4 port USB 2.0 Hub won't install

hi,

i bought a 4 port USB 2.0 Hub which is self powered (cheap generic made in china).

connected it on my laptop but get this error

'usb device not recognised.'

device manager says 'unknown device'.

tried on xp and vista. same error.

tried on laptop and desktop pc. same error.

some help pls?

 

I hate to say it, but the USB hub is garbage if it does not work right away. You said it..."cheap generic made in China"...

You could try another USB cable but that is just about the only thing you can do. If it still doesn't work after that it is definitely toast.

 

i tried a different cable but still get the same error.

i tried updating the driver in devices but can't do that as well cos the hub didn't come with drivers and has no brand name.

this is the hub i'm talking about. does anybody have this?

http://www.amazon.com/USB-4-Port-2-...s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1279528307&sr=1-131

 

That's the thing with a USB hub...you don't need specialized drivers. Windows has all the drivers you already need for something as simple as a USB hub.

If it does not work now and you've already tried a new cable, there is really nothing more you can do. Return it.

 

I sincerely hope that you didn't pay $15 for that piece of garbage.

 

no i didn't buy it from there.

it cos me around 7 USD.

 

Well it is still a piece of garbage .

 

isn't there anything i can do to fix it?

i'm running win xp.

 

Be glad you learned a cheap lesson in bad product and move on to a better hub.

 

Well, you could open it up and see if you can fix the PCB yourself. The USB controller might just be fried or defective. My advice is to get it replaced by the business you bought it from. You'd be really unlucky to get another defective one.

 

ok,

i took it back to the place i bought it from.

salesman said he'll check it... plugged it to his XP machine and it worked!

Was recognized as a generic usb hub! i checked the devices list my self.

He then fixed a usb mouse and keyboard on to its ports and they worked.

And now i can't return it cos its not a defective product.

i found out that my windows xp installation does not have a usbhub.inf file in drivers. i checked in the installation cd and its not there either.

can anybody give me the usbhub.inf file so i can try this out and see as well?

 

Copy it off your installation CD.

 

its not in the installation cd. i checked after extracting files in the drivers CAB file.

 

It's in the i386 folder, it's called usbhub.sys. Just go to the device manager, go to the properties of the hub, click on update driver and browse to the i386 folder on the CD. Windows should copy the files to System32 and install the hub.

 

update only allows me to add .inf files and not .sys files.

so i'm stuck there again.

i don't know where i can find the usbhub.inf file.

 

Do the same procedure, but instead, browse to C:\Windows\inf and select usb.inf. AFAIK, usbhub.inf doesn't exist in any Windows version. The usbhub.sys file should already be copied to your System32 folder.

 

For your computer NOT to have a file that he had to make it work, that really makes me think he pulled a fast one on you.

Tell him to either show you how to get it working on your computer or take it back. If he still will not do that, just leave the hub in his shop and contest the charge with your credit card if you can.

I am assuming other (known good) USB hubs work on your computer?

 

yep my laptop has 3 usb ports with a mouse, bluetooth dongle and usb modem connected leaving me with no free usb ports hence the NEW usb hub.

anyway, i will check if i can get it working with the info provided and report back.

cheers

 

still no luck.

i tried everything but its still listed as 'unknown device'.

c>windows>inf>usb.inf - does not work.

c>windows>system32>usbhub.sys - won't allow me to select .sys file.

any thoughts?

 

You need to figure out what conditions it works in, and what conditions it does not.

1) Does another USB hub work with your computer?
2) Does switching the cable help (no apparently)?
3) Does this USB hub work on another PC you have access to (other than the salesman's and preferably a desktop computer)? I say a desktop because if that USB hub is running out of spec and taking up too much power, or your laptop is not providing enough power, testing it on a desktop kind of eliminates that problem as the power supply is much stronger.

 

I have 2 USB ports on one of my laptops and I have this attached when I need extra USB ports:

Newegg.com - StarTech ECUSB3S2 2 Port ExpressCard SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Card Adapter

See full info here: ExpressCard USB 3.0 Card - 2 Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ExpressCard - StarTech.com