Lots of posts in the forums deal with entering BIOS to enable USBs but HOW do I do this? Here's my dilema:
3 weeks ago the Compaq A1000 printer stopped communicating with the PC via it's USB. Couldn't figure it for a week, then bought a new HP 2210 (USB) and after basic installs/ uninstalls wouldn't connect properly, called hp. 4 hours of tech support got rid of ghosts, scrubbed, checked cable, reinstalled to no avail. Compaq was not help either (4 hours on hold...then they wants big $$ to "talk").
Resorting to web sufing, neophyte that I am. What I think has happened is my USB is somehow not loading proper drivers or is disabled? Our Compaq presario came with ME, I upgraded to Win2000 pro, all systems worked fine for about 4 months. I'm at the point where I'm considering total reformat (but don't want to lose data) and reload of initial OS (yuckie ME).
I really just want to print with this lovely hp through the USB...
Thoughts about this mess might save the entire pile of plastic and "technology" from an 8lb. sledge.
Many thanks for any help.

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

I am having a little trouble sorting out what you have done, but it sounds like the gist of it is that the USB port is not working and you have tried reinstalling the USB drivers and printer drivers... is that correct?

Have you tried another USB device to make sure it isn't a hardware problem? If you have enough hard drive space, you could try install a second copy of Win2K (in another partition) and see if the USB works from there. If it doesn't, it is more likely a hardware problem.

You could also simply back up your data and then do a wipe and reinstall. I'd leave the sledge as a last resort... :p

This sounds like a very similar problem that my sister is having with a Compaq Presario and USB Scanner - though it's hard to help her by phone since she is afraid to do other than the most simple troubleshooting steps; so I'd be interested in any positive outcome.

Have a read of Compaq Presario USB Troubleshooter (http://h20015.www2.hp.com/en/any/na/cpq/document.jhtml?reg=&cc=us&lc=en&prodId=compaqpres92636&docName=c00003807&cat=solve) if you haven't already. I havent yet got my sister to try the find usb.inf, RClick and Install after deleting USB in Device Manager in Safe Mode - but it might be the way to go.

On that page, F1 tapping seems the route to the BIOS settings. Compaqs do some "funny stuff" with their BIOS and access can be into or via the HDD. Installing or updating a softpaq for your model might also be the way to go.

I'm not even sure that if your installed softpaq routines are corrupted/deleted, whether running a "Quick Restore" will replace them or whether you need to install them again by downloading from the site and installing from a floppy - prior to running any restore (and which you would prefer to avoid). There should be information on your specific model on the site about such drivers and softpaqs.

Most interested to know how you get on.

I would like to see the first common thread addressed first...

3 weeks ago the Compaq A1000 printer stopped communicating then bought a new HP 2210 (USB) and after basic installs/ uninstalls wouldn't connect properly

Has the printer itself "given up the ghost!?" Can you check the printer in another system to make sure it's still working?

Won't "communicate," and won't "connect" might be that it's 6 feet under and can't pick up the phone...:(

Seems to me we have two different USB printers that are not working.

Do you have any other USB devices that can be tested in the USB port. In addition you can get a seperate USB add in card and see if the problem is with Windows USB setup or with the USB ports on the back of the motherboard.

1) When you plugged in the new HP printer into the USB post, did the OS recognize it?

2)What do you mean by it stopped communicating? Please provide more detail. Have you removed and re-insatlled the drivers?

More detail needed as it appears either

1) the USB ports are damaged(possible, but not likely)

2) Somehow the USB ports have been turned off in the BIOS (also possible but also not likeley unless you have been playing in the bios, then it is possible and likely)

3)You are unlucky enough to have a printer die and the replacement printer you bought is also defective. (possible, but not likely)

4) There is some problem with the OS not limited to virus infection, trojan horse, spyware or other malware that may be affecting the USB ports. Possible and likely

Please post back with more info so we can help you.

Doh, here I was thinking the HP 2210 was a PCI USB card...:rolleyes:

With that, I think Classic has highlighted the most likely scenarios...

Only thing I would add is to reinstall the USB Host Controller drivers themseves if you haven't done so already...

SAFEMODE>Device Manager>REMOVE and reboot allowing windows to reinstall...you would want to remove all instances...if there are two and you remove only one the "ghost" will reappear...

