mytfein
asked on
windows 7: computer not recognizing usb (gadget) with a drive under My computer
Hi EE,
I purchased a handheld scanner, and tried it yesterday.
It comes with a cable, so that it would behave as a flash drive when connecting to the computer.
Our home laptop is not recognizing the gadget. (Windows 7)
Work pc is recognizing the gadget (Windows XP)
It supposed to work for both OS.
Can you please provide a checklist of what i should do when i get home to trouble shoot?
If home pc not recognizing, will have to return the gadget.
(Also, the cable they provided, i thought it's a standard universal, that i could use also
for cell phone, the micro usb side is not fitting into the phone.....
do you think the company made a proprietary cable instead.... )
tx for your help, sandra
I purchased a handheld scanner, and tried it yesterday.
It comes with a cable, so that it would behave as a flash drive when connecting to the computer.
Our home laptop is not recognizing the gadget. (Windows 7)
Work pc is recognizing the gadget (Windows XP)
It supposed to work for both OS.
Can you please provide a checklist of what i should do when i get home to trouble shoot?
If home pc not recognizing, will have to return the gadget.
(Also, the cable they provided, i thought it's a standard universal, that i could use also
for cell phone, the micro usb side is not fitting into the phone.....
do you think the company made a proprietary cable instead.... )
tx for your help, sandra
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ASKER
Hi Riteheer,
Thx so much for writing....
tried 2 diff. ports last night.... no indication
maybe i have to try again, bec. one of them was into a usb hub....
i read on EE something about the D drive (for cds - there is a cd in that drive at home)
could that be a problem. I read on EE that they suggest the cd drive be mapped to a different letter. I did not understand how to do that..... If you think i should try that
can you please paste a screenshot, of where/how i am to to do this
At work, i have mapped a network drive on Windows XP, but do not know how to do
above with Windows 7.
tx, s
Thx so much for writing....
tried 2 diff. ports last night.... no indication
maybe i have to try again, bec. one of them was into a usb hub....
i read on EE something about the D drive (for cds - there is a cd in that drive at home)
could that be a problem. I read on EE that they suggest the cd drive be mapped to a different letter. I did not understand how to do that..... If you think i should try that
can you please paste a screenshot, of where/how i am to to do this
At work, i have mapped a network drive on Windows XP, but do not know how to do
above with Windows 7.
tx, s
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ASKER
Hi Joe,
Thx for all your advice and ideas,
I did speak with Wolverine Support, and asked if the scanner will work under a 64 bit OS system
(tx for showing me how to find out what kind of OS we have and why it's important to know. btw, we have 3 gb of RAM, which given your explanation is weird, why the pc manufacturer did not put in more ram if it's a 64 bit system.)
The rep explained that w7 has an issue with external gadgets for the first time. That you have to plug it in when the pc is OFF, then turn on the laptop, and then the laptop should recognize it.
Our laptop needed windows updates, so i did that first, and it took so long - and then got an error on step 4 that the service pack install failed and it was reverting, that it was too late last night to try his ideas and then your further ideas....
so will try again later tonight.... tx again.... s
Thx for all your advice and ideas,
I did speak with Wolverine Support, and asked if the scanner will work under a 64 bit OS system
(tx for showing me how to find out what kind of OS we have and why it's important to know. btw, we have 3 gb of RAM, which given your explanation is weird, why the pc manufacturer did not put in more ram if it's a 64 bit system.)
The rep explained that w7 has an issue with external gadgets for the first time. That you have to plug it in when the pc is OFF, then turn on the laptop, and then the laptop should recognize it.
Our laptop needed windows updates, so i did that first, and it took so long - and then got an error on step 4 that the service pack install failed and it was reverting, that it was too late last night to try his ideas and then your further ideas....
so will try again later tonight.... tx again.... s
> the micro usb side is not fitting into the phone
Few USB devices come with micro USB cables... about the only devices that use them so far are newer cell phones, and many times that's only for charging, so it still takes a proprietary cable to actually 'talk' to them with a computer.
It's more-likely the USB cable that came with the handheld scanner has a USB 'A' male on one end and a USB 'B' male mini on the other end (not a micro).
Few USB devices come with micro USB cables... about the only devices that use them so far are newer cell phones, and many times that's only for charging, so it still takes a proprietary cable to actually 'talk' to them with a computer.
It's more-likely the USB cable that came with the handheld scanner has a USB 'A' male on one end and a USB 'B' male mini on the other end (not a micro).
Hi Sandra,
The reason they put 64-bit W7 on a system with just 3GB is in case you upgrade the amount of memory. Adding memory is one of the easier upgrades to do (usually a little harder on a laptop than on a desktop, but still relatively easy) and can have a big impact on overall computer performance (and these days, memory is reasonably priced, so lots of folks are doing it). For example, I recently upgraded a 4GB laptop to 8GB, and an 8GB laptop to 16GB.
