Welcome guest. Before posting on our computer help forum, you must register. Click here it's easy and free.

Author Topic: unknown device in device manager  (Read 4741 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

tinathomp9675

  • Guest
unknown device in device manager
« on: October 27, 2006, 10:13:06 AM »
First of all let me tell that I know very little about computers so I hope my terminology is correct. I bought my daughter a new computer 11 months ago and she is now having problems with the memory card reader. This is a Compaq Presario SR1603WM that came with CD-RW/DVD combo drive, 9 in 1 memory card reader USB interface,two USB external ports, windows xp, microsoft service pack 2. (anything else you need to know, just ask). Several months ago had a trojan virus while using Norton antivirus and am now using AVG and last scan showed no virus. The memory card reader has been used since then with no problems. A few weeks ago put the memory card in and it showed nothing. Looked under "my computer" and the only device with removable storage showing was CD/DVD. I tried troubleshooting on HP website and so far none of them have worked, including physically disconnecting the reader and reconnecting, reinstalling drivers and software, ensuring all devices are enabled, and compaq recovery (nondestructive).  The only thing that changed after all that was in device manager under usb serial bus controllers there is an "unknown device". I ran the pc doctor and the report had "removed device: usb mass storage" (this was prior to unknown device showing up". Our IT guy at work suggested doing a recovery using the recovery disks, which I have not made and dont think I want to attempt on my own. Other suggestions have been that I have spyware that is messing it up but I have adaware and spybot and have ran both with nothing showing up. Short of having a shop fix this, I dont know what else to do. Any suggestions?
« Last Edit: October 27, 2006, 02:08:55 PM by tinathomp9675 »

GX1_Man

  • Guest
Re: unknown device in device manager
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2006, 03:57:47 PM »
You never made the recovery discs or youdon't want to use them? SOmetimes if you don't make them immediately it is too late later.

If you haven't done so, make these discs while we think about this further.

What if you delete those questionable devices in Deviice Manager and the memory card reader IF showing.

Just reboot the machine and see what happens.

By chance do you have a printer attached with memory card slots as well?

Raptor

  • Guest
Re: unknown device in device manager
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2006, 04:56:23 PM »
Try a restore point instead, if you are virus free.

tinathomp9675

  • Guest
Re: unknown device in device manager
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2006, 05:10:55 AM »
I will make the recovery disks. I am pretty sure I still can. It said on the option to make them that I could only make one set and was actually going to make them then but it required more disks than I had. I am kind of scared to try to use the recovery with the disks myself. Like I said I dont really know what I am doing very well but I  can follow direction pretty well.

As for deleting the unknown device, I think it is the memory card reader because it showed up after I removed (per hp's troubleshoot advice) the memory card reader, turned the computer on for a while, then turned off and reconnected memory card reader, turned computer back on. But I have deleted all usb drives and rebooted and it is still the same. I will try again and post back results.
 No printer connected at all.

Using a restore point was one of the first things I tried (sorry I had forgotten about that). It showed the restore dates but then said something about not being able to restore to that point or something like that, I dont remember exactly what but it would not let me do it. I think I am virus free. I will check again.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2006, 06:37:02 AM by tinathomp9675 »