WIN 7 Major USB Hardware Incompatibilities ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Trimble Bracegirdle
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Trimble Bracegirdle

WINDOWS 7 Major USB Hardware Incompatibilities ?

I'm trying out Win 7 64 Bit. on the same Hardware (but separate Hard Drive)
as my established Win XP .

A big issue for me & the main thing I'm testing is the ability to use my
existing Hardware.

The standard basic stuff....Hard Drives...DVD Drive ...USB Memory Sticks
....Graphics Card ...centronics port printer ...
is all OK.

BUT I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under XP ...
THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a USB
GRAPHIC TABLET ..

In all Cases (I have been trying & trying every which way & trick)
The drivers & application appeara to install
all OK but WIN 7 then reports they are not functioning / Responding .

The problem seems to lie in the way the USB connection is used.

Most of these have indicator lights on them which should light up about 1/2
way through a Windows Startup with the application that use them
turning those lights on fully when its Run.

There is no sign of any activity with Win 7 .Is this a known issue ???

I tried Vista out (& did not like it) some time ago, same machine,
& these Devices were all OK. there.
There all some years old & do not have
Win 7 Drivers released (does anything !!???)

The USB type of ADSL Modem is very widely in use and my, VERY
comprehensive, searching finds that not one brand will work in Win 7 !!!
& I can't find anybody any Net place that HAS got one to work.

*(And, yes, yes, I know we should all 'Get With It' & buy a 'connect multi
computers Router Modems & squirt Wireless noise around ...wonderful
complexity !)*

But real life aint like that for a lot of users the prospect of paying out
more money on replacement Hardware than the new O/S cost is not on.

The more I find out the more Windows 7 is looking VERY different from Vista
& not the re-packaged tidied up 'same as Vista really' of most popular
thought.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (He's Not Happy)
 
Trimble said:
WINDOWS 7 Major USB Hardware Incompatibilities ?

I'm trying out Win 7 64 Bit. on the same Hardware (but separate Hard Drive)
as my established Win XP .

A big issue for me & the main thing I'm testing is the ability to use my
existing Hardware.

The standard basic stuff....Hard Drives...DVD Drive ...USB Memory Sticks
...Graphics Card ...centronics port printer ...
is all OK.

BUT I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under XP ...
THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a USB
GRAPHIC TABLET ..

In all Cases (I have been trying & trying every which way & trick)
The drivers & application appeara to install
all OK but WIN 7 then reports they are not functioning / Responding .

The problem seems to lie in the way the USB connection is used.

Most of these have indicator lights on them which should light up about 1/2
way through a Windows Startup with the application that use them
turning those lights on fully when its Run.

There is no sign of any activity with Win 7 .Is this a known issue ???

I tried Vista out (& did not like it) some time ago, same machine,
& these Devices were all OK. there.
There all some years old & do not have
Win 7 Drivers released (does anything !!???)

The USB type of ADSL Modem is very widely in use and my, VERY
comprehensive, searching finds that not one brand will work in Win 7 !!!
& I can't find anybody any Net place that HAS got one to work.

*(And, yes, yes, I know we should all 'Get With It' & buy a 'connect multi
computers Router Modems & squirt Wireless noise around ...wonderful
complexity !)*

But real life aint like that for a lot of users the prospect of paying out
more money on replacement Hardware than the new O/S cost is not on.

The more I find out the more Windows 7 is looking VERY different from Vista
& not the re-packaged tidied up 'same as Vista really' of most popular
thought.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (He's Not Happy)
Click to expand...

Have you actually tried the Windows 7 upgrade advisor? Have you checked
with the manufacturers of all of your hardware to see if the devices are
W7 compliant?

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101
 
Yes .
Very few Manufacturers of hardware are saying Win 7 Compat or not.
All most none in the case of Devices more than a year or 2 out of
production.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse
 
WINDOWS 7 Major USB Hardware Incompatibilities ?

