WinXPproSP3 on Dell VOSTRO 1510

The MacAlly PHR-S250CC FireWire connection has stopped working..
When plugging in, the light flashes red very briefly, but does not show
up in the device manager..
I downloaded the MS hotfix, but on installation it reported that it was
not needed on my SP3..
MacAlly uses only the WinXP drivers..
This drive and cable still works fine on another old laptop with
WinXPproSP3..

??????
Willard

>WinXPproSP3 on Dell VOSTRO 1510
>
>The MacAlly PHR-S250CC FireWire connection has stopped working..
>When plugging in, the light flashes red very briefly, but does not show
>up in the device manager..
>I downloaded the MS hotfix, but on installation it reported that it was
>not needed on my SP3..
>MacAlly uses only the WinXP drivers..
>This drive and cable still works fine on another old laptop with
>WinXPproSP3..

See if installing the following post-SP3 firewire-related / 1394
patches help you any. AT the top of each page click "View and request
hotfix downloads", follow the instructions:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955408
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958149
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/960970

Let me know how it goes.

Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP) wrote:
>> WinXPproSP3 on Dell VOSTRO 1510
>>
>> The MacAlly PHR-S250CC FireWire connection has stopped working..
>> When plugging in, the light flashes red very briefly, but does not show
>> up in the device manager..
>> I downloaded the MS hotfix, but on installation it reported that it was
>> not needed on my SP3..
>> MacAlly uses only the WinXP drivers..
>> This drive and cable still works fine on another old laptop with
>> WinXPproSP3..
>>
>
> See if installing the following post-SP3 firewire-related / 1394
> patches help you any. AT the top of each page click "View and request
> hotfix downloads", follow the instructions:
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955408
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958149
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/960970
>
> Let me know how it goes.
>
All three fixes installed o.k., but I noticed no change after each
installation..

Willard

>> See if installing the following post-SP3 firewire-related / 1394
>> patches help you any. AT the top of each page click "View and request
>> hotfix downloads", follow the instructions:
>>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955408
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958149
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/960970
>>
>> Let me know how it goes.
>>
>All three fixes installed o.k., but I noticed no change after each
>installation..
>
>Willard

One thing it *might* be is that when plugged in it could be occupying
a drive letter that another device is already using and just sitting
waiting to be re-assigned a drive letter.

Try the following:

1. Go to Control Panel > Admin. Tools > Computer Mgmt. > Disk
Management and see if it is showing up there. If it is, see if you can
assign it a different drive letter. Also, see if there's any newer
driver update for your 1394 controller. If it isn't, you may need to
blow out its entry from the registry. Let me know how the above works
and we can try something else later.

>
> One thing it *might* be is that when plugged in it could be occupying
> a drive letter that another device is already using and just sitting
> waiting to be re-assigned a drive letter.
>
> Try the following:
>
> 1. Go to Control Panel > Admin. Tools > Computer Mgmt. > Disk
> Management and see if it is showing up there. If it is, see if you can
> assign it a different drive letter. Also, see if there's any newer
> driver update for your 1394 controller. If it isn't, you may need to
> blow out its entry from the registry. Let me know how the above works
> and we can try something else later.
>

The above did not show anything other than my main COS) and DCD)
drives..

For the past 6 months (before this failure) the drive would only be
recognized after a POST; plugging in after working for a while or
after restart was not acceptable???

I could always tell when the drive was accepted after plug in, because
the light on the drive would briefly flash red, then after 3 or 4
seconds would flash red again for about 2 or 3 seconds..

Willard

>The above did not show anything other than my main COS) and DCD)
>drives..
>
>For the past 6 months (before this failure) the drive would only be
>recognized after a POST; plugging in after working for a while or
>after restart was not acceptable???
>
>I could always tell when the drive was accepted after plug in, because
>the light on the drive would briefly flash red, then after 3 or 4
>seconds would flash red again for about 2 or 3 seconds..

Ok. Do you have some info on the Firewire card this is connected to
(in device manager)? How about the maker of the Firewire drive itself
(make, model, etc.)?

>> 1. Go to Control Panel > Admin. Tools > Computer Mgmt. > Disk
>> Management and see if it is showing up there. If it is, see if you can
>> assign it a different drive letter. Also, see if there's any newer
>> driver update for your 1394 controller. If it isn't, you may need to
>> blow out its entry from the registry. Let me know how the above works
>> and we can try something else later.
>>
>
>The above did not show anything other than my main COS) and DCD)
>drives..
>
>For the past 6 months (before this failure) the drive would only be
>recognized after a POST; plugging in after working for a while or
>after restart was not acceptable???
>
>I could always tell when the drive was accepted after plug in, because
>the light on the drive would briefly flash red, then after 3 or 4
>seconds would flash red again for about 2 or 3 seconds..

