Computer Hope

Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 12:47:56 PM

Title: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 12:47:56 PM
I just reinstalled XP Pro on an MSI K7/AMD system.  I can see both HDD drives, anything on USB, floppy and CD.  I can't read from the floppy (says no disk present).  Loading a CD just sits there, trying to look at CD says no CD present.  I installed wireless PCI adapter and it found new hardware and loaded the driver.  The wireless configuration software can't see any adapter.  I have no audio from an audio card.  Device manager shows all devices and everything is "running correctly".  What could be causing this problem?  Anything in common here?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 18, 2009, 02:26:41 PM
Did you re-install the MSI MBoard drivers ? ?
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 02:40:11 PM
No, I haven't been able to do anything.  The system cannot communicate via floppy, CD or internet.  I tried installing some upgrades via USB storage but the upgrades all depended on SP2 and I'm using XP PRO from a CD I bought back in 2002.  Without internet I can't register XP or get updates to it.  Without the floppy I can't create boot disks, BIOS disk or MBoard driver loads so I'm kind of in a Catch-22 situation here.  What else could I try?
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 18, 2009, 02:47:25 PM
Didn't you get a Driver CD with that MBoard ? ?
If the CD drive is not working double check your wiring connections.
You don't need to connect to the web to use a CD.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 04:04:08 PM
It doesn't really matter whether I have a driver CD or not, I can't read any CDs, or floppies, or networks...see previous posts.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: BC_Programmer on May 18, 2009, 04:05:27 PM
you boot from the CD, just as you did to reinstall windows.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 04:18:31 PM
I do not have a driver CD.  Unless it's somewhere that I haven't looked yet.  I think I bought it back in 2002 or something... Perhaps I should make another bootable one from another system?
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 04:22:26 PM
All of the MSI drivers sites I've tried want me to download the updater to fix my drivers.  I have no internet connection so I can't connect.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 18, 2009, 05:47:39 PM
Your machine is not working because all the proper drivers haven't been installed...
You have an MSI model # and they have the drivers.
The rest should become self-evident.
Does no-one you know have a PC ? ?
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 06:36:02 PM
OK, I found the CD that came with the system but it won't boot from it.  I put the CD into my laptop and it looks like everything is there.  OBTW, I replaced the PS a few days ago but no help.  It now has a 450W PS.  I'm going to peruse the manuals from the CD amd then retry booting from it.  I went into setup on the MSI system and listed the boot sequence and it only offered HDD1, HDD2 and IOMEGA drive.  No floppy or CD!  Yet I booted the XP installation disk...
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 06:53:19 PM
I unplugged the HDDs and it tried to boot from the IOMEGA.  I killed that and it wants a floppy so it at least it is seeing that.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 18, 2009, 07:05:26 PM
OK, it just found the CD...let's see if I can get setup.exe to run.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 19, 2009, 08:34:26 AM
Drivers loaded.  I have sound again but still no network.  Device manager shows card, linksys setup does not see 54G card.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 19, 2009, 08:41:27 AM
Power down and remove the card physically.
Travel to Device Manager and find the 54G device and uninstall it.

Do a few cold boots.
Restart and go online to the 54G manuf website for their drivers.

Since it's a wireless card i doubt the drivers were on the MBoard CD....the network device that's showing in Device Manager is your Onboard network chip.

Use the website and the cards serial # to locate the proper drivers and install them.
Re-boot and set up the wireless card .
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 19, 2009, 12:07:59 PM
I've done this a couple times already but I'll do it again step-by-step.  Device manager shows 2 network devices.  1=VIA onboard chip; 2=Wireless 54G device.  Inspection shows 2 different drivers.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 20, 2009, 09:56:21 AM
OK.  Re-installed the WMP54G and "New hardware found".  Inserted the Linksys CD.  Driver loaded.  Downloaded another driver from another computer onto a USB thumb drive.  Unzipped the Linksys driver from USB to C:\.  Device Manager and Update Driver.  Driver installed same as one from Linksys web-site.   Show network devices: 1- VIA onboard; 2 - Wireless device.  No connection to wireless.

Maybe today I'll stop at Fry's on the way home and get a PCI-N card.  The specs say XP SP1 minimum for the card, oh well.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 20, 2009, 10:05:08 AM
Leave the Onboard in place...it's the other one.
Did you get a CD with the wireless card ?
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 20, 2009, 02:31:01 PM
Hey, check out my last post.
Installed wireless card
Booted
XP found new hardware
Inserted Linksys CD
XP loaded Linksys driver from CD
Got Linksys driver from Linksys website
Went to Device Manager
Told wireless card to update driver to the one downloaded from website
XP said that there was no difference (meaning I have the latest driver already)
Tried to configure the wireless card but configuration software cannot find any wireless card.
Looking in networks folder I see two devices: 1-Native motherboard ethernet, 2-Wireless ethernet
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 20, 2009, 07:57:52 PM
What configuration software ? ?
If the drivers installed correctly and it's not being detected then the card is probably  DOA...
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 21, 2009, 07:38:48 AM
Yesterday I stopped by Fry's and bought a D-link wireless PCI G adapter.  De-installed Linksys card and Linksys software.  Rebooted several times.  Installed D-Link card.  Booted. New hardware found.  Inserted manufacturer's CD.  Driver installed.  Looked for network card in device manager.  Card found.  Control panel.  Network Connections.  Card found but no connection to router.  Same as with Linksys NIC.  Other computers in room have strong connections, this one has nothing.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on May 22, 2009, 09:43:32 AM
Today I try this.  Move entire system into bedroom with router and wire the ethernet with direct cat 5.  If this works, then update the OS (it is still at initial install point SP<1).  If this works, then update the rest of the stuff.  If this works, then retry the wireless card as it says XP SP1 is minimum supported config.  If this works, you won't see any more posts.
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: patio on May 22, 2009, 09:48:22 AM
Sounds like a well thought out approach to solving the issue...
Best of Luck...and let us know.
Welcome Aboard !
Title: Re: XP can't see most devices
Post by: cyoung311 on June 10, 2009, 09:35:44 AM
Update.  Moved system into 2nd bedroom and hard-wired to router.  Connected to internet and updated everything.  Now I can see the IOmega 100 MB ide device and can see a backup file thereon (image.113).  I checked IOmega ZIP software and downloaded all that I could but still can't read the image file.  I still cannot see the Linksys wireless card or the FireWire 1394 card, both PCI devices.

I need ideas on:
IOmega software that can read the image.113 file
Why does the wireless card not show up as a network device although it appears as a hardware device?
Why can't I see the 1394 card as some sort of device under My Computer?