I'm trying out Win 7 64 Bit. on the same Hardware (but separate Hard Drive)
as my established Win XP .

A big issue for me & the main thing I'm testing is the ability to use my
existing Hardware.

I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under XP ...
THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a USB
GRAPHIC TABLET ..
Click to expand...

If the modem has an Ethernet port, switch to that and don't look back.
It'll cost you the price of an Ethernet cable.
 
Trimble said:
WINDOWS 7 Major USB Hardware Incompatibilities ?

I'm trying out Win 7 64 Bit. on the same Hardware (but separate Hard Drive)
as my established Win XP .

A big issue for me & the main thing I'm testing is the ability to use my
existing Hardware.

The standard basic stuff....Hard Drives...DVD Drive ...USB Memory Sticks
...Graphics Card ...centronics port printer ...
is all OK.

BUT I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under XP ...
THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a USB
GRAPHIC TABLET ..

In all Cases (I have been trying & trying every which way & trick)
The drivers & application appeara to install
all OK but WIN 7 then reports they are not functioning / Responding .

The problem seems to lie in the way the USB connection is used.

Most of these have indicator lights on them which should light up about 1/2
way through a Windows Startup with the application that use them
turning those lights on fully when its Run.

There is no sign of any activity with Win 7 .Is this a known issue ???

I tried Vista out (& did not like it) some time ago, same machine,
& these Devices were all OK. there.
There all some years old & do not have
Win 7 Drivers released (does anything !!???)

The USB type of ADSL Modem is very widely in use and my, VERY
comprehensive, searching finds that not one brand will work in Win 7 !!!
& I can't find anybody any Net place that HAS got one to work.

*(And, yes, yes, I know we should all 'Get With It' & buy a 'connect multi
computers Router Modems & squirt Wireless noise around ...wonderful
complexity !)*

But real life aint like that for a lot of users the prospect of paying out
more money on replacement Hardware than the new O/S cost is not on.

The more I find out the more Windows 7 is looking VERY different from Vista
& not the re-packaged tidied up 'same as Vista really' of most popular
thought.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse (He's Not Happy)
Click to expand...

To start with, are the same number of USB entries in Device Manager in
Win7, as in WinXP ? There should be, as both Win7 and WinXP would have
built-in support for the USB logic blocks in your chipset.

If the USB section is missing, or if there are fewer entries than there should
be, then the built-in drivers haven't installed for some reason. On my existing
computer, I did have one occasion where an entry was missing, I had the
exclamation mark, and I had to ask the OS to install a driver from its
built-in collection and that worked.

On top of that, USB uses standard classes. The USB.org site, lists all the
standard classes of devices defined for USB. If a manufacturer uses the
standard register definitions and config info shown in these specs, it
improves the odds of the devices working with no additional drivers.

http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs

Some of the Windows built-in support, is shown in tables here.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connect/usb/usbfaq_intro.mspx

For example, take the Mass storage class (MSC) using Usbstor.sys .
When you plug in a USB flash stick, that driver helps it work.
If you plug in a USB enclosure with a hard drive inside, that one
might be involved as well. I don't have to add any drivers, if I use
my USB flash sticks. Those are examples of things supported
"out-of-the-box".

Your ADSL modem may "light up", as the USB stack may establish
end-point connections to the device. But then, Windows may stop,
because the device doesn't meet any of the standards-defined
items that Windows supports. In which case, you'd need a driver
from Sagem, to make the ADSL modem work. If the ADSL modem followed
some defined standard, then maybe this experiment would have had
a different outcome.

I would have expected the USB scanner to be picked up by something
like WIA (Windows Image Acquisition), but perhaps if the thing is
old enough, it doesn't follow any standards either.

Paul
 
Trimble Bracegirdle said:
Yes .
Very few Manufacturers of hardware are saying Win 7 Compat or not.
All most none in the case of Devices more than a year or 2 out of
production.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse
Click to expand...

