when you hook it up, Windows still can't find the driver.

Any other ideas?

Christine

 

[jrbarnett]

With a USB device, the driver quite often has to be installed before the hardware is physically connected to the computer.
I assume that you are following the manufacturer's guidelines on installing the drivers and doing it as the PC boots up after connecting the device and Add New hardware finds it, but it may be worth trying the other way just in case.

The previous post has worked out that it is not the USB port or its connector to the motherboard, which is one possible cause out of the way.

John

 

[noobtechie]

This is a long shot, but I'd experienced with 98's that some of the driver's get a hold of them and they won't let go when trying to install a different driver. So try to uninstall the unused driver and reinstall the one you would use. Hope this helps.

 

[music1111]

jrbarnett,

Yes, I followed the instructions to the T. Youo start with the CD, it installs some of the software and then it gets to the point that it tells you to connect the device. I do and it immediatley picks up that there is a new device, but the message says it can't find the driver. When you do a search in the folder that I just installed (for the new device), it says there is no driver to be found. Therefore, the device never works.

noobtechie,

how would I uninstall and reinstall just the driver? The CD that comes with my new device (printer) just starts to install when put in. It doesn't let you pick certain files to install. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the whole thing and that didn't work. Let me know if there is a way to get to the driver.

I do appreciate everyone's input.

Thanks,
Christine (music1111)

 

[jrbarnett]

When you connected the driver and were prompted for the location, did you point it at the Windows or Windows\System directories? This is because most drivers get put in there rather than in the actual application directories under C:\Program Files.

John

 

[noobtechie]

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear with my post. I meant uninstall the old scanner software, do a registry clean up with

http://www.worldstart.com/weekly-download/archives/reg-cleaner4.3.htm

and then reinstall the desired scanner.

Hope this helps.

 

[music1111]

John,

When I am prompted to find the driver, any folder I try to point to with the BROWSE button won't activate. What I mean is, I hit browse to find a folder for the driver, I am brought to the directory and if I pick something other than the folder I just installed (for the printer), I cannot hit the OK button. Therefore, I cannot point to another folder. Now, it does let me pick a custom install and then a list of devices come up, but when I pick PRINTER (or another device cause I tried), it says it is not there.

This is the 3rd device I have tried to install that uses the USB (after the original scanner) and the 3rd that has failed. Do you think something either got deleted from my computer or something corrupted my computer as to where I cannot add anymore devices?

Christine

 

[music1111]

noobtechie,

I do not want to uninstall the original scanner because then it probably wouldn't work either. I have uninstalled the software of the new device and tried reinstall and it did not work.

Can i do the registry clean up and leave my old scanner alone? Will it harm anything?

Thanks,
Christine

 

[jrbarnett]

If you go to control panel -> system -> device manager is the new device listed in there under the USB Root hub? Is it listed as running with no conflicts or does it have any errors against it (eg the yellow caution mark or the red X)?

John

 

[noobtechie]

Yes you can do a registry clean up, what it will do is look for "orphaned" registries that were left of by uninstallations of programs. No, it will not harm anything, but always make a back up before doing anything to your registry. Regclean will also make a back up for you but the more back ups the better. As far as your old scanner, if you are not using it, or are not planing in using it, then just to get that out of the equation, uninstall it, clean it up, and reinstall the new one. If that still doesn't work, then you know that it is not getting a hold of the old one.

Also check this web sites for possible solutions

http://www.usbman.com/win98seusbguide.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q240/0/75.asp&NoWebContent=1

Hope this helps

 

[music1111]

John,

The only 2 things under the Universal serial Bus Controllers is the Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller and the USB Root Hub. The original scanner is listed under the Imaging Devices category and my new device is not listed anywhere.

Christine

 

[music1111]

John,

If I click the USB Root Hub and click on Properties and then click on Power then Power Properties, I see my original scanner listed by name and then the next item is a yellow ? with the words Unknown USB device. Does this shed any light?

Christine

 

[jrbarnett]

This means that there is a USB device which has drivers registered, but the OS doesn't know what it is.
I would try right clicking on it, properties, update driver and pointing it at the folder on your hard disk where you installed the driver to see if it will update from there.

John

 

[music1111]

John,

When I right click on the yellow ?, I just get a "what's this?" box. I can't select properties (It's not an option). Maybe if is was listed in the device manager window I could right click/properties. I just happened to find it a layer under. I guess the only way I am going to attach any kind of new device is to get a new computer. :-(

Christine

 

[paparazi]

music1111
I know this is slightly off topic but I think appropriate all the same.
You have Windows 98SE and you say "a few years later I bought a digital camera" does this mean that you operating system hasn't been clean installed in all that time?
Basically all I am getting at is, basically it is accepted by people in the know, that good PC maintenance includes a clean reinstall of the OS at least once a year,
and in some cases more often than that.
It is virtually impossible to keep your PC running optimally over a long period of time, even if you are very neat and tidy and carry out all the recommended proceedures such as defrags and scans.
If you have left it this long then I would seriously consider a reformat as an option, it might well rectify your driver issue and have the added benefit of a much improved performance all round.
Martin


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