USB devices won't (self)install/find drivers

[fritzo]

XP SP3

plug in USB mp3 player CREATIVE zen nano plus
found new hardware
allow wizard to search
no software found

(should be self registering.)

in device manager this installs

?other devices - ?Zen Nano Plus ( yellow question mark)
but no entry under
Universal Serial Bus controllers.

{ }on other computer it is recognized instantly under
{ }
{ }Disk drives - CREATIVE zen Nano plus USB device
{ }Universal Serial Bus controllers - USB Mass Storage Device
{ }Storage volumes - generic volume on Creative Zen...

present at proper locations:
usbstor.sys volsnap.sys disk.sys partmgr.sys

Separate issue:
enabled windows installer logging via MicrosoftFixit50380 but no log file is created.
Guessing hardware wizard is not a windows installer.
/Separate issue

deleted c:\windows\inf\infcache1
Added key:
HKLM\Local_Machine\CurrentControlSet\Services\Usb
Add a new DWoRD Value and name it "DisableSelectiveSuspend". Give it value 1

no change 1/24/2012 3:37 PM
As per Microsoft KB article 310575
deleted ALL USB controllers / hubs entries in Device Manager
including the four Intel(r)82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host controller(s)
then was embarrassed , at a loss as to how to reinstall.
no mouse (not recognized when plugged in)
Did a windoze restore to get them back.

As I have had MANY USB devices plugged in over the years I ran DriveCleanup as per
topic145884

Still stuck.

 

[LookinAround]

Checkout the Creative support site for your device HERE.

It includes drivers (and other stuff) for your Creative Zen Nano Plus

 

[fritzo]

Thank you for your response!

Been around this particular block too but failed to mention because I didn't write down the details and didn't want to obfuscate.

the Creative driver package does its thing without complaint.


When I plug in the Nano it is seen as a Nano, so THAT works

Up comes the new hardware wizard who searches for and fails to find a driver.
Even when I explicitly point it at
c:\Program Files\Creative|\Creative Mass Storage Drivers\
which contains
01/30/2012 09:15 AM 0 files.txt
01/30/2012 08:51 AM 8,439 MSDriver.log
08/16/2005 01:07 AM 139,264 muvoRes.dll
08/16/2005 01:07 AM 98,304 regdll.dll
11/07/2003 12:13 PM 3,181 StMp3Rec.inf
08/16/2005 11:23 AM 38,422 StMp3Rec.sys
08/16/2005 11:23 AM 360 StMp3Recnt.cat
08/16/2005 01:07 AM 49,152 uninstaller.exe

and in whose MSDriver.log file no "error" or "fail" can be found.
While some items being uninstalled refer to nano, none of the added ones do...

lastly, I do not remember ever having to install anything on that second XP computer and the corresponding directory does not exist.

I want it to work as a USB removable drive which IMO comes built-in with XP SP3.


The other USB device Weather Direct Light Wireless Device
which talks to a LaCrosse weather station or its sensors...
This USB device is SUPPOSED to self- register and NOT require any driver installation.
Since I have no drivers I tell the wizard OK check this once on the web etc. but it won't find anything,
code 28
drivers not installed.

Thanks again for any insights

 

[LookinAround]

Hmmmm..... Don't know if will help but worth a try. Let's make sure your "problematic" XP isn't set to block installation of unsigned drivers

Right click My Computer->Properties, click Hardware tab then Driver Signing button. Is it set to Block?

Set to Warn. Also check Make this action default, click OK

Point Hardware Wizard to the Creative Driver Directory again to install. If you get a warning about unsigned drivers, go ahead and continue to install.

 

[fritzo]

Warning by default already.

It all started when I added another hub and all USB seemed to go south.
( I was doing work with a USB to serial converter. There were spurious non working serial ports showing up.)
I uninstalled all USB serial ports then , HAVING THE RIGHT DRIVER CD, installed the USB serial driver . which works fine now.

So. if I can point to the right driver I am successful.
If I let windows search I am not.
The failures are with devices whose drivers are supposed to be built into the bowels of XP.

I'll plug in an external hard drive just for laughs...
THank you

 

[fritzo]

sure enough, wizard searches and fails to find .
It knows it is dealing with a WD hard drive though.

 

[fritzo]

is there a master .inf file for all the builtin drivers?

 

[LookinAround]

Do you have your XP install CD? You're probably best to try a repair install (or even a full clean reinstall) on your problem machine. As if standard USB devices install on other machines but not your problem XP machine, something may be corrupt

That said, i can add some info based on my own experience "poking" around with Windows drivers (so don't take what i say as "gospel" but rather my best guess)

There's no "master" inf. Rather, i think all the system inf files are in C:\Windows\inf. (such usb.inf, usbstor.inf, disk.inf). Windows will search the directories for inf and sys files in the directory path defined by HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath. Some driver installs will update that registry key to include new directories

If even standard/generic driver installs are screwed up I think you're really best to do a repair or clean reinstall. As Windows drivers and their dependencies get very gnarly.

/* EDIT */
Hardware Wizard allows you to select a directory not currently in that DevicePath key. If it still doesn't install then either
1) Windows doesn't think that driver is a good match for the hardware and/or
2) In your case, when even standard stuff isn't installing maybe its your Windows on that machine is all screwed up? IDK

Also you might find this helpful to skim See [post=755153]Plug and Play Overview: How Windows Finds Drivers for USB Devices[/post]

 

[fritzo]

bang

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath

contains

%SystemRoot%\Driver Cache;%SystemRoot%\inf;C:\Program Files\DYNAGEN\GSC300\User\2.3.0\Drivers

so in Device Mangler - other device - unknown device
I did update driver
pointed to c:\windows\inf

it searched AND FOUND mass storage device and I can see its directory.

It is still an unknown device on Zen Nano Plus. working properly
driver provider unknown, date ,version not available, not signed
no driver files are required or have been loaded for this device...
details
Device Instance ID=
Storage\Removablemedia\8&64B678A&0&RM

bang2

...and the same treatment for the Weather Direct Light Wireless Device aforementioned.
Installed fine and works

ONly problem may be I am piling up lots of unknown devices. they are not referred to properly as they used to.

 

[fritzo]

There's no "master" inf. Rather, i think all the system inf files are in C:\Windows\inf. (such usb.inf, usbstor.inf, disk.inf). Windows will search the directories for inf and sys files in the directory path defined by HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath. Some driver installs will update that registry key to include new directories

[/post]

That is what I was after.
So my machine is ignoring the above registry entry, or not finding it.
what is upstream pointing to this entry? It must be corrupted.

Now I have a workaround at least,
I thank you very much for your help.

 

[irsoldier337]

I was recently having your problem when I re installed my os on my laptop, then I installed my latest amd catalyst drivers and everything that was refusing to install now just installed including my usb drivers.