XP PNP doesn't work

M

Mike

I have searched the Knowledge Base and newsgroups but I
haven't found a solution to this problem. I've also
looked through at least a dozen aftermarket XP Pro manuals.

I have a new computer I built last month, so it has a
fresh, clean installation of Windows XP Pro with SP1. All
Windows Update items have been installed. The machine has
an Intel D865PERL board, a 3.0 Ghz P4, and 1.0 GB of RAM.

Windows cannot find drivers and other files necessary for
installing any new hardware I connect. This happens
regardless of whether the device is connected via PCI,
AGP, USB, firewire or parallel port. It has happened with
a DV video camera, USB drive, printer, video card,
scanner, optical mouse and NIC.

The same devices install without any problem on other
computers I have running XP Pro and W2000. On those
machines the devices install automatically without the Add
New Hardware Wizard ever appearing.

Automatic, PNP installation should occur, but Windows
doesn't seem to be looking in the driver.cab and sp1.cab
files as it should. Windows seems to find the .inf files
as needed, because it knows which .sys and .dll files it
needs but it doesn't seem to know where to look or it
doesn't seem able to find them.

I've been able to find the drivers and other files needed
by searching the C:\ drive using Windows Explorer, but the
Add New Hardware Wizard can't see them whether they're
packed in a .cab file or even if they are already unpacked
and in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers folder because they
are used by another device. The Wizard can see the files
in other locations if I browse to them, but it doesn't
find them on its own.

To install each file I open Windows Explorer, search for
the needed file on my C:\ drive, copy or extract it to the
desktop, then point the Add New Hardware Wizard there.
The file is copied and then it's on to the next file.
This includes any and all files in driver.cab and sp1.cab,
such as usbohci.sys.

This would be annoying if there was just one file to be
installed per device, but there are often several and in
the case of the DV camera at least a dozen. I shouldn't
have to do this manually.

In any case XP is also supposed to use Windows Update to
search for drivers and its not doing that either.

I have confirmed that PNP is enabled in Windows (set to
Automatic) and in the BIOS, which is the most recent
version available. Universal Plug and Play is also
enabled, although I understand it is a different tool.
I've also recopied the driver.cab file from the Windows XP
CD, thinking it may have been corrupted. The registry
setting appears to be correct.

Why can't XP locate and install the files it needs that
are in its own folders and .cabs?

Please don't hesitate to reply directly via e-mail after
editing the address to remove the obvious spam thwarting
characters.

Thanks,

Mike
 
T

Tom

wild...did you disable services? That's not normal at all. Did you get a cd
from the mobo you bought with drivers? wish i could help ya.. but looks like
a reinstall might be needed or you need to look at your services...


Tom
 
M

Mike

Tom,

I first used the CD from the mobo mfr, and then later
downloaded drivers from the Intel Web site to be certain I
have the ones that are most up to date.

As for disabling services, please help me better
understand what you mean.

Thanks,

Mike
 
A

Alex Nichol

Mike said:
Windows cannot find drivers and other files necessary for
installing any new hardware I connect. This happens
regardless of whether the device is connected via PCI,
AGP, USB, firewire or parallel port. It has happened with
a DV video camera, USB drive, printer, video card,
scanner, optical mouse and NIC.


As a start, check in Control Panel - Admin Tools - services to ensure
that several essential services are running:

PnP itself
Logical Disk Manager
Shell Hardware detection
Windows Management Instrumentation
 

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