Question Driver issues (no USB drivers), Dimension E520

[Powerbook165]

Hi, I have a Dell Dimension E520 that is running on XP. I have no USB drivers for it installed on it already. There is no PS/2 ports on it. I installed Puppy Linux on a bootable USB and they work there, confirming it's a driver issue. When I start up the system I get the Found New Hardware wizard but I have no way of clicking on anything at all. I want to keep XP on this system. Is there anyway to install the drivers from Linux, or from the BIOS, or something else?

 

[ImWolf]

Have you checked Device Manager? If there are any yellow exclamation marks under Universal Serial Bus have you tried updating drivers from there?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Is there anyway to install the drivers from Linux

not from Linux into Windows.
but you can just download them and use them from within Windows.

Windows will always have generic USB drivers available that have always worked in my experience.
are you sure that this isn't just some corrupt XP install failing to properly load drivers/hardware?

you don't mention that you've actually searched and found XP USB drivers for this motherboard.
or if you've contacted manufacturer support requesting them.

 

[stonecarver]

I want to keep XP on this system. Is there anyway to install the drivers from Linux, or from the BIOS, or something else?

On a long shot if like you say can boot computer from the live Linux " not installed" and have access to the XP OS you might be able to drop the Dell USB driver into ---Windows---System 32---Drivers

Or ---Windows---System 32---DriverStore---FileRepository

Reboot the PC with out the Linux and see if Windows can sniff out the driver for the USB and install.

Just make sure the USB driver is unzipped and in those places.

 

[Ralston18]

You need to connect a PS/2 device into a USB port - correct?

What is that USB device? Make, model? USB plug?

Try a PS/2 to USB adapter.

PS/2 device -----[PS/2 port] ADAPTER [USB port] -----USB cable ----->[USB port] Dell E520

Perhaps something like this adapter:

PS/2 to USB adapter

Just be sure to double check all plug and port genders.

 

[Powerbook165]

not from Linux into Windows.
but you can just download them and use them from within Windows.

Windows will always have generic USB drivers available that have always worked in my experience.
are you sure that this isn't just some corrupt XP install failing to properly load drivers/hardware?

you don't mention that you've actually searched and found XP USB drivers for this motherboard.
or if you've contacted manufacturer support requesting them.

Could be. The main issue is there is a lot of data on here I want to keep.

You need to connect a PS/2 device into a USB port - correct?

What is that USB device? Make, model? USB plug?

Try a PS/2 to USB adapter.

PS/2 device -----[PS/2 port] ADAPTER [USB port] -----USB cable ----->[USB port] Dell E520

Perhaps something like this adapter:

PS/2 to USB adapter

Just be sure to double check all plug and port genders.

USB device, I'm not sure. I know the mobo is a WG864. Also - the adapter - would that require USB drivers?

Have you checked Device Manager? If there are any yellow exclamation marks under Universal Serial Bus have you tried updating drivers from there?

I can't access Device Manager without a mouse and keyboard. I also am unable to boot into safe mode because they don't work as soon as XP starts booting at all.

 

[Powerbook165]

On a long shot if like you say can boot computer from the live Linux " not installed" and have access to the XP OS you might be able to drop the Dell USB driver into ---Windows---System 32---Drivers

Or ---Windows---System 32---DriverStore---FileRepository

Reboot the PC with out the Linux and see if Windows can sniff out the driver for the USB and install.

Just make sure the USB driver is unzipped and in those places.

I found the drivers. I am wondering how to install these without a mouse and keyboard or from Linux. Note that I do have another Windows system. Would it be possible to unzip these to a folder and drop them into these folders? https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/dimension-e520/drivers
These are all .exe files.

 

[stonecarver]

Use 7-zip to unzip them if you can.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I do have another Windows system...
Would it be possible to unzip these to a folder and drop them into these folders?

if you can connect the disk containing XP to the other system, you could.
but, booting with both OS drives installed may prove a problem.

you should be able to boot with Linux and extract the files directly into the XP installation though.
you can access the XP disk from within Linux, correct?

 

[Powerbook165]

if you can connect the disk containing XP to the other system, you could.
but, booting with both OS drives installed may prove a problem.

you should be able to boot with Linux and extract the files directly into the XP installation though.
you can access the XP disk from within Linux, correct?

Yes.
I looked at that driver page again and noticed that there was no USB driver.

 

[BFG-9000]

I also am unable to boot into safe mode

Just boot into Linux and edit boot.ini so the first operating system line has /safeboot at the end of it.

XP SP3 from 2008 should include drivers for G965/ICH8 which came out in 2006. But if you are trying to use an older XP service pack, the driver you are looking to install while in safe mode is ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller.

 

[Powerbook165]

Just boot into Linux and edit boot.ini so the first operating system line has /safeboot at the end of it.

XP SP3 from 2008 should include drivers for G965/ICH8 which came out in 2006. But if you are trying to use an older XP service pack, the driver you are looking to install while in safe mode is ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller.

Is there a default USB driver cache located somewhere in the system files? I could delete that or something.

 

[Powerbook165]

Alright, I copied all the data I needed off the drive, but I really want this system running on XP. How do I format the drive (SATA) for usage on XP without the setup bluescreening? I see the driver folder for the SATA disk inside Linux, but how do I add that folder onto the installation? I know to use either nLite or easy2boot but I am having no luck detecting the disk. I find it kind of interesting that Dell, by default, shipped this system on a SATA disk, which makes reinstalling XP very difficult. Note that the drivers themselves were not on the Dell website.

 

[BFG-9000]

Is there a default USB driver cache located somewhere in the system files? I could delete that or something.

In XP, driver files that have been installed should be in Windows\System32\Drivers and the .inf files for those in Windows\INF

The drivers that came with Windows or any service packs should be in Windows\Driver Cache\i386 so if you see sp3.cab in there it's the driver cache for SP3 so you will know that you have SP3 installed. If the latest in there is sp2.cab then only SP2 is installed.

But the problem is likely that there is no correct driver in there, so you get stuck at the dialog box to search for one from a local folder or WindowsUpdate. If there was, it would eventually install itself and fix the problem if you just left it alone for long enough.

In any case the mouse should work in Safe Mode because USB is controlled by the BIOS then rather than handed off to any driver.