Met my match - I cannot fix this - need help!

M

mangyDOG

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
161
Location
Ballarat, Vic, Aust.
I fourteen years of fixing computer there haven't been to many problems that I haven't been able to fix but this one has me stumped...

Here is the situation:

Lenovo 8808-BC1 small form factor PC
- no PS2 ports only USB.
- Windows XP Pro SP3

Client installs multiple "Registry Fixers" / " PC Speedup" type programs

Client runs said programs and applied "fixes"

"Fixes" break normal windows PNP process so it always runs the new hardware wizard for any new device (even for things like a standard optical mouse or plain usb keyboard). Normally you plug these in and you get a "ding" and a pop up message telling you your hardware is ready to go.

Client starts to have problems with the USB ports not working (only the two on the front are functional) so goes into device manager and deletes all items under the "USB" heading. Shuts down the computer (using the power button because the keyboard and mouse no longer work).

Client starts computer and the new hardware wizard appears because it has detected the USB ports, but cannot click on the next button because the mouse is USB and it has not been detected yet!!!!!!! :-<


What I have tried so far:
- repair install of XP over the top. (this got no where as the mouse and keyboard didn't work once the computer rebooted)
- installed the intel INF drivers (connected the HDD to my PC and created a batch file in the startup directory to run the installer)
- this seems to have fixed the USB ports as I now get a ding when I plug a device into them but the wizard still appears and I cannot click on next.

- added the following key to the registry "SuppressNewHWUI" from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938596
- this has stopped the wizard from appearing altogether, but not fixed the underlying problem of getting the PNP to auto install basic devices.

Does anyone have any suggestions???

Thanks
mangyDOG
 
T

time

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
4,932
Location
Brisbane, Oz
I fumble my way through these sort of USB issues, so hopefully someone else can shed more light ...

Are you sure that USB 'Legacy' is enabled in the BIOS so that low-level USB devices such as keyboard and mouse are recognized before the OS deigns to do so?

Some motherboards only support this 'legacy' concept on two of the available USB ports - they may be colored differently to highlight this.

Can you connect to the PC with Remote Desktop? If not, how did you manage to apply the cool MS anti-PNP wizard patch?

Have you considered finding a different client? One that isn't a smartarse who loves to install lots of shiny things and then blames you for their computer woes or assumes you therefore must not be very good and asks his friend who knows all about computers to help?

The industry standard response to this sort of shenanigans is FORMAT and reinstall. Good luck. ;)
 
M

mangyDOG

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
161
Location
Ballarat, Vic, Aust.
time said:
I fumble my way through these sort of USB issues, so hopefully someone else can shed more light ...

Are you sure that USB 'Legacy' is enabled in the BIOS so that low-level USB devices such as keyboard and mouse are recognized before the OS deigns to do so?

Some motherboards only support this 'legacy' concept on two of the available USB ports - they may be colored differently to highlight this.

Can you connect to the PC with Remote Desktop? If not, how did you manage to apply the cool MS anti-PNP wizard patch?

Have you considered finding a different client? One that isn't a smartarse who loves to install lots of shiny things and then blames you for their computer woes or assumes you therefore must not be very good and asks his friend who knows all about computers to help?

The industry standard response to this sort of shenanigans is FORMAT and reinstall. Good luck. ;)
Click to expand...

Keyboard and mouse work fine in a linux boot disk environment in all USB ports so it is not a hardware issue.

Tried remote desktop but it isn't enabled. Can this be turned on in the registry? If so, I can probably get it sorted that way.
--- cool just googled that - looks pretty easy will try in the morning.

This client is a friend of a client who is my biggest client so going the extra mile on this job, otherwise I would have already run the TrueImage restore disk I made when I sold the PC.

Thanks all,
mangyDOG
 
Mercutio

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
22,275
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I am omnipresent
Unfortunately, that option isn't going to exist in a lot of OEM BIOSes... I had a Dell XPS machine several months ago that had something similar happen with it (no drivers for USB keyboard or mouse). And it was XP Home, so there was no option to remote.

I upgraded it to Windows 7. That made the end user happy and I charged less than what it probably would have cost to legitimately fix it.
 
M

mangyDOG

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
161
Location
Ballarat, Vic, Aust.
Fixed it!

created a batch file which edited the registry turning on remote desktop, saved that to the hard-drive via 2nd PC into the start up folder.

logged into the PC via remote desktop and after a bit of stuffing around found that the "Optimiser" programs had deleted the entire contents of the Windows\inf directory. Restored that from a default image I have for these PCs, cleared all the faulty listings from device manager (yellow exclaimation mark), detected new hardware, ran the driver installation wizard for each device (haven't got that bit sorted yet) and restarted.

USB ports, keyboard and mouse now all working.

Now removing all unncessessary software and billing them for six hours of my time!

Cheers,
mangyDOG
 
M

mangyDOG

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
161
Location
Ballarat, Vic, Aust.
mangyDOG said:
This client is a friend of a client who is my biggest client so going the extra mile on this job, otherwise I would have already run the TrueImage restore disk I made when I sold the PC.
Click to expand...


Normally would have spent 15mins on it, backed up their files and restored from image, but when clients have six servers and 80+ PCs, you try to keep their friends happy ;-)


In the end, I will be writing most of the time off and charging the equivalent of a system restore...


Cheers,
mangyDOG
 
T

time

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
4,932
Location
Brisbane, Oz
Chewy509 said:
OS reinstallation with data/application restoration (considering you have an image to restore from) or 6 hours of labour?
Click to expand...

The image was back from when the PC was sold, so it's no different to a format and reinstall of Windows for the customer - just quicker for the repairer. Still a big hit to the customer if they have a lot of apps.

Mangy Dog said:
Now removing all unncessessary software and billing them for six hours of my time!
...
In the end, I will be writing most of the time off and charging the equivalent of a system restore.
Click to expand...

I think you should charge out 3 to 4 hours, depending on how high a rate you have with your main client. I'd also make sure both parties knew that this was out of the goodness of your heart, and next time it will be FORMAT. You use the word FORMAT because users understand that this is serious and will hurt them. Restoring from an image sounds too benign. ;)

Congratulations on a smart fix.
 
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