JackClark

Bios should give a display on start up.

BigGT3Fan

Help!

I can't get USB devices, of which I have several (Digital Camera, Web Cam, Scanner, CD Writer etc) to work reliably on my home PC under Windows 2000 Professional.

It is an unbranded PC so I don't get any decent support

I therefore have to dual boot into Windows Me to use any of the devices, and then back into Windows 2000 afterwards.

I think it is the USB support on my machine, though it is wierd that it is fine in WinMe and crap in Win2K?

Someone suggested to me that a BIOS upgrade was in order, but as I have little info about my PC that seems dangerous, and I don't see how it's a BIOS issue given that it works in WinMe and not Win2K Anyone any ideas

Thanks,

Alex

fast bloke

The BIOS talks to the devices and then tells Windoze what they are. W2K should have drivers for just about everything, so a BIOS upgrade does sound like an intelligent suggestion

Ga22ar

As long as you dont have bizarre hardware W2K should have drivers out of the box..

Do you know which BIOS/Motherboard you have ??

If you can track that info down I would strongly advice going to the motherboard web site and d/l the latest drivers...

Cheerz

BigGT3Fan

OK,

So if I do decide to upgrade the BIOS, how do I do it?

I can check what motherboard I have by opening the box, I guess - will it be branded in some way?

And the BIOS details are shown at bootup?

Assuming I can find out what MBoard & BIOS I have, I can then get to the MBoard manufacturers site and download, how do you upgrade the BIOS

Thanks

ChrisB

Hmm,

I've got a USB keyboard, digital camera and TV Card working fine on Win 2000 SP1 on my handbuilt PC. In fact, the camera hangs off the keyboard's USB ports.

Something to check..

Right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware > Device Manager

Does anything show up under the USB section? Any yellow ! marks against them?

Right click Computer in Device Manager as well - does it show an ACPI PC or something else?

ChrisB.

BigGT3Fan

Chris,

There's nothing in error in the Device Manager, I've checked that, all the devices are correctly installed, they just don't work

I'll check the other thing tonight when @ home as I'm @ work now,

Thanks

boomer

Although the basics should already be in W2K, you will need appropriate (i.e. probably at a cost) versions of things like DirectCD to allow your CD-RW to be more than a CD-ROM.

Check out the indivudual web-sites for your USB devices, and see what they say about W2K support!

mb

Toonman

Win2K is still well short of drivers for non Pro applications and many consumer hardware items will never have drivers written for it(such as Digi Cams, Scanners etc).

In our experience at work (Professional Photographers in advertising), 2K is not much more reliable than ME (crashwise) and a lot more hassle (otherwise).

Ga22ar

Toonman... I think you requirements must be very exacting....

W2K is probably the most stable OS from MS since MSDOS.. This is based on experience of a 55K seat design and rollout...

The only proviso is that the build is controlled, letting users put any old drivers/applications without proper vaildation first will always toilet the machine in the long run..

IF you dont have the knowledge/skills then W2K can be a hassle..

Toonman

Ga22ar

In my industry, EVERYTHING is very exacting. If only one day the Computing industry would catch up and even try to get close to the standards set in the Photographic world...

In my last post, I should actually have said, Win Me in our experience, is AS reliable as Win2K, but with better driver support for certain (mainstream) hardware. We use both systems, as some kit has no 2K drivers and never will have. We don't install hardware on machines that aren't up to spec - a dead machine costs us money, so we take no chances. Clients are not interested in excuses, particularly PC related ones. And yes, we use PCs - better all round support/value/performance/etc etc than Macs, or at least we think so. Please, don't anyone out there try and presuade us otherwise - we're just not interested.

2K was not designed for the domestic market (as you well know I imagine) and many small firms would be well advised to leave it alone too, as their requirements are often no greater than the average home user. The PC mags (and Microsoft) have been harping on about this fact since it was announced. A friend of mine that works for MS in Seattle, said they've had more hassles trying to persuade users that it's not the platform for Quake 3A, H/L Counterstrike etc or for downloading images from their 2nd hand, 4 year old Kodak Digi Cam, than they ever had writing it in the first place...

Hope today's weather's been as nice for you as it has for us here in the very, sunny (and hot), North East. Take care and have a good Weekend!

Toonman

Actually, instead of waffling on, I should've said that BigGT3Fan's original post, rather proves my point - loads of kit doesn't work with Win2K, as it doesn't have driver support, and if you don't believe me, check the MS support records...