I think the rep you spoke with is wrong on both counts. First, W7 doesn't have any issues with external USB devices. The first time you plug it in, the New Hardware wizard will run, and for most Plug-N-Play devices, that's all you need to do. Some devices do require that the software be installed first (before you plug it into a USB port), and the instructions for the device will always state that. Second, the PC should not have to be off when plugging in the device. Nearly all USB devices these days are called "hot-pluggable", meaning you may plug them in while the PC is running. If you look at Section 7 on page 10 of the User Manual (I sent you the link earlier), it makes no mention of the PC needing to be off.
Thanks to Darr247's post, I just noticed your question about the USB cable in the original post. There are two types of small, standard USB connectors these days. One is called micro-USB and the other is mini-USB. Most cell phones and tablets these days have micro-USB ports (which are smaller than mini-USB), but many larger devices have mini-USB ports. My guess is that the PASS-200 has a mini-USB port, which is considered standard, not proprietary, but its cable won't work in a cell phone with a micro-USB port. The PASS-200 manual doesn't say if it's micro or mini, but here's a picture from the manual, which has a mini-USB look to it (the USB port is item 9):
Regards, Joe
The reason they put 64-bit W7 on a system with just 3GB is in case you upgrade the amount of memory. Adding memory is one of the easier upgrades to do (usually a little harder on a laptop than on a desktop, but still relatively easy) and can have a big impact on overall computer performance (and these days, memory is reasonably priced, so lots of folks are doing it). For example, I recently upgraded a 4GB laptop to 8GB, and an 8GB laptop to 16GB.
I think the rep you spoke with is wrong on both counts. First, W7 doesn't have any issues with external USB devices. The first time you plug it in, the New Hardware wizard will run, and for most Plug-N-Play devices, that's all you need to do. Some devices do require that the software be installed first (before you plug it into a USB port), and the instructions for the device will always state that. Second, the PC should not have to be off when plugging in the device. Nearly all USB devices these days are called "hot-pluggable", meaning you may plug them in while the PC is running. If you look at Section 7 on page 10 of the User Manual (I sent you the link earlier), it makes no mention of the PC needing to be off.
Thanks to Darr247's post, I just noticed your question about the USB cable in the original post. There are two types of small, standard USB connectors these days. One is called micro-USB and the other is mini-USB. Most cell phones and tablets these days have micro-USB ports (which are smaller than mini-USB), but many larger devices have mini-USB ports. My guess is that the PASS-200 has a mini-USB port, which is considered standard, not proprietary, but its cable won't work in a cell phone with a micro-USB port. The PASS-200 manual doesn't say if it's micro or mini, but here's a picture from the manual, which has a mini-USB look to it (the USB port is item 9):
Regards, Joe
ASKER
Hi Darr and Joe,
a) You guys are amazing.... i had no idea about micro and mini usb ports....
now i understand why our digital camera's usb did not fit into my cell phone
now i understand if i want to order a cable for the cell phone, in order to drag and drop music to the phone's card, i need a MICRO cable
b) so the PASS 200 has a mini usb
c) have to test the rep's idea, Joe... if it does not work will call them and ask them for
a new driver, even though the device should be plug and play
d) adding more ram is an interesting idea.... will price it....
e) Joe, thx for the manual link... must confess to reading only a portion of manual
f) yesterday, was busy downloading windows updates, and even though we have
cable internet, the whole process was so slow, and then in the last step it said
it had a problem installing the service pack so was reverting, so computer was on
for another 2 hours reverting... so unsure if even installed the updates at all
but at least the computer is back.... so did not have a chance yesterday to test
the PASS 200 again, bec. the upgrades took the whole evening....
tx gentlemen, if i have any updates will report back, on Tues bec. of the long weekend
coming up... enjoy your weekend.... s
a) You guys are amazing.... i had no idea about micro and mini usb ports....
now i understand why our digital camera's usb did not fit into my cell phone
now i understand if i want to order a cable for the cell phone, in order to drag and drop music to the phone's card, i need a MICRO cable
b) so the PASS 200 has a mini usb
c) have to test the rep's idea, Joe... if it does not work will call them and ask them for
a new driver, even though the device should be plug and play
d) adding more ram is an interesting idea.... will price it....
e) Joe, thx for the manual link... must confess to reading only a portion of manual
f) yesterday, was busy downloading windows updates, and even though we have
cable internet, the whole process was so slow, and then in the last step it said
it had a problem installing the service pack so was reverting, so computer was on
for another 2 hours reverting... so unsure if even installed the updates at all
but at least the computer is back.... so did not have a chance yesterday to test
the PASS 200 again, bec. the upgrades took the whole evening....
tx gentlemen, if i have any updates will report back, on Tues bec. of the long weekend
coming up... enjoy your weekend.... s
S,
In addition to mini and micro, there's a standard USB connector, which bigger devices still use, but all small devices have gone to mini or micro. Here a pic that should help:
Good luck on the Windows updates! Have a nice weekend. Regards, J
In addition to mini and micro, there's a standard USB connector, which bigger devices still use, but all small devices have gone to mini or micro. Here a pic that should help:
Good luck on the Windows updates! Have a nice weekend. Regards, J
ASKER
Hi Joe,
that is soooo great, it makes sense...
you should have seen me in the recent past wondering why the MINI of camera and
PASS 2 did not fit into the cell phone that i recently got.....
i thought to myself: i thought the cell phones are using universal standards... and these cables are not fitting....what's going on....