One other driver I forgot to mention you may want to update is from
this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955356

Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP) wrote:
>>> 1. Go to Control Panel > Admin. Tools > Computer Mgmt. > Disk
>>> Management and see if it is showing up there. If it is, see if you can
>>> assign it a different drive letter. Also, see if there's any newer
>>> driver update for your 1394 controller. If it isn't, you may need to
>>> blow out its entry from the registry. Let me know how the above works
>>> and we can try something else later.
>>>
>>>
>> The above did not show anything other than my main COS) and DCD)
>> drives..
>>
>> For the past 6 months (before this failure) the drive would only be
>> recognized after a POST; plugging in after working for a while or
>> after restart was not acceptable???
>>
>> I could always tell when the drive was accepted after plug in, because
>> the light on the drive would briefly flash red, then after 3 or 4
>> seconds would flash red again for about 2 or 3 seconds..
>>
>
> One other driver I forgot to mention you may want to update is from
> this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955356
>
No change..

Willard

>> One other driver I forgot to mention you may want to update is from
>> this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955356
>>
>No change..

Ok, let's try this.

Unplug your Firewire drive first!

1. Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced tab > click the Environment
Variables button > under System Variables click the New button.

2. For variable name enter DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES

3. For variable value enter 1

4. Click OK, OK again, OK one last time. Reboot.

5. Go to Control Panel > System > Device Manager.

6. With Device Manager open, click View and then Show Hidden Devices.
A bunch of things not previously shown will appear. Don't muck around
with anything.

7. Expand Disk Drives and see if there's an orphan entry for your
Firewire drive there. It will look sort of faded-out or ghost-ish. Any
devices connect that are present and working properly will have a more
solid icon. You can remove all the faded icons there so that ONLY the
ones that are solid (present) are left. Some entries are likely to be
USB drives and such, they will be re-detected when plugged in again so
don't worry about them.

8. Go down to Storage Volumes and expand that and do the same thing as
in step 7, remove the items shown as faded icons and leave the ones
that are solid (present). Some entries are likely to be USB drives and
such, they will be re-detected when plugged in again so don't worry
about them.

9. Reboot.

10. Once the system loads, plug in your Firewire drive. Wait a few
seconds and see if Windows detects it. Go to Device Manager and see if
it's there now.

11. If not, go and look for the entry for your Firewire controller and
remove it. Reboot, and let Windows re-detect it. If THAT doesn't take
care of it, you might need a new driver for your Firewire card or
perhaps go out and get a new Firewire card as they are dirt cheap
these days.

Let me know how it goes.

>
>
> Ok, let's try this.
>
> Unplug your Firewire drive first!
>
> 1. Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced tab > click the Environment
> Variables button > under System Variables click the New button.
>
> 2. For variable name enter DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES
>
> 3. For variable value enter 1
>
> 4. Click OK, OK again, OK one last time. Reboot.
>
> 5. Go to Control Panel > System > Device Manager.
>
> 6. With Device Manager open, click View and then Show Hidden Devices.
> A bunch of things not previously shown will appear. Don't muck around
> with anything.
>
> 7. Expand Disk Drives and see if there's an orphan entry for your
> Firewire drive there. It will look sort of faded-out or ghost-ish. Any
> devices connect that are present and working properly will have a more
> solid icon. You can remove all the faded icons there so that ONLY the
> ones that are solid (present) are left. Some entries are likely to be
> USB drives and such, they will be re-detected when plugged in again so
> don't worry about them.
>
> 8. Go down to Storage Volumes and expand that and do the same thing as
> in step 7, remove the items shown as faded icons and leave the ones
> that are solid (present). Some entries are likely to be USB drives and
> such, they will be re-detected when plugged in again so don't worry
> about them.
>
> 9. Reboot.
>
> 10. Once the system loads, plug in your Firewire drive. Wait a few
> seconds and see if Windows detects it. Go to Device Manager and see if
> it's there now.
>
> 11. If not, go and look for the entry for your Firewire controller and
> remove it. Reboot, and let Windows re-detect it. If THAT doesn't take
> care of it, you might need a new driver for your Firewire card or
> perhaps go out and get a new Firewire card as they are dirt cheap
> these days.
>
> Let me know how it goes.
>

Followed above steps..
(in step 8, I must have cleared over 50+ generic volumes leaving only 2
clear icons)

No change, neither the Sata nor Ide external drive are connecting..

Willard