Windows 2000 and usb not working ???

[Gav]

Hi
My brother installed windows 2000 alongside windows 98 on a 550mhz time pc.Now when he plugs in the usb speedtouch modem it isnt found.So then he gets the driver up and running for usb and for the modem its fine.But then he resets the machine and he has to do it all over again and so on.Why is it not saving the drivers for the usb?? if anyone can help and speak normal none windows language that would be really great.
Thanks again.
Gav

[Cymric]

I assume your brother is familiar with the requirement that drivers have to be installed while logged on as Administrator. Then USB devices can only be added to a running system if the user has sufficient rights to do so: Power User should be okay. Then Windows 2000 insists on having the same device on the same connector, otherwise it is recognised as a new device for which 'new' drivers have to be installed. Finally, perhaps the drivers are outdated?

Hope this helps.

[mikeymike]

I concur, and I think upgrading motherboard drivers to their latest versions would be a good idea.  Windows 2000 SP4 should also be installed for full USB 2.0 compatibility.

[Gav]

Its the usb on the board.When i update the drivers in the device manager it works fine,but when i resart the machine it says device can not start in the device manager.

[blobrana]

Hum,
Another possibility is that the USB option is not switched on in the Bios?
Have you ever upgraded the bios?
What kind of mobo is it?

[Gav]

Micro star with american megatrends bios.Ive never updated it.

[blobrana]

Hum,
Had a look at the different micro star models and it doesn't look like a bios upgrade is the answer..
see!
(though it is worth upgrading sometime in the future)

Check your current bios settings though...

[seer]

If the device manager is telling you the device can't be started it should also give you an error code or more info. If not, check the event log.

Most of these problems can be traced by entering the error codes in google (groups.google.com). Try entering the full error code description or number.

Otherwise fill the motherboard model in google;

"USB device cannot start "

[edit]

A first try in google (USB device cannot start Microstar)

gave this

Granted it doesn't seem to give a sollution, but you're not alone.

By giving the error code I'm sure we can find a sollution. After all, that's the why error codes exist.

[/edit]

[mikeymike]

Gav wrote:
Its the usb on the board.When i update the drivers in the device manager it works fine,but when i resart the machine it says device can not start in the device manager.

I'd put a strong bet on that the USB device is incompatible with the version of USB your motherboard is capable of.  I've seen this before.

Get a device whose compliancy matches that of your motherboard (USB 2.0 and relying on backwards compatibility is not enough).  If a device says that it is (for example) USB 1.1 and 2.0 compliant, then it should work.

Though try updating BIOS, Windows and all drivers first.

Presumably you have other USB devices that work on this machine?

[Gav]

Everything worked fine on windows 98se. It said can not start device code 10.Anyway in the bios i disabled the usb legacy and it worked.What is this for as im a complete novice to bios.Thanks for all the help.