EE is wonderful! tx ...
=======
btw, how do you get the graphic pasted to EE?
do you right click on it on a web page,
do a save as,
and then upload to EE
(the graphics you pasted look so smart in this latest version of EE)
tx again, s
that is soooo great, it makes sense...
you should have seen me in the recent past wondering why the MINI of camera and
PASS 2 did not fit into the cell phone that i recently got.....
i thought to myself: i thought the cell phones are using universal standards... and these cables are not fitting....what's going on....
EE is wonderful! tx ...
=======
btw, how do you get the graphic pasted to EE?
do you right click on it on a web page,
do a save as,
and then upload to EE
(the graphics you pasted look so smart in this latest version of EE)
tx again, s
S,
For images on the web, I usually right-click and do a <Save Image As> in Firefox or a <Save picture as> in Internet Explorer. In some cases, I print a web page to a file using a PDF print driver, such as CutePDF and doPDF (both FREE!):
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
http://www.dopdf.com
To capture a screenshot, I do an Alt-PrtScn to capture just the focus Window or Shift-PrtScn to get the entire screen (these are built into Windows - there's third-party software that is more robust, like Snagit, but I've had fine results with Alt-PrtScn and Shift-PrtSnc).
In any case, once I have the file(s), I then use imaging software to crop, cut, combine, etc. There are two imaging packages I use heavily:
(1) PaperPort: This is not free, but here's a download link at Newegg to the previous version (12) for a very reasonable 40 bucks (current version is much more expensive, but I'm still using V12 in production on 64-bit W7 system - it works great and does everything I need):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168168677800SF
(2) IrfanView: One of the all-time great freebies! I've been using it for many years:
http://www.irfanview.com/
Click the Download link on the left to download IrfanView and click the PlugIns link on the left to download the PlugIns, which are needed to give you PDF capability. Give it a spin - I think you'll love it. And did I say it's FREE! :) Best, J
For images on the web, I usually right-click and do a <Save Image As> in Firefox or a <Save picture as> in Internet Explorer. In some cases, I print a web page to a file using a PDF print driver, such as CutePDF and doPDF (both FREE!):
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
http://www.dopdf.com
To capture a screenshot, I do an Alt-PrtScn to capture just the focus Window or Shift-PrtScn to get the entire screen (these are built into Windows - there's third-party software that is more robust, like Snagit, but I've had fine results with Alt-PrtScn and Shift-PrtSnc).
In any case, once I have the file(s), I then use imaging software to crop, cut, combine, etc. There are two imaging packages I use heavily:
(1) PaperPort: This is not free, but here's a download link at Newegg to the previous version (12) for a very reasonable 40 bucks (current version is much more expensive, but I'm still using V12 in production on 64-bit W7 system - it works great and does everything I need):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168168677800SF
(2) IrfanView: One of the all-time great freebies! I've been using it for many years:
http://www.irfanview.com/
Click the Download link on the left to download IrfanView and click the PlugIns link on the left to download the PlugIns, which are needed to give you PDF capability. Give it a spin - I think you'll love it. And did I say it's FREE! :) Best, J
ASKER
Hi Joe,
Thx sooo much for all your help....
For EE, i take a screen shot like you do, paste into PAINT and upload as .bmp
when asking a question on EE....
will have look at your ideas...
tx again, s
Thx sooo much for all your help....
For EE, i take a screen shot like you do, paste into PAINT and upload as .bmp
when asking a question on EE....
will have look at your ideas...
tx again, s
Sandra,
Your technique is fine. I upload as JPG, but there's nothing wrong with BMP. The Paint applet works well for this purpose, but IrfanView is more robust, and you may enjoy some of its features. Regards, Joe
Your technique is fine. I upload as JPG, but there's nothing wrong with BMP. The Paint applet works well for this purpose, but IrfanView is more robust, and you may enjoy some of its features. Regards, Joe
I can see I need to update my screen-grab article to include the new Insert Image tool on the rich text editor.
Insert Image is a nice goodie on the rich text toolbar, but in the end all it does is save a few mouse clicks compared to Attach File then Embed.
ASKER
tx so much for writing
It's a Wolverine PASS-200 next generation handheld scanner
The product does not come with software, supposed to be plug and play.
Our laptop is 18 months old.
For W7, pgms can operate either in 32 or 64 bit mode? If yes, i really don't understand this
concept:
- which bit mode do i want gadgets to operate in?
- is running under 64 bit the new trend for software?
- is running under 64 bit more efficient/faster for the pc?
Please advise, tx, s