When you ran the WUA, was all this hardware on and running? Did you get any
warnings about some of your hardware or software?
A few more particulars would be helpful, such as PC type/manufacturer, CPU,
RAM installed, etc. Are you using on-board USB ports, or are you hooking all
this stuff through an external box? If so, is it self-powered, or externally
powered?
So far, I haven't run into anything that I couldn't get to work with Win7,
USB or not, and some of my stuff is pretty old in computer years. Guess I've
been lucky. I have to use Vista drivers on my all-in-one printer, but it
works fine.
One suggestion was to hook your modem up with UTP instead of USB if it's
capable. I wholeheartedly agree with that, even if it means getting a $20
internal NIC. My speeds are much better with a more consistent connection
and fewer download errors.
 
Trimble said:
BUT I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under XP ...
THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a USB
GRAPHIC TABLET ..
Click to expand...
Have you actually bothered going to the manufacturers website and seeing
if there are Vista or Win7 drivers for them?
 
So far, I haven't run into anything that I couldn't get to work with Win7,
USB or not,
Click to expand...

Running W7 'Home Premium' (i.e. one of the 'crippled' versions), I
find that the Boot-US bootloader installer cannot write to diskette -
even when I run it as Administrator: "Access denied".

No problem formatting the diskette, Wordpad had no problem writing
a test file to it, and I had no problem then deleting it - even
running as ordinary user.

Guess the Boot-US code is trying to do something dodgy...

Found nothing relevant in a search on sysinternals.com.
 
BUT I have a number of USB Hardware devices that are fine under
XP ... THAT MUST FOR ME, WORK ! in Win 7 & won't :(

a USB ADSL MODEM ... a USB DIGITAL TV Box ...A USB SCANNER ...a
USB GRAPHIC TABLET ..
Click to expand...

Scanners are always the first things to be abandoned by driver writers
if it doesn't work now, I doubt it ever will. Especially for a 64-bit
OS - I think separate drivers are needed, I believe.

The hardware manufacturers are responsible for drivers, not Microsoft.
I wouldn't call it a a hardware incompatibility, not a "Win 7"
incompatibility.
I tried Vista out (& did not like it) some time ago, same machine,
& these Devices were all OK.
Click to expand...

But was it 64-bit Vista? If not, I bet these devices wouldn't have
worked there, either.

A quick web search finds quite a few suggested remedies for similar
problems - installing the drivers as Administrator, updating the
motherboard chipset driver and/or BIOS, etc. So, there may be a
workaround.
 
Nil said:
Scanners are always the first things to be abandoned by driver writers
if it doesn't work now, I doubt it ever will. Especially for a 64-bit
OS - I think separate drivers are needed, I believe.

The hardware manufacturers are responsible for drivers, not Microsoft.
I wouldn't call it a a hardware incompatibility, not a "Win 7"
incompatibility.
Click to expand...

It's Microsoft's responsibility to make their new OS compatible with the
hardware I already have. I'm sure they have a lot of excuses.
I don't want excuses. I want my (*(*& hardware to continue to work!!!
It may not support new features, but it should do at least what it used
to do.
Period!!!
Microsoft has let us down in that area. Sorry for any inconvenience,
my A$$.
 
Why do you consider it "crippled"?
Click to expand...

Not my description! Was used by other W7 users in another forum,
probably because various options are missing here and there.
 
Guess the Boot-US code is trying to do something dodgy...

Found nothing relevant in a search on sysinternals.com.
Click to expand...

Turns out the Boot-US code *was* doing something dodgy.
A corrected version now happily writes the diskette.

Windows 7 exonerated...
 
mike said:
It's Microsoft's responsibility to make their new OS compatible with the
hardware I already have. I'm sure they have a lot of excuses.
I don't want excuses. I want my (*(*& hardware to continue to work!!!
It may not support new features, but it should do at least what it used
to do.
Period!!!
Microsoft has let us down in that area. Sorry for any inconvenience,
my A$$.
Click to expand...


