Scanner isn't recognised by different USB port on same PC

  • Thread starter Gordon Stephens
  • Start date
G

Gordon Stephens

Just wondering if this is an anomally with my PC or is it standard
behaviour?

I unplugged my Agfa scanner to use the long lead for a plotter. I had the
plotter up and running, and then needed to use the scanner, so found another
short USB lead and plugged it into a different USB slot. Message came up
saying "Windows has detected new hardware" etc. Hunted for the old CD since
this has been installed for ages, but hit a couple of snags.

Ended up having to plug the scanner back into the USB port it was on before.

Is this normal, so that every time I plug something into a different slot I
have to reinstall all the drivers?

Thanks for any help.
Gordon.

(Athlon XP 2500 / 512Mb ram / Windows XP / USB 2.0)
 
P

Paul Murphy

Gordon Stephens said:
Just wondering if this is an anomally with my PC or is it standard
behaviour?

I unplugged my Agfa scanner to use the long lead for a plotter. I had the
plotter up and running, and then needed to use the scanner, so found
another
short USB lead and plugged it into a different USB slot. Message came up
saying "Windows has detected new hardware" etc. Hunted for the old CD
since
this has been installed for ages, but hit a couple of snags.

Ended up having to plug the scanner back into the USB port it was on
before.

Is this normal, so that every time I plug something into a different slot
I
have to reinstall all the drivers?

Thanks for any help.
Gordon.

(Athlon XP 2500 / 512Mb ram / Windows XP / USB 2.0)
Its normal behaviour. If you go on to install it on the other port as well
you'll find that if you have to swap USB ports again sometime in the future
the issue won't crop up.

Paul
 
T

Toy

Gordon Stephens said:
Just wondering if this is an anomally with my PC or is it standard
behaviour?

I unplugged my Agfa scanner to use the long lead for a plotter. I had the
plotter up and running, and then needed to use the scanner, so found another
short USB lead and plugged it into a different USB slot. Message came up
saying "Windows has detected new hardware" etc. Hunted for the old CD since
this has been installed for ages, but hit a couple of snags.

Ended up having to plug the scanner back into the USB port it was on before.

Is this normal, so that every time I plug something into a different slot I
have to reinstall all the drivers?

Thanks for any help.
Gordon.

(Athlon XP 2500 / 512Mb ram / Windows XP / USB 2.0)

Yes........

dj
 
K

kony

Just wondering if this is an anomally with my PC or is it standard
behaviour?

I unplugged my Agfa scanner to use the long lead for a plotter. I had the
plotter up and running, and then needed to use the scanner, so found another
short USB lead and plugged it into a different USB slot. Message came up
saying "Windows has detected new hardware" etc. Hunted for the old CD since
this has been installed for ages, but hit a couple of snags.

Ended up having to plug the scanner back into the USB port it was on before.

Is this normal, so that every time I plug something into a different slot I
have to reinstall all the drivers?

Thanks for any help.
Gordon.

(Athlon XP 2500 / 512Mb ram / Windows XP / USB 2.0)

It's normal, except that the driver should've been assigned to
the device ID already and you shouldn't have had to reinstall the
driver... don't have any suggestions to fix it though, beyond
just reinstalling the driver.
 
G

Gordon Stephens

Thanks for the responses - at least I know now, even though it doesn't seem
to make much logical sense.

Can I assume that if I introduce say a 4 port USB hub in the slot on the
rear of the PC on which both the scanner and the plotter have been
installed, then I would be able to plug both scanne and plotter into this
hub simultaneously and they would both have their respective drivers
available?

I hope so as it would be a lot less hassle for me to do it this way - it has
taken me the best part of six months to get the plotter drivers properly
installed and the plotter suitably configured from this PC. (Was using a
previous PC as the plot server)

Thanks
Gordon.
 
K

kony

Thanks for the responses - at least I know now, even though it doesn't seem
to make much logical sense.

Can I assume that if I introduce say a 4 port USB hub in the slot on the
rear of the PC on which both the scanner and the plotter have been
installed, then I would be able to plug both scanne and plotter into this
hub simultaneously and they would both have their respective drivers
available?

Yes, but be aware that there are both "hubs" that attach to a
case slot bracket, and USB PCI cards... you want the latter, the
card with it's own USB controller on it, which is also the far
more common type. They are not called "hubs" at all, at least not
correctly so.

I hope so as it would be a lot less hassle for me to do it this way - it has
taken me the best part of six months to get the plotter drivers properly
installed and the plotter suitably configured from this PC. (Was using a
previous PC as the plot server)

Perhaps after installing the problem driver again on different
ports, it would then remember it, but if you do have more USB
devices than ports, the PCI USB card is the best solution...
though some motherboards might also have unused USB pin-headers
on the board but with no USB ports for them on the case exterior.
In such a case all you'd need is a USB dongle, a simple case
bracket with the two physical USB jacks and wire to the plug for
the motherboard pin header. These days those aren't much cheaper
than the PCI USB card though, either should be about $10.
 
G

Gordon Stephens

Thanks for your help and advice - I'll try it out now I know it is possible.

Gordon.
 

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