USB: works with Linux but not with Windows XP

External Since: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 1

Hi all,

I have a Dell Latitute D630 laptop with Windows XP SP2.

I have a problem with USB ports: the only USB device that works is a
Microsoft wired mouse. Everything else (keyboards, wireless mice, USB
keys, external hard drives) does not: every time I plug one of these
devices, Windows asks for the drivers but then fails to find them.
Evem if I install them first (e.g., as I did for a Microsoft wireless
mouse), when I connect the device Windows asks me for drivers anyway
and then fails to find them.

The IT department of my company (it's not a private laptop) has no
clue, nor does Dell. They made me run all sorts of diagnostics, and
the hardware is fine, as confirmed by Linux: I ran a Linux Live
Knoppix distribution (off the dvd, without installing on the hard
drive) and all the USB devices I mentioned work perfectly under Linux!

Dell suggested I get in touch with Microsoft, but those @@###$$## want
Ł 46 for the "support" even if it's a brand new laptop. My company is
not willing to pay for that, nor am I willing to spend my money to fix
the company's laptop!

Dell made me upgrade the Bios and a number of drivers, but nothing
changed.

The only alternative they proposed was the classic IT "solution", the
equivalent of killing a mosquito with a nuclear bomb: reformatting the
hard drive and reinstalling everything from scratch, which would be
very annoying and time-consuming.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how to fix this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

External Since: Feb 20, 2008 Posts: 34

On Nov 16, 11:17 am, "myemail...@googlemail.com"
<myemail... DeleteThis @googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a Dell Latitute D630 laptop with Windows XP SP2.
>
> I have a problem with USB ports: the only USB device that works is a
> Microsoft wired mouse. Everything else (keyboards, wireless mice, USB
> keys, external hard drives) does not: every time I plug one of these
> devices, Windows asks for the drivers but then fails to find them.
> Evem if I install them first (e.g., as I did for a Microsoft wireless
> mouse), when I connect the device Windows asks me for drivers anyway
> and then fails to find them.
>
> The IT department of my company (it's not a private laptop) has no
> clue, nor does Dell. They made me run all sorts of diagnostics, and
> the hardware is fine, as confirmed by Linux: I ran a Linux Live
> Knoppix distribution (off the dvd, without installing on the hard
> drive) and all the USB devices I mentioned work perfectly under Linux!
>
> Dell suggested I get in touch with Microsoft, but those @@###$$## want
> Ł 46 for the "support" even if it's a brand new laptop. My company is
> not willing to pay for that, nor am I willing to spend my money to fix
> the company's laptop!
>
> Dell made me upgrade the Bios and a number of drivers, but nothing
> changed.
>
> The only alternative they proposed was the classic IT "solution", the
> equivalent of killing a mosquito with a nuclear bomb: reformatting the
> hard drive and reinstalling everything from scratch, which would be
> very annoying and time-consuming.
>
> Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how to fix this?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks!

If the re-format is scheduled, it would not hurt to try to look thru
this following web site:

http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html

Look at: "XP asks for drivers or just want to install new hardware"