Tell me about it. I've got a perfectly good Epson Perfection Photo
1260 flatbed scanner, and it won't run under Windows 7 x64. No
driver for it. Epson can't be bothered writing one, and Microsoft
just doesn't care.

-Al-
 
Al Smith said:
Tell me about it. I've got a perfectly good Epson Perfection Photo 1260
flatbed scanner, and it won't run under Windows 7 x64. No driver for it.
Epson can't be bothered writing one, and Microsoft just doesn't care.

-Al-
Click to expand...

I feel for you and Mike, really I do, but I still don't see where it would
be Microsoft's responsibility to insure that every single piece of hardware
out there, no matter how old(?), would be compatible with it. If people
think it's expensive now, imagine what that would do to the cost! If it was
even possible to pull it off.
And why should Microsoft care about Epson? Or HP, or Lexmark, or any of
them? None of them obviously care for Microsoft, or the end user's problems
with their proprietary software. I had an older HP printer that I loved
since it would handle letter and ANSI B size drawings, but when I went to
XP, HP didn't. I could still print and plot using the XP generic driver for
it, but HP never came out with an update, and the printer was only 2, 2-1/2
years old at the time XP came out. I lost a little of the versatility of the
printer, but I still don't think that was XP's fault.
But, that's just me. . .
 
Tell me about it. I've got a perfectly good Epson Perfection Photo
1260 flatbed scanner, and it won't run under Windows 7 x64. No
driver for it. Epson can't be bothered writing one, and Microsoft
just doesn't care.

-Al-
Click to expand...

I found one for my 1650 Scanner that works great.

So look here: (this is one very long URL)

http://www.kvaz.com/index.php?q=epson+perfection+1260+vista+x64
+driver.rar&search2=Search+files!&stype=all&S1=%3Ca+target%3D%22_blank%
22+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kvaz.com%22%
3EThe+best+Rapidshare+Search+Engine+for+epson+perfection+1650+vista+x64
+driver.rar+-+over+12+488+551+links!%3C%2Fa%3E&forum=[url%3Dhttp%3A%2F%
2Fwww.kvaz.com%2Ffile_epson%2Bperfection%2B1650%2Bvista%2Bx64%
2Bdriver.rar.html]epson+perfection+1650+vista+x64+driver.rar[%2Furl]
&forum=%3Ca+href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kvaz.com%2Ffile_epson%
2Bperfection%2B1650%2Bvista%2Bx64%2Bdriver.rar.html%27+title%3D%
27epson+perfection+1650+vista+x64+driver.rar%27%3Eepson+perfection+1650
+vista+x64+driver.rar%3C%2Fa%3E&forum=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kvaz.com%
2Ffile_epson%2Bperfection%2B1650%2Bvista%2Bx64%2Bdriver.rar.html
 
It's Microsoft's responsibility to make their new OS compatible
with the hardware I already have. I'm sure they have a lot of
excuses. I don't want excuses. I want my (*(*& hardware to
continue to work!!! It may not support new features, but it should
do at least what it used to do.
Period!!!
Click to expand...

Sorry, but you're living in a fantasy world - that's not the way it
goes. Unless Microsoft makes an explicit claim that a certain piece of
hardware will work, out-of-the-box with Windows, then it's up to the
manufacturer to supply the device driver. That's the way it has ALWAYS
worked with EVERY version of Windows. That's probably the way it will
always work. Get used to it... and urge the hardware vendor to release
updated drivers. You're more liable to get results doing that than
complaining here or to Microsoft.

I just built myself this handy dandy digital butt-scratcher with a USB
interface. Do you suppose Windows 7 supports it?
 