Whyzman, I had done what you suggest to my Sister's Presario - without it solving her USB related problem.

In the past couple of hours and following the "Compaq Presario USB Troubleshooter" referenced earlier, I ensured, after booting into SafeMode:
a)That the USB device was detached.
b)That the device was removed from Device Manager.
c)That the USB root hubs were next removed.
d)That the USB host controllers were next removed.
e)That usb.inf was found and installed.
f)That any remaining references to the device were removed from Device Manager and Add/Remove Programs.

Following reboot the system found and installed USB.
The software for the device was next installed.
Finally - the device was attached and the system found and installed its drivers.

I only mention this in detail because this has finally got her setup working again and previously I had, on two occasions, attempted to reinstall things without any success.

It just seems that the exact sequences of uninstallation and of installation can be critical to setting up USB correctly. If the sequences are wrong or omitted various ghosts or other references stick around to screw everything up.

PS There is one additonal complication with the printer/usb problem here and that is that there was a previous upgrade from WinME(Compaq) to Win2K. So both USB and Printer drivers gets more elaborate when it comes to uninstall/reinstall - Compaq being as proprietary as one can get.

Whoa!! Information overload! I almost put this off for another day because of all the different directions ya'll provided. Thankfully, I took a short break then put pen to paper to sort out our options. All that advice really did give a resolution to our dilema!
Paul Komski, Chicken-head-eating Geek, you are our family's hero of the day!
We followed your example provided and modified as shown below:
1. Boot into safe mode (using F8 on the Compaq)
2. remove USB device from device manager had already been done
3. USB root hubs were removed in DM
4. USB host controllers were removed in DM
(a single exclamation warning was noted in keyboards
standard 101/102- key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard
this has ever been there, ever ignored)
5. tried to find usb.inf but no keystrokes were allowed.
6. deleted all of the OLD printer (Compaq A1000) manually from set up
no references were found for the new printer (HP 2210) at that time
7. restarted normal mode
8. found all usb.inf files--they were all set up info files (text)
9. shut down system, restarted in safe mode (to verify no need to install USB.inf files?)
10. all previous USB controllers & hubs were listed in DM
11. restarted, logged off user, logged on as administrator
12. loaded HP 2210 software with disk
autorun did not work; began with run e:\setup.exe
13. PSC 2000 series loaded via Windows Installer to 49%
14. at Installation Wizard prompt Norton Antivirus was disabled
15. after 5 minutes of installation, with prompting, powered up printer
16. connect printer cable to front right USB port (not pretty but easily removed if failure had ensued)
17. system found new hardware USB composite device detected, installed (this had never before appeared during any previous attampts to install a printer in the past month)
18. rebooted automatically after prompts
19. printer icon appeared on restart with fax set up window
20. enabled Norton Antivirus, set up fax, registered device w/ HP
21. test print successful through both fax and file print!

I'd had no other USB devices to test, and was unwilling to toss in another variable just yet by adding potential new devices to the problem (reference classicsoftware, Master Geek
quote: Do you have any other USB devices that can be tested in the USB port. In addition you can get a seperate USB add in card and see if the problem is with Windows USB setup or with the USB ports on the back of the motherboard.)

The OS had not previously recognized a new device when printer was plugged in for installation, and quite honestly I was also considering purchase of a new cable even though our 2 cables were unlikely to have been bad at the same time.

I'd gone through all this with the hp tech support via phone, but now the impression I get is that it's not just how you do it but when you do it (see explanation provided by Paul
quote: It just seems that the exact sequences of uninstallation and of installation can be critical to setting up USB correctly. If the sequences are wrong or omitted various ghosts or other references stick around to screw everything up.)

High fives to all contributors, you're all gems in the giant treasure chest of shared knowledge. We neophytes will recommend your expert opinions to all who confess headaches with not-so-user-friendly technology.

Best Regards,
The Clan Beardin of Washington State



You cannot achieve the impossible without attempting the absurd.
Why do computers only tell you when you're doing something wrong but never when you're doing something right?

As an afterthought - the absence of the usb.inf file could be the Win2K OS - which would have more native USB support than earlier versions of windows. The file doesn't seem to appear in any installations of Win2K or WinXP currently on my desktop. Just glad that the Win2K upgrade didn't stop you resolving the problem. ;)