He Slim,
Your problem with an USB 2.0 add-on PCI card under WinXP SP2 looks like
my own problem !
When I plug in a memory-stick, no problem (fast, safely removing
hardware time and again without ever rebooting XP SP2 - pretty reliable
my PC).
Yes, that same USB port that DOES recognize the same memory-stick
without any problem does NOT recognize the external harddrive MOST OF
THE TIME.
Try writing down what you did untill it works (you think you got it
right) then reboot the next day and poef !!
When I plug in a external harddrive (Trekstor 80 Gb) with an extra three
USB ports, the hardware is not recognized - HUB architecture for USB 2.0
is rather complex ?!?
So I checked everything - hardware, drivers XP, Microsoft support sites
.... - at one time the external drive is recognized, the next time it is
not (mostly NOT)!
I even got the add-on card out and reinstalled it including the correct
drivers, following whole documented procedure several times - NO WAY
(I'm quite a tech myself, but this is a challenge ...).
Pluggin'it in on an old USB 1.1 port, the external drive is there in
Windows Explorer within a split second (slowly, half an MB/sec, NOT
ACCEPTABLE).
When I got it working connected to that same USB 2.0 port, my own
benchmark came up with a speed of 13 MB/sec and the Trekstor
manufacturer documents a hardware speed of 28 Mb /sec ?!
I wonder why I always try to improve my hardware, need for speed perhaps
... A FASTER or newer CPU is for dummies - get the okay drivers and
you have the speed you want - try driving a Ferrari in traffic on a
highway with bad traffic lights (same principle).
That Trekstor with same cable did okay and fast several times on a
workstation that operated XP SP1 (I BET MY USED HARDWARE IS OKAY).
The manufacturer manual refers to XP SP1 as the minimum OS-level for
USB2.0 (figures, MS says so also on its tech-support sites for USB 2.0
regarding addon-cards, IT IS NOT A DRIVER PROBLEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
I recon there are some security features in XP SP2 that shut down some
Plug and Play services when the hardware device needs to be configured
.... MY BEST GUESS SO FAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I tried reading the USB*.INF's, any logging on the hardware-conf NOT TO
BE FOUND.
I SEARCHED *.* MOST RECENTLY CHANGED FILES ON ALL THREE HARDDISKS WITH
275 Gb, oeps ...
No Microsoft doc on the matter found so far !
When I installed a "Genelink USB adapter", the external drive WAS
RECOGNIZED BY THE SP2-hardware feature (I DO NOT kno why I tried this,
but at some point the Trekstor was there and working fine and fast).
Got some warning by SP2 that that utility I found on my original OEM-cd
'was not compliant with WinXP logo (tested that is)'.
So some hardware DLL or driver may not be properly installed or
registered of both for the "Genelink USB adapter" (have not found a XP
compliant utility that works yet ...)
My next attempt: a collegue of mine suggested to kill any firewall !?
Could be the trick, that "Genelink USB adapter" operates as a network
for those three extra USB-port on the external drive and can be seen
with an extra network-icon in de XP SP2 System tray (makes no sense at
all, but it's there and was there when the damn thing could be used like
it should - next day startup boot and the party was over, tiresome that
is....
When I get it right I will let you know (but not tonight ...)
Marc