Nil said:
Sorry, but you're living in a fantasy world - that's not the way it
goes. Unless Microsoft makes an explicit claim that a certain piece of
hardware will work, out-of-the-box with Windows, then it's up to the
manufacturer to supply the device driver. That's the way it has ALWAYS
worked with EVERY version of Windows. That's probably the way it will
always work. Get used to it... and urge the hardware vendor to release
updated drivers. You're more liable to get results doing that than
complaining here or to Microsoft.

I just built myself this handy dandy digital butt-scratcher with a USB
interface. Do you suppose Windows 7 supports it?
Click to expand...

You're welcome to your bend-over-and-take-it attitude.
If XP could run my hardware device, there's no reason that W7 can't.
The code is already written. It works just fine.
M$ CHOSE to change things in a manner that caused a perfectly working
driver to quit working. I don't care WHY they did it. I want them
to continue to include the support they already had.

My C: drive is 9gigabytes of M$ bloat. Another bit of bloat for legacy
support wouldn't have killed them.

Yes, I'm sure there are all kinds of excuses. I don't want excuses.
I want those M$ geniuses to figger out how to make it work.
You can bet if it had been a priority, it would have happened.

This "throw away everything and start over" every few years has gotta
stop!!!

Dear valued customer,
Toyoter motor company announces an exciting new line of motor vehicles
chock full of features you'll never use. In order to support these
exciting new features, we had to change some parameters.

Our new vehicles are no longer compatible with garages built prior
to 1998.

Some parking spaces no longer work. You'll find that out when you
reach your destination and try to park.

In order to use toll roads, you'll need to purchase the optional
toll upgrade that works...mostly...

Our vehicles are no longer permitted in school zones.

Standard gasoline from your corner filling station will still
work in compatibility mode with significantly reduced fuel mileage.

If you have any child car seats or personal electronic items that were
used in your car, you will need to replace them. Legacy snow tires are no
longer supported.
Any towable trailers will need to be replaced.

Our ULTIMATE upgrade is required for trips greater than 100 miles.

Please remember that Toyoter motor company is the ONLY option available
to you. We trust you will continue to buy our products...because
you have no other choice.

Sorry for any inconvenience.
 
You're welcome to your bend-over-and-take-it attitude.
If XP could run my hardware device, there's no reason that W7 can't.
Click to expand...

If that were true, your devices would continue to run just as they
did. Since they don't, there must be a reason. The reason is that the
hardware driver is not compatible with the new OS. You have things
bass ackwards if you think the OS needs to be compatible with 3rd
party hardware. It's the responsibility of the 3rd party hardware
vendors to provide drivers that work with the OS, not the other way
around. You don't have to like it, but that's the way it is.
The code is already written. It works just fine.
Click to expand...

If it worked fine, you wouldn't be here complaining.
M$ CHOSE to change things in a manner that caused a perfectly working
driver to quit working. I don't care WHY they did it. I want them
to continue to include the support they already had.
Click to expand...

They do. Just continue to use the OS you were using.
My C: drive is 9gigabytes of M$ bloat. Another bit of bloat for legacy
support wouldn't have killed them.
Click to expand...

No thanks, I don't want tens of thousands of unneeded drivers
cluttering up my system.
Yes, I'm sure there are all kinds of excuses. I don't want excuses.
I want those M$ geniuses to figger out how to make it work.
You can bet if it had been a priority, it would have happened.
Click to expand...

You can also bet if it was Microsoft's responsibility it might have
happened, but the truth (whether you want to believe it or not) is
that hardware vendors are responsible for providing drivers for their
equipment. Period.
This "throw away everything and start over" every few years has gotta
stop!!!
Click to expand...

Who forced you to change your Operating System? If all of your devices
worked with XP, why not stay with XP?

In short, you're flat out wrong about where the responsibility lies
here.
 
I'm finding some suggestions that having more than 4 Gig RAM in
a Windows 7 64Bit install leads to greater problems.

Hardware uses addresses at the top of memory
with 64bit & greater than 4Gig RAM those addresses can be off what the
device driver can cope with.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse ( You could install Win 95 1st Issue in 40 MB's)
 
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