Cannot install any new hardware

Have you tried installing the drivers from the disk onto your harddrive rather than having the device read them off the disk?

 

When you click the yellow question marks or open up the + signs and go to "properties" does it give any further clues?

 

Reg cleaners are unlikely to be the solution, don't spend money on them.

 

A quick Google search pulled up this solved problem with USB stuff. It's worth a try and can't harm anything.

Are you able to use existing USB devices, or devices that don't need dirvers. Your problem may be wityh your USB port drivers.

K-Infotech-Thanks for responding.

 

USB based hardware drivers.  The strange part (at least to me) is that all the old hardware drivers (printers, flash drives, palm) still work fine on the USB ports.  I have two USB devices with no drivers (laptop cooling fan and a LED light for travel which both still work.  It is just that I cannot any new hardware.

 

I tried uninstalling the Universal Serial Bus controller and reinstalling.  The uninstall went fine, then restarted but got the same "cannot find necessary software" message when I went to reinstall.  I went to the Intel site and downloaded the latest drivers and that would not install because the wizard could not find the "necessary software" even though I did both the auto search and the manual directions.  I had to go to a system restore just to get the USB working with my old hardware.  Still cannot use any new hardware.

 

This is really driving me nuts! 

 

Look forward to trying any new ideas.

 

John

Thank you for responding!

 

1.  Copy software to hard drive.  Yes, I have tried copying the software to my hard drive and installing from there.  I have also gone to the manufacturer web site, download the current version of the drive to my hard drive and tried that.  Each time I get the message that the necessary software cannot be found even though the software is there.

 

2.  More info on device manager.  In the device manager I have the following error code: "The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28)" and then it asks me to reinstall.  When I try to reinstall, I get back to the same cannot find necessary hardware message.

 

3.  Thanks for the link.  I wish it worked and I am at my wit's end.  Just about to start from scratch and reinstall Windows XP.

 

Look forward to any other suggestions you may have.

 

John 

Long shot - have you had a look in your BIOS to see if USBs are enabled?

Delierious-

 

I checked the BIOS.  THen I read that old firmware might cause the problem so I went to the Dell Downloads, put in my service tag, got the latest bios and installed it.  No resolution to the problem installing new USB hardware but the old USB hardware still works fine. 

 

Got anymore ideas?  Thanks again for your help.

 

John

Have you tried an earlier restore point?

Are you using a USB hub?

I take it you’re directing the drivers’ request to the *.inf file?

Do the working USB devices work in all USB sockets?

Do the non-working USB devices work in another computer?

When you visited the Dell site, did you update the chipset drivers?

 

Sorry if this sounds like a holding reply, but my brain seems to be scra-ping the barrel. :smileysad:

 

PS sorry for the spelling "scra-ping" but if you take out the dash there's a hidden word in there that won't pass the "politeness filter"! (Dell are very protective of us deicate types)

Please please scr@pe away

 

"Have you tried an earlier restore point?"  Yes, but the restore points do not go back far enought.  The earliest restore points will not take

 

"Are you using a USB hub?"  No, the wizard will not install the hub I have.

 

"I take it you’re directing the drivers’ request to the *.inf file?"  Yes and no.  Sometimes, the wizard will not "see" the .inf file.  When the wizard does "see" the file, it will not take.

 

"Do the working USB devices work in all USB sockets?"  Yes

 

'Do the non-working USB devices work in another computer?"  Yes

 

"When you visited the Dell site, did you update the chipset drivers?" Yes but I do not know if the update took and I don't know how to check.

 

Thanks again.

 

John

"When you visited the Dell site, did you update the chipset drivers?" Yes but I do not know if the update took and I don't know how to check.”

 

I’m not sure in what form the drivers are packed from the Dell forum – but if they come as separate files, right click a file within the group and chose Properties – that will usually give a version. Now find the same file name on your HDD and click that – the versions should be the same.

 

You can tediously find all drivers by going to Hardware Manager, then the yellow exclamations, then + then right click then properties then Driver tab. Noting names and then checking through Windows Explorer.

OK, a .dll file might be missing or unregistered.

 

In System32 in Windows, see that you have usbui.dll (mine is version 5.1.2600.5512 created 17th Sept 2005… Oh, I missed its 3rd birthday!)

 

If it is not there, it should be (you can find it on the Windows CD or on the net – the CD’s better because you know you have the right version)

 

If it is there, is it registered? Click start -> Run. Type regsvr32 C:\Windows\system32\usbui.dll (Note the space between 32 and C) and press enter. You should get a confirmation box appear.

 

Now try intalling the USB devices.

Great ideas.

 

Now, I followed your directions and got the following error message. 

 

C:\Windows\system32\usbui.dll was loaded but the dlregistryserver entry point was not found.

This file cannot be registered.

 

Now, what does this mean?  I am far beyond my very limited knowledge.

 

John

I think the USBui.dll may be corrupt. This is a guess - but it fits the circumstances. The file is needed to recognise USB devices - it has done it's job on the ones that work, but not on the ones you are trying to introduce.

 

OK, get the copy of usbui.dll from the Windows CD and expand it into System32 in safe mode. If it asks if you want to overwrite anything, say Yes.

 

Try the registration again.  If the registration still fails, use the command line

 

regsvr32 /i C:\Windows\system32\usbui.dll

 

again note the spaces between 32 and / and i and C.

The Dell Drivers come in a self installing archive.

 

I have been through the device manager and there are no yellow ? except when I try to add new hardware.

 

I have replaced the usbui.dll with the version from my XP Cd and with three downloaded versions, the latest version coming from SP-3.

 

The registration failed each time.  Each time, the command line: regsvr32 /i C:\Windows\system32\usbui.dll returns the exact same error code:  "C:\Windows\system32\usbui.dll was loaded but the dlregistryserver entry point was not found.  This file cannot be registered.'

 

I think you have your finger on part of the problem, just need to find a fix.

 

Thanks for all you have done.

 

John

 

I am at my wit's end on trying to solve this problem installing new hardware!

 

Do I need a registry cleaner/organizer?  Do I need to reinstall Windows XP?

 

ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED!

I was going to suggest reinstalling the Dell Notebook System Software for the 6000, as it combined with the Intel Chipset Software make up the motherboard driver (basically).  However, if you are not able to register a Windows library file (.dll) then it sounds like the problem is with Windows installing new hardware/services.

 

Have you tried looking up information about the error registering usbui.dll?  Fixing that registration problem might just fix the rest of it.