think I need xp install disk or other source of drivers.

ariarnia

Hi there,

My computer came (about 4 yrs ago) pre-installed with xp (and most the rest of it's software) but not the disks. Apparently this is fairly standard in some places?

About 2 days ago all of my usb devices stopped working (mp3, external hard drives, printer) and say there are no drivers installed, the hard drives are listed as unknown devices)

To the best of my knowledge, nothing has changed to my system or set up, windows may have installed an update, but not to my knowledge.

The devices seem fine, I've used them on my OH's laptop and the hard drives also on my ps3 (playing music and divex).

Based on this it seems to be the system. I've reinstalled xp service pack 3 (advised on a website) tried rolling back the drivers on the devices, and tried contacting customer support for the hard drives to see if they have any further advice (awaiting response) as yet, no luck.

A website suggests re installing the drivers from the xp install disk, but I don't have one. I've searched my computer for a file called I386 (http://ask-leo.com/i_dont_have_an_installation_cd_for_windows_xp_what_if_i_need_one.html) and there are several instances of it, but all of them are one or two file large folders and don't contain the files I'm supposed to look for winnt.exe or winnt32.exe. these two applications don't seem present on my computer at all, suggesting a copy of the install disk has not been saved to the computer.

questions:

1. how do I check this is a legit copy if windows (I have no reason to believe it isn't but before I consider anything like contacting microsoft I'd like to know)
2. can I use someone else's install disk for the missing files?
3. if I get an install disk, what do I do with it?
4. are there any other ways to get the drivers (can't find them for download for the hard drives, and I don't know what I'd need for my other usb devices- mp3 player and any other plug and play devices)
5. any other (not very technical language please) suggestions?

The other devices are not so much of an urgency, but I really don't want to loose the information I've got on the hard drivesand I can't rely on my oh's laptop to retrieve it as it's a cranky old thing with screws missing and a loose mother board so keeps fritzing.

thank you very much for your help.

TonyMMM

How many USB ports do you have - and have they all stopped working at the same time ?

I would start by going into device manager (Control Panel/System?hardware Tab/Device Manager and deleting anything listed under "Univeral Serial Bus Controllers". The reboot the machine and see if WIndows detects them again.

If not you will need to re-install USB drivers - these will be specific to the motherboard in the system and should be downloadable from the manufacturers website.

If that still doesn't work you MAY have a hardware fault on the board itself.

busenbust

1. how do I check this is a legit copy if windows (I have no reason to believe it isn't but before I consider anything like contacting microsoft I'd like to know)
2. can I use someone else's install disk for the missing files?
3. if I get an install disk, what do I do with it?
4. are there any other ways to get the drivers (can't find them for download for the hard drives, and I don't know what I'd need for my other usb devices- mp3 player and any other plug and play devices)
5. any other (not very technical language please) suggestions?

Well, before you go down this long and winding road, are you absolutely certain there is no recovery partition available on the laptop?

My computer came (about 4 yrs ago) pre-installed with xp (and most the rest of it's software) but not the disks. Apparently this is fairly standard in some places?

Unfortunately, this is true, but it's the absence of a recovery partition and/or recovery disks that concerns me.

ariarnia

gone into device manager and just want to check that I'm to delete them all?

I've got listed:

3 x SiS 7001 PCI to usb Open host controllers
1 x SiS PCI to usb enhanced host controller
2 x unknown device (the external hard drives)
4 x usb root hubs

As for usb ports, 4 in the back, 2 in the front (I've tried them in different ports) but the one's in the back, 2 of them have never seemed to work properly, but when i sent it back in the manufacturer said there was no problem at all and a tech friend suggested there might be a loose connection.

I've currently got the printer unplugged as I was trying a different cable and the camera and mp3 are not plugged in.

ariarnia

busenbust wrote: »

Well, before you go down this long and winding road, are you absolutely certain there is no recovery partition available on the laptop?



Unfortunately, this is true, but it's the absence of a recovery partition and/or recovery disks that concerns me.

I'm not sure what to look for to find it if there is a partition. I used search to look for i386 and winnt.exe and winnt32.ex. I'm not sure what else there might be to indicate a partition.

Clark80

have you tried an older restore point?

Lil306

ariarnia wrote: »

Hi there,

My computer came (about 4 yrs ago) pre-installed with xp (and most the rest of it's software) but not the disks. Apparently this is fairly standard in some places?

Yes, all Manufacturers do it because it saves them money. If you want a legit one you have to pay Microsoft the money for it

About 2 days ago all of my usb devices stopped working (mp3, external hard drives, printer) and say there are no drivers installed, the hard drives are listed as unknown devices)

Have you had any other weird problems lately, don't want to rule out spyware or anything, but could jsut be a faulty controller?

To the best of my knowledge, nothing has changed to my system or set up, windows may have installed an update, but not to my knowledge.

