Device manager lists nothing!

danthemoneysavingman

Hi folks, hoping someone may help me to the answer...
been given a Samsung 305U notebook to try to sort out, and I believe the problem lies with the Plug and Play functionality? But maybe not. Anyways, there is a problem with the amd graphics driver ("not instalkled or not functioning properly"). I cannot however view the devices and hence drivers in device manager, and therefore cannot uninstall it or attempt to correct the issue.

Anyone know how to address this?

JamesK10

No devices whatsoever? Sounds more like some kind of virus, why would it even boot if the motherboard wasn't working?

Download free Avira www.free-av.com, use a USB flash drive to install it if the laptop can't go online but has USB ports, defrag the hard drive so that it's scanning a single volume all together and then run the AV scan.

Also which version of Windows has it got, maybe its own repair functions could help if it's Vista or 7.

danthemoneysavingman

Hi,
it has antivirus, and scans with both that and MBAM came up with nothing...

waddler_8

danthemoneysavingman wrote: »

....I believe the problem lies with the Plug and Play functionality?

I take it you've read & tried this then?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311504

macman

Try booting to Safe Mode and see if you can then view anything in Device Manager?

danthemoneysavingman

Hi Waddler, yep tried that, no dice. It is running W7 SP1 however.
Have tried various other things on google but maybe not all...

will try safe mode next but must go out now, cheers

Mista_C

I once had a customer describe the same problem. I renabled the P&P Service (as suggested in Waddler_8's link) and once I'd gotten everything else back I noticed EVERY service (over 180) and device had been disabled and dozens of those stupid freely downloadable "PC Speed Up" apps had been installed, presumbly where the additional services came from.

I suggested to the customer he might prefer to have the machine given a fresh install as it would be cheaper than me resetting the services to correct start up type and sorting out all those apps. When he said he had installed them all willing and he'd only just had Windows reinstalled less than a month ago I suggested he take it elsewhere.

Try Waddler_8's link and fingers crossed there are no further surprises waiting.

ETA:

danthemoneysavingman wrote: »

Hi Waddler, yep tried that, no dice. It is running W7 SP1 however.
Have tried various other things on google but maybe not all...

will try safe mode next but must go out now, cheers

Look at the Windows Driver Foundation service as well.

danthemoneysavingman

right, tried safe mode (with networking), still nothing in device manager. I had done that suggested in Waddler's link already - PnP in services was set up correctly and cant be restarted or stopped. Am at a total loss still. Am unsure how WDF will / can help me... ? any more help / thoughts? Thanks in advance

santer_2

See if this helps, it is for most versions and offers to set e restore point before changing anything

http://www.xp-smoker.com/refreshpc.html

danthemoneysavingman

cheers santer but it didn't work. any other ideas folks? thanks

santer_2

Make a back up of the registry and make a note of the changes you make

From here, posted by Tom, primarily for XP but worth checking for the same keys

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1051715405

On Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 10:46 pm, pradeep kumar moses wrote:
>If Device Manager is showing nothing, then Its the plug and play service that is
>the problem. But if the Device manager is showing the system_name and not showing
>any devices in the window, then check the security permissions on the Registry key
>HKLM\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\ENUM .The SYSTEM account must have full control permissions
>on this key in order for the Device manager to list all the devices in the window

Start-Run-regedt32.exe (note the missing "i", it took me awhile to get past that); Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine; Burrow into the registry - SYSTEM/CurrenControlSet/Enum; Highlight "Enum"; Click on Security-Permissions on Tool Bar; [Note: on my system, only "Everyone" was in the list, with no permissions] Click on "Add", Choose SYSTEM from list, click on "Add", Click on "OK"; Toggle on Allow Read & Full Control; [I also added Administrator to the list but don't know if this matters or not or if it may be a problem later...] Click on "OK"; Reboot!