Re: Off topic: Windows

On Tue, 5 Sep 2006 14:21:20 +0100, "The Todal" <deadmailbox@xxxxxxxx>
wrote:


"Dave Baker" <DaveBaker@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:edjt79$1et$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The Todal" <deadmailbox@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4m59ofF4jnsbU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sorry to post off topic but there are several people here whose advice I
would trust on computer-related matters.

Scenario: family member has a Dell laptop which is working reasonably
fine (though is now out of warranty and any support would have to be paid
for), but the owner of said laptop, hoping to improve matters, puts his
Windows installation disk in, and runs through the Windows XP
installation program after which the USB ports are behaving erratically,
not detecting the mouse or printer.

I have tried a few things without success. It just seems to be the USB
ports that are the problem but I don't know what other latent problems
there might be. I am inclined to reformat the HD and reinstall XP. There
really isn't likely to be another way of fixing it, is there?

Might be several ways. Try this first if the mouse works for long enough
to allow you to do so.

The built-in trackpad works fine, so that's okay.


Go into Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, System, Device
Manager, USB Controllers and run Troubleshoot. See what it tells you.

The device manager does not show any yellow question marks - the system
believes it is all working perfectly ;(


Try booting in Safe Mode if the mouse won't work at all.

Google for "XP System Restore". XP allows you to restore the operating
system to an earlier configuration so you should be able to put it back
the way it was before this reinstall.

Unfortunately by reinstalling XP on top of the existing installation he
appears to have deleted all system restore points.

I am thinking of going into Device Manager and deleting all USB devices and
then rebooting to see if the system discovers them again. But that will
probably be the last resort before formatting and reinstalling XP!


That is probably actually your best bet.

But not just the devices, rather the controllers.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Point not found. A)bort, R)eread, I)gnore.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom
.

Relevant Pages

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