Unknown Device after good install, forced to reinstall each time.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zeal Vurte
  • Start date Start date
Z

Zeal Vurte

I'm having alot of problems with a device (but this isn't really the first
time, even on other pcs, other devices, windows xp too) on Vista 64 atm.

I'm trying to use the link feature of the Action Replay Code Manager and
Action Replay NDS.

For a long time, Vista 64 drivers were unavailable for the device, but were
finally released last month.
Old support instructions:
http://uk.codejunkies.com/support/article.aspx?article_id=372
New drivers and software:
http://uk.codejunkies.com/support/article.aspx?article_id=417

As to be expected by now the awful "found new hardware" experience of
windows made installation extremely difficult and would leave most users to a
dead end when it shouldn't.

On plugging the cable, the popup in the tray appears. Presented with the
options, you'd be fooled into thinking "Locate and install driver software"
would allow you to first look for the drivers locally. Clicking it, windows
begins checking for dirvers online from their windows update catalog first.
This fails (which is typical) and quite a waste of time. It also reveals that
correctly, the device is recognised as "NDS Link"

I'm then presented with the option two options. The first is "Insert the
disc that came with your NDS Link", and have it automatically search for the
driver on it. I perhaps foolishly thought if i wrote downloaded package to
disc (as it is the disc's contents) windows would have done this, but clearly
it's not seeing the drivers on the disc.

So two the second option, "I don't have the disc. Show me other options".
This takes me to two more choices, the first "Check for a solution" to see if
windows can find a way to make the device work, or "Browse my computer for
driver software" to manually locate the drivers which i know exist. Once
again, i foolishly take the second option...

This allows me to point to the folder containing the drivers, which i do.
This immediately fails, with a pop up of windows telling me it's looking for
solutions as it failed to find drivers.
Funny enough, the first option would have taken me straight to that screen
too.

If i now check deveice manager, i see NDS Link listed under "Other Devices".
So i attempt to install the drivers manually. Two options again, naturally i
chose the manual option rather than leave it to windows to fail again.

Along with the familar option to locate the folder containing the drivers
(which btw fails just like it did before), there is a new option for "Let me
pick from a list of device drivers on my computer", to show a list of
compatible and "same category" drivers on my computer.

Choosing this option, i'm taken to a list of device types. The instructions
from the old drivers, says to chose "Show All Devices" so i do (but you can
alternatively chose the correct type, "USBIO controlled devices").
The list of drivers is empty initally (before it starts loading all
installed drivers), but the "Have Disk" option remedies that quickly.

Unlike before, i can now locate the exact .inf file for the vista 64 driver,
and viola! The signed driver is now displayed and click next. Windows now
warns me that it can't verify compatibility of driver with the device, but i
continue, as i know better.

The NDS Link is now moved to the "USBIO controlled devices" type category,
and renamed to "Action Replay DS (NDS Link) x64" as intended.

Everything works 100% until i unplug the cable and chose to plug it back in
again when i wish to use it later.

When i plugin it in now, windows notifies me that "USB Device Not
Recognised". It then begins to detect the device as "Unknown Device", and
auto instals no drivers, saying it's ready to use. Checking device manager,
it is now listed under "Universal Serial Bus controllers" as "Unknown
Device". When showing hidden devices (dsiconnected), i can see the originally
installed device is listed where it should be, obviously windows is seeing
these as different devices for some reason.

Attempting the same manual install on the Unknown Device isn't possible.
Instead of first being given the option to select the type of device, i'm
immediately taken to the list of drivers. Only one is listed, "Unknown
Device", so i uncheck the "Show compatible drivers" (which should say "Hide
incompatible drivers" to really make sense). The list list is now populated
with drivers and manafacturers. "Datel" (the driver manafacturer) is not in
the list, and as i look through, it's easy to tell this is only showing
drivers for the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" type category, which isn't
what i want.

With the option both checked and unchecked, choise "Have Disk" again, and
pointing it to the .inf as before will result in windows saying the folder i
selected did not contain compatible drivers for the device. This then becoems
a dead end, with the device, when plugged into that port, being stuck as an
unknown device and unusable. Naturally i only have a finite number of ports
to use it in.

I found the only way to reliably have it detected correctly again, is to
unlug the cable, uninstall the ghost of the correctly install one, then the
unknown device, then the "USB Root Hub" it's conntected to (and if i want the
power and advaned tabs to work without restarting, uninstall the "Standard
OpenHCD USB Host Controller"), scan for hardware changes, and let it
reinstall all the default drivers. Once that's done, i'm back where i started
and have to reinstall the device all over again.

This is simply unacceptable imo. While Datel's driver may be to blame for
some of the issues (and i shall be contacting them too), there's clearly too
many dead ends, unnecessarily blocked off routes, inconsistent
terminology/functionality and incorrect behavoir in the device manager on
vista. The fact that device manager is seemingly "forgetting" the previously
installed device and locking me into an unknown device is the biggest issue,
but it's compounded by simply poorly designed process.

Anyone have any ideas why it's acting the way it does (unknown device after
good install) and ways to resolve it. Also i'd like to hear any comments of
the problematic experience of device manager shown here.

Thanks
 
To make your long story short, going to the NDS Link's website and using
their driver for their product would have made it a happy ending. Make it a
great day.
--
Computer/Software Tech.


Charles Richmond
 
What model number is your NDS? The driver you downloaded and failed to
install was indeed the 64bit? Double check the website again. Make it a great
day.
--
Computer/Software Tech.


Charles Richmond
 
The NDS model is irrelevant, as the NDS does not need to be powered on for an
install. The firmware of the Action Replay cart is 1.54. Everything works
perfectly when installed, it's only on reconnection problems occur.

The driver i downloaded is certainly the 64bit one, i would think the fact i
provided the link to it would show that. I have the european version and the
..inf and .sys files are named "ActionReplayDS_x64" rather than "ndslink" as
they were for earlier versions. I'm having no problems at all with the device
 
I've just been in contact with codejunkies (Datel), and they're unaware of
the issue so are trying to help.

Just before replying though, i was testing the device again, and found it
happens inconsistently about 6/10 times. This is across testing with both
the NDS powered on and off, and disconnecting from different ends of the
cable (which no observed difference in any method).
 
It appears that the device is not being identified properly when it is
plugged in.
When it fails have you checked in device manager to see if the device is
identified properly?
This could be a problem with the USB port drivers.
 
I'm having the same problem on my computer running XP Media Center Ed 2002 SP3
My Action Replay connected when originally installed but now after
installing and reinstalling the new drivers: Action Replay (NDS Link) it will
not load. Same Unknown Device issue you cited.
I'm going to try deleting the drivers like you mentioned, to at least get a
coding session in, but would like to have the real fix.
I'm also contacted Datel Customer Support via email, their first solution
was to have me try the new software US version 1.25, this did not help.
Let me know how things turn out. I'll do the same.
 
Update: I couldn't get the link to the software even when the device manager
showed the correct driver loaded (not the unknown device). When I scanned for
hardware changes, the unknown device did show. Unless a want to manually type
up to 38 lines of 16 digit code my Action Replay is useless for new codes.
 
Datel's Reply: "the Action Replay appears to be installed properly under
USBIO Devices. Unfortunately, if the Action Replay is still not being
recognized by the Code Manager Software, then you may have older hardware
that is not compatible with XP Service Pack 3. Unfortunately, since this is
a hardware issue, it cannot be fixed with a software or firmware update. I
apologize for the inconvenience."
 
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