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How to regain USB 2.0 functionality in XP? (1 Viewer)

Patrick Sun

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We had a user whose USB memory stick wouldn't install properly when connected to a Compaq EVO N800c laptop. XP would prompt for the driver, but in XP, that shouldn't happen. I've tried the USB memory stick on other XP laptops and they all "saw" the device and the appropriate "drive" showed up in the My Computer window. In addition, it doesn't react to other USB connections in a normal fashion, though it's apparent that the laptop/XP does sense when a USB device has been connected to the laptop.

So, in my finite wisdom, I decided to simply delete any USB controllers or Root Hubs listed in the Hardware Manager listings.

Upon the reboot of the laptop, I had hoped that XP would be smart enough to find the USB controller and hub/connectors and install the correct drivers. Well, it came up with asking for the drivers in another media because it didn't find it within its XP files. So I wound up doing a search for "USB*" on the hard drive and finding all sorts of drivers sitting in the usual directories, so for each device that was showing up as a yellow device, I pointed XP to look in the appropriate subdirectories where the old USB drivers/inf's/etc were, and it started to install these new found USB-related devices.

The only one that it doesn't find is the USB 2.0 Root Hub device, and I have no idea how to get XP to recognize USB 2.0 functionality now.

I did do the XP USB 1.1/2.0 patch from the Windows Update site, and I have all of the other Windows Updates installed on the laptop as well.

At this point, the laptop is where it was earlier (minus a USB 2.0 Root hub device), where if you connect a USB device, it'll sense something is there, but it'll prompt you for the drivers, or it just doesn't react like a normal XP installation seeing USB devices (like connecting a digital camera and using the Canon Zoom software to access the memory card via a USB cable and create a drive to get to the photos on the memory card.

So, any other ideas?
 

Gregory Maier

Auditioning
Joined
Oct 18, 2003
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8
Does that model Laptop actually have a USB 2.0 compliant port or is it legacy USB 1.1 (USB 1.0)? If it only has USB 1.x there is no way to add USB 2.0 to it unless you buy a Third-Party peripheral like a PC Card (PCMCIA) USB 2.0 card which has it's own controller in it.

Gregory
 

Patrick Sun

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Jun 30, 1999
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Yes, the Compaq N800c comes with USB 2.0 ports.

I'm almost at a point where I think something is wrong with the USB ports/controller that's built into the system board.

Anyone know how to force XP to install SP1 over itself (if SP1 has been installed before).
 

Andrew Pratt

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Dec 8, 1998
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3,806
What about trying a windows repair install over the old install? I've found that sometimes its faster to redo it then try to find the problem and fix it.
 

Gordon Moore

Second Unit
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Messages
340
Windows XP sp1

That'll get you the servicepack 1 for seperate install outside of Windows Update.

Have you tried re-installing the Compaq USB2.0 drivers? Might have to go over to HP's site for those
 

SteveCop

Agent
Joined
Feb 25, 2000
Messages
32
Patrick,
Here is some info that may help. You might try the Intel Chipsets USB Driver Setup Utility available here:
http://www.americanpredator.com/support/drivers.html
The usb20 setup utility may do the trick. If you need to download the USB 2.0 drivers, they are available on the Intel developer site for your motherboard:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/gendrive.htm
Intel provides a utility to determine what chipset you have, if you do not know:
http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/chipsetid.htm
If none of the above works, you may need to download the INF update utility (INFINST.exe). This utility installs INF files that inform the operating system how to properly configure the chipset for specific functionality such as USB and AGP. It's also available in the Intel download section.
Also, here's a MS KB article which list the correct versions of the 2.0 drivers:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;Q329632&

Steve
 

Patrick Sun

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1999
Messages
39,660
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a try in the coming week after Thanksgiving when I get my hands on the laptop again.
 

Mark Frank

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
109
I had a similar problem on a Dell a few months back. Installing the drivers from the Intel site worked for me.

Good luck!
 

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