How do I enable 'Plug and Play' ?

[Guest]

I have a problem with USB devices - if I plug in a 'new' USB device, it
always asks me for the driver. Someone asked if I had 'Plug and Play'
enabled. The answer is - I'm not sure !
How do I check this, and if it needs enabling, how do I do it ?

Thanks for any ideas or advice !

 

[WTC]

If Windows does not have the driver for you 'NEW' usb device then it will
ask for the drivers. If you need the drivers, go to the manufacturer's web
site for the USB devices and locate them.

 

[Guest]

Thanks WTC, however, I've even tried an original Microsoft USB mouse and I
still get asked for the driver - surely this can't be right ?
Also, a standard USB 64MB storage device also asks for a driver - I thought
the idea of those little things was 'portability' ?
By the way, I'm on XP, fully service packed to the latest release of SP2.
Any thoughts on the 'Plug and Play suggestion?

 

[R. McCarty]

It may not be prompting for 3rd party drivers, but the actual SP2 or
gold XP drivers themselves. Check under the \Windows folder and
make sure you have a Driver Cache folder with sub folder i386. It
may also be the result of a incorrect path definition in the Registry for
XP to use it's native drivers.
I would also check the System Event Log and see if any error(s) are
logged related to USB enumeration.

 

[WTC]

The only thing I can think of, but I might be wrong

is go to Start>Run then enter

devmgmt.msc

then go to "System devices" (expand the list by double clicking) and see if
"Plug and Play Software Device Enumerator" is working properly.

 

[Guest]

Thanks R.McCarty - I have checked the Windows folder and I DO have a Driver
Cache folder with a subfolder i386. However, within the i386 folder there are
3 'zipped' files: SP1.cab, SP2.cab and Driver.cab
Is this normal? Surely if Windpws needs to reference these files, it can't
because they are 'zipped' ???

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestion William - my Plug and Play Software Device
Enumerator does say it is working properly !
I'll see if anyone else offers any ideas or comments on the i386 folder
suggestion.
Cheers....

 

[George Hester]

Let me give you the simple answer to your question. It was, "How do I check
this [Plug 'N Play], and if it needs enabling, how do I do it?"

If your system was asking you for drivers when you plug in a new USB device
then your Plug 'N Play (PnP) is working. Simple as that. If PnP was not
working then a new USB device wouldn't matter to Windows. Windows NT 4 is a
good example of that.

Now I guess your problem is that when you plug in DIFFERENT USB devices
using the same port Windows wants you to tell it where the drivers are.
This is called a Hardware change. Even though the drivers are correctly
installed you are going to get this Hardware Change notice. You should be
able to jusk OK through the prompts using the existing installed drivers.

 

[Guest]

Thanks George - I understand what you said, but surely it shouldn't ask for
drivers all the time, even for say a basic USB mouse ? Also, my PC NEVER
seems to find any drivers !
Help ?

Let me give you the simple answer to your question. It was, "How do I check
this [Plug 'N Play], and if it needs enabling, how do I do it?"

If your system was asking you for drivers when you plug in a new USB device
then your Plug 'N Play (PnP) is working. Simple as that. If PnP was not
working then a new USB device wouldn't matter to Windows. Windows NT 4 is a
good example of that.

Now I guess your problem is that when you plug in DIFFERENT USB devices
using the same port Windows wants you to tell it where the drivers are.
This is called a Hardware change. Even though the drivers are correctly
installed you are going to get this Hardware Change notice. You should be
able to jusk OK through the prompts using the existing installed drivers.

--
George Hester
_________________________________

I have a problem with USB devices - if I plug in a 'new' USB device, it
always asks me for the driver. Someone asked if I had 'Plug and Play'
enabled. The answer is - I'm not sure !
How do I check this, and if it needs enabling, how do I do it ?

Thanks for any ideas or advice !

 

[Guest]

I have a problem with USB devices - if I plug in a 'new' USB device, it
always asks me for the driver. Someone asked if I had 'Plug and Play'
enabled. The answer is - I'm not sure !
How do I check this, and if it needs enabling, how do I do it ?

Thanks for any ideas or advice !

Hi Jonathan, This is a shot in the dark but it won't hurt anything.Good Luck
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

 

[George Hester]

It should find them. In fact it should just find them at the boot process. One thing you might try. Update the drivers again but make sure the files to install are on your disk. Copy the CD-ROM or Floppy if necessary to the drive. In the case of a CD-ROM change the Read-only attribute of the copied files to not Read protect. Also name the folder the same as your CD-ROM or Floppy. Now install the drivers again from there and choose to NOT use the previously installed ones. Do this with the device plugged in.

Do this for each device you'll be using in the same port. Now you shouldn't get asked to reinstall any more drivers. If it wants them it should be able to find them or the inf file that holds necessary information about them. Make sure your C:\Windows\inf folder has not had its NTFS permissions changed.

This asking for the drivers IS Plug 'n Play and is why some people don't like it. Not finding them is a different issue. Normally this is because Windows cannot hold onto where it got the drivers in the first place. It is not the drivers it is unable to find but the inf file which has the necessary information to install them. Normally.

--
George Hester
_________________________________

Thanks George - I understand what you said, but surely it shouldn't ask for
drivers all the time, even for say a basic USB mouse ? Also, my PC NEVER
seems to find any drivers !
Help ?

Let me give you the simple answer to your question. It was, "How do I check
this [Plug 'N Play], and if it needs enabling, how do I do it?"

If your system was asking you for drivers when you plug in a new USB device
then your Plug 'N Play (PnP) is working. Simple as that. If PnP was not
working then a new USB device wouldn't matter to Windows. Windows NT 4 is a
good example of that.

Now I guess your problem is that when you plug in DIFFERENT USB devices
using the same port Windows wants you to tell it where the drivers are.
This is called a Hardware change. Even though the drivers are correctly
installed you are going to get this Hardware Change notice. You should be
able to jusk OK through the prompts using the existing installed drivers.

--
George Hester
_________________________________

I have a problem with USB devices - if I plug in a 'new' USB device, it
always asks me for the driver. Someone asked if I had 'Plug and Play'
enabled. The answer is - I'm not sure !
How do I check this, and if it needs enabling, how do I do it ?

Thanks for any ideas or advice !