The devices seem fine, I've used them on my OH's laptop and the hard drives also on my ps3 (playing music and divex).

Based on this it seems to be the system. I've reinstalled xp service pack 3 (advised on a website) tried rolling back the drivers on the devices, and tried contacting customer support for the hard drives to see if they have any further advice (awaiting response) as yet, no luck.

A website suggests re installing the drivers from the xp install disk, but I don't have one. I've searched my computer for a file called I386 (http://ask-leo.com/i_dont_have_an_installation_cd_for_windows_xp_what_if_i_need_one.html) and there are several instances of it, but all of them are one or two file large folders and don't contain the files I'm supposed to look for winnt.exe or winnt32.exe. these two applications don't seem present on my computer at all, suggesting a copy of the install disk has not been saved to the computer.

questions:

1. how do I check this is a legit copy if windows (I have no reason to believe it isn't but before I consider anything like contacting microsoft I'd like to know)
Microsoft has a way you check on their website, just google it for Microsoft Legit Windows check, something should appear

2. can I use someone else's install disk for the missing files?
You can yes providing it's an OEM / Retail version, it also depends if your PC has it's own OEM setup, but see my other suggestions first later on

3. if I get an install disk, what do I do with it?
Go to device manager, load the CD. Choose "search additional locations" - include this media in search location, then specify your CD-Rom drive with the Windows CD in

4. are there any other ways to get the drivers (can't find them for download for the hard drives, and I don't know what I'd need for my other usb devices- mp3 player and any other plug and play devices)
Yes, see below

5. any other (not very technical language please) suggestions?

The other devices are not so much of an urgency, but I really don't want to loose the information I've got on the hard drivesand I can't rely on my oh's laptop to retrieve it as it's a cranky old thing with screws missing and a loose mother board so keeps fritzing.

thank you very much for your help.

You can delete those devices in device manager (choose uninstall) you will be prompted to reboot and it will reinstall any drivers it finds

One quick suggestion i could offer is switch off your computer and unplug it's power supply for around 30 mins, and hold in the power button. That should drain the caps of any residual power. Then try again, sometimes this will fix it as it clears any USB memory. If it doesn't see below

Firstly, you need to go into device manager.Click start - run and type devmgmt.msc then press enter

When device manager opens, look for any expanded options. They will be easy to spot they will have exclamation! marks on them. I SUSPECT, the ones which will have errors will be the "Universal Serial Controllers"

Anyway, right click on the ones with errors, click on the tab called details there will be a list of options. One of them will have some hardware information. Look for "device instance ID"

Below this you will see VEN_ and DEV_
Make note of the numbers, i.e I've highlighted the important ones

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0404&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1\4&30C4E314&0&0070

Now go to the website (PCI Database) - google search it, then type those numbers in the seperate boxes.

When it finds a result, do a google search for the drivers.

If you can give the models of your hardware I'll find them for you, but I suspect you've got a faulty USB controller if everything has stopped working.

busenbust

ariarnia wrote: »

I'm not sure what to look for to find it if there is a partition. I used search to look for i386 and winnt.exe and winnt32.ex. I'm not sure what else there might be to indicate a partition.

Often, before you reach the Windows splash screen, there is a message to press F8/F6/F5 to enter the recovery partition. Can you take a look if this is the case. There almost certainly should be. Failing that, you have no recovery discs?

ddoris

You are posting on the wrong website -this one is the wrong shape - too square.

tomsutton529

Il try to wrap this up in one post...

it sounds like your OS is corrupted, drivers dont just go missing on such a mass scale, good be a virus aswell.

I would recommend a scan with http://www.malwarebytes.org/

you can try to repair the windows installation but this still leaves you with the problem of not having a disc, if you have a serial key on the side, back, bottom of your machines then your version of windows is good. Now if you machines is from a big brand HP,acer etc then you can get your hands on an OEM version of windows from your favorite torrent sites. searching for windows XP "Brand" OEM will give you some wonderful results. the sticker will tell you which service pack to get SP1 or 2 looking at the age of the machine.

once you have downloaded the disc it will be in .iso you need something like nero to burn it, google is full of results on burning an ISO to cd.

Once you have the cd you need to have a good read of this site..

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

and you should be done... once installed you may need to nip over to the manufactures website and head for the support section and get the drivers..

job done..

ariarnia

ok, you are excellent people and I can now see my hard drives. I can't however use them

I turned of my computer at the wall for half an hour after deleting all the bits in device manager listed above, then it recognised them but clicking on them brings up the error:

explorer.exe-application error
The instruction at "0x05b32847" referenced memory at "0x05884000" The memory cannot be "read"

clicking ok seems to refresh my desktop and cancel closes the window.

i kind of remember this error before, but I can't remember from when or why it went away.