USB device no longer recognized

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marvin
  • Start date Start date
M

Marvin

Hi,

I come across this one every now and then and never learnt a consistent
way of fixing it. I've got a new USB WIFI pen device (11b/g support) and
followed the install instructions - inserted the device, WinXP poped-up
series of windows that it had found new hardware, etc, got to the point
where it said it needs the drivers CD, I put it in, the install worked
fine. Configuring was not that trivial as I had to disable XP's zero
wireless thing and use the WLAN utility from the pen device provider.
Eventually it all connected, encrypted, worked fine.

Here comes the surprise. A few days later I realized there's no more
wireless network. If I unplug the USB wifi pen device and plug it back
in, WinXP-SP2 complains that the USB device is not recognized. I
followed some links suggesting I should boot into safe mode, delete all
USB devices from the device manager and reinstall from scratch. I did
all that but I'm getting stuck at the device cannot be recognized
screen. WinXP seems to remember something because it's not asking me to
insert the drivers CD anymore. Does anyone know how to make WinXP forget
everything about this USB device?

I had a similar problem with my Handspring PIM a few months ago but
their support site had a little clean up USB registries executable that
fixed me (I spent quite a few nights up before I found that tool).
Unfortunately that handspring tool cleans up only it's own registries.

If that'd help, this is a TP770ED with only one USB port (v1.1) and the
device I struggle with is
<http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1265457&CatId=369>

Thanks in advance
Marv
 
The device you are trying to use is USB 2 only and you say all you have is
USB 1.1 port. Bet that's your problem
 
Not sure where you read this but it's backward compatible with 1.1. It
did work fine for a while, although it suggested that it could work
faster if I had USB 2. The question is how to tick WinXP to recognise it
again.

Last night I did a System Restore from a day when the WLAN card worked.
I plugged it in, it did it standard discovering of a new device and
ended up in the same state of confusion. I though maybe the device died
so I downloaded a Live version of Linspire, booted from the DVD and...
bang, it found the card, asked me for the WAP key and connected at 54Mbps.

Now I know the card (still) works. The Restore Point did not (what is it
not restoring???). Any other advices are more than welcome!

Marv
 
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