Device driver won't function in XP Pro

[DJ Borell]

I originally posted this at microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware

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Ok, I've tried everything I can think of and can't figure out a resolution
for this one:

I've got a Compaq R3000 laptop (AMD64 3700+, 1GB PC2700, NVIDIA4 440 Go,
latest BIOS) with the TI-1620 cardbus w/ built-in 5-in-1 card reader. It
came with XP Home pre-installed (OEM) and the device driver worked fine on
that version.

For other reasons, I needed to run XP Pro so I installed a retail version of
XP Pro on the machine. When installing the device driver for the TI-1620
cardbus, it installed without errors and showed up in device manager as
operating properly.

However, if I insert a PC card in the slot or a memory card in the card
reader, the Windows "add hardware" wizard attempts to load a driver and
returns the error "Driver not intended for this platform". This occurs,
specifically, with a SanDisk 256 MB SD card, a SimpleTech 256 MB Compact
Flash card (using a CF to PC Card adapter), a US Robotics V.34 PC Card modem
(just something I keep around for testing), and an AmbiCom Compact Flash GPS
Receiver (again, via a CF to PC card adapter). All of these devices
function flawlessly when the system is running the OEM version of Windows XP
Home and these are the only PC card devices I have to test with. My main
desire is to get the card reader functioning as I don't generally use any
other PC cards, but it would be nice to have my GPS, too.

I have tried --

1) Uninstalling and reinstalling the PC cardbus driver with both the version
on the recovery CD and the version from Compaq's website.

2) Installing an earlier version of the driver (1.0 B, 1.0 A) The current
version is 1.0.1.0 A.

3) Ensuring that the driver isn't specific to XP Home (via .inf comments).
It isn't, and the driver states (on Compaq's website) that it is for 32-bit
XP Home AND 32-bit XP Pro.

Again, this cardbus functions fine under XP Home with the "latest" driver,
but the same driver won't operate under XP Pro.

As a side note - the TI 1620 operates fine under Windows x64, as well (with
native x64 drivers, not the 32-bit ones.). So, I can pretty safely assume
the problem is not hardware related, but software.

In hindsight, I guess I should have just shelled out the extra $49 to Compaq
for Pro in the first place so that this would be their problem and not mine.
As it is, they will not give me support due to the OS change. BTW - the
tech guy I did talk to at Compaq tried, initially, to say that the problem
was the kernel difference between Home and Pro. I didn't buy that then and
I still don't.

Anyone got any ideas that I may have missed? Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

Since this is a laptop, you might try obtaining model specific drivers from
the vendors website. My similar experience was with an HP laptop. I had to
download the driver package for win XP and install the drivers over a
"retail" RM version of XP then go thru the many updates. The other issue
might be with permissions. Pro has a bunch of "security" and "management"
related software that can get in the way.

 

[Crantall]

Hello from Spain!! (not very goodEnglish ;-))

I had the same problem with a MMC card in my 4in1 reader. The problem
is with the 'atapi.sys' file from MicrosoftXP. Rename it from the
System32 directory and try to reinstall the drivers of your card. It
will work!!.
I don't know if that file gets corrupted or if the drivers change its
version or what... but it works whe XP replace it with a new copy.

Hope it works for you!!.