hotswapping usb

Ah - thanks for clarifying that!... makes sense now
Not too sure about those two INF files of yours - they don't exist on my ME
systems here (neither fully updated nor 'virgin')
perhaps you could email them to me? - my email here is valid.

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"cut this out" ""lionelcarter\"@(cut this out)lineone.net" wrote in
message ...
INF files

We are a bit at cross-purposes here.
I have 587 files in my INF folder. None are 0 byte.
I looked for oem*.inf files and found:
OEMCPL.INF 08/06/2000
OEM0.INF 24/08/2001
oem1.inf 23/10/2003
oem2.inf 05/02/2003
oem3.inf 04/03/2005
oem4.inf 04/03/2005

These all predate the problem by at least a year

There are only two files for 2006 (excluding AVG updates) in the INF
folder. They are around the time of the problem arising.
They are stmanim.inf and mswmp.inf both dated 30/03/2006 and having the
same time.
They seem to be related to MS Media Player. I've not knowingly altered my
MS Media Player. It still works OK.
I can only think it decided to link to the Internet of its own accord to
update itself or find a codec etc.

System Resto
I'm pleased to read that you now have this working. Well done.

INF Files:
This was just a WAG and yes, unlike Noel, I did understand your previous
post to mean that you had only 4 oem files rather than only 4 files in the
inf folder.

USB problem:
Using CtrlAltDel I get 'Msgsrv32 not responding'.
This message confirms that your problem is a driver problem of some sort
as msgsrv32 is hanging because it is waiting for a response that isn't
coming.

I'm not certain whether this is a usb2 problem and that you are using
third party drivers in which case I would recommend reinstalling those
drivers. Alternatively there is no real harm in trying the following
(which you may have already done).
With no usb devices attached,
Boot to Safe Mode,
Open the Device Manager and delete all entries in the USB tree together
with any USB devices that appear in other trees such as Disk Drives.
Reboot back into Normal Mode and let Win Me redetect your usb controllers
and reinstall the drivers.
Try connecting a usb device.
--
Mike Maltby



cut this out" ""lionelcarter\"@(cut this out)lineone.net
""lionelcarter\"@(cut this out)lineone.net" wrote:

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your help. I've tried to be a bit more explicit below, but
don't want to write a book!
I would be grateful for any further suggestions.
I feel reinstalling ME would be a 'cop out' as I would still not know
what went wrong.


System Restore

I faithfully followed your instructions Mike and it worked OK.
There was one hairy moment when Spybot popped up and said it detected
a change, should I accept or refuse.
But it bombed on while I was reading it so I had not responded.
Also I found 4000mb had been allocated to restore! I've brought it
down to 637mb.
So thanks; my system restore is now operative.

INF files

We are a bit at cross-purposes here.
I have 587 files in my INF folder. None are 0 byte.
I looked for oem*.inf files and found:
OEMCPL.INF 08/06/2000
OEM0.INF 24/08/2001
oem1.inf 23/10/2003
oem2.inf 05/02/2003
oem3.inf 04/03/2005
oem4.inf 04/03/2005

These all predate the problem by at least a year

There are only two files for 2006 (excluding AVG updates) in the INF
folder. They are around the time of the problem arising.
They are stmanim.inf and mswmp.inf both dated 30/03/2006 and having
the same time.
They seem to be related to MS Media Player. I've not knowingly altered
my MS Media Player. It still works OK.
I can only think it decided to link to the Internet of its own accord
to update itself or find a codec etc.

A bit more on the symptons:
If I plug in, say, my external USB hard drive 'hot' and then try to
access any folder/shortcut I get a constant hourglass.
Using CtrlAltDel I get 'Msgsrv32 not responding'.
If I have external drive connected up before I power up the pc then it
is recognised and I have the disconnect icon. If I disconnect the
external hard drive everything still carries on OK. I can access
folders etc as normal.
Similarly if I have two external USB devices connected before power up
then they are both recognised and work

Belarc Advisor
Works fine and recognises everything, including external hard drive
and USB ports. No problems reported and all 18 MS hot fixes ticked as
OK.

Noel Paton wrote:

Ah - thanks for clarifying that!... makes sense now
Not too sure about those two INF files of yours - they don't exist on
my ME systems here (neither fully updated nor 'virgin')
perhaps you could email them to me? - my email here is valid.

Noel,

Unless you have identical hardware installed in the same order as the
poster you are not going to have the same oem*.inf files.
--
Mike

I appreciate that, Mike - I was referring to the STMANIM.INF and MSWMP.INF
files

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Noel Paton wrote:

Ah - thanks for clarifying that!... makes sense now
Not too sure about those two INF files of yours - they don't exist on
my ME systems here (neither fully updated nor 'virgin')
perhaps you could email them to me? - my email here is valid.

Noel,

Unless you have identical hardware installed in the same order as the
poster you are not going to have the same oem*.inf files.
--
Mike

Noel Paton wrote:

I appreciate that, Mike - I was referring to the STMANIM.INF and
MSWMP.INF files

MSWMP.INF is, or was, used by Microsoft for the installation of WMP7.1 and
WMP9.

As for STMANIM.INF, I haven't a clue, but think it is possibly a typo for
STRMANIM.INF which is also part of a WMP install.
--
Mike Maltby

I've just had a look at the files that 'cit this out' sent, Mike, and can
confirm that the file was in fact strmanim.inf - "Microsoft Streaming
Animation" - and mswmp.inf "Windows Media Player 5.2"!!! - so perhaps we
have a corrupted install of WMP??

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Noel Paton wrote:

I appreciate that, Mike - I was referring to the STMANIM.INF and
MSWMP.INF files

MSWMP.INF is, or was, used by Microsoft for the installation of WMP7.1 and
WMP9.

As for STMANIM.INF, I haven't a clue, but think it is possibly a typo for
STRMANIM.INF which is also part of a WMP install.
--
Mike Maltby

Duh?
only 4 INF files??
If that's true then you have some severe problems!!
Check Mike's instructions about enabling viewing of Hidden and System Files
again, and make sure that you are looking in the right place!!
There should be hundreds of files in the WINDOWS\INF folder - mostly file
sizes of 1KB

Noel

"cut this out" " wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice but to no avail, unfortunately.

There are no 0 byte oem files in INF folder, Just 4, 5 to 7 bytes long.
My smgr.dll version is 4.90.0.3003. So far I've never had to use safe mode
or the ME cab disk, or System Restore. The pc has behaved itself very well
(bought in 2006).

I did mean system restore. Unfortunately this happened about 2 weeks back
and I've had to carry on using pc so scanreg won't go back that far.

My simplistic mind was thinking if I could identify the 4 or 5 system
files that relate to usb usage I could recopy them. For example, the one
that detects and throws up the disconnect icon when you plug a usb device
in

Thanks for pointing out Belarc Advisor. I must admit I've don't update all
MS patches for ME on the basis of if it's not broke don't fix it. As I
said usb and everything else was working fine. I feel one of the instal
programs walked all over existing settings/files.

Oh B£gg$r!

Vista strikes again!

Noel

"Mart" wrote in message
...
Hey Noel - You're 24 hours fast g Who scored the goal?

Mart


"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
Duh?
only 4 INF files??
If that's true then you have some severe problems!!
Check Mike's instructions about enabling viewing of Hidden and System
Files again, and make sure that you are looking in the right place!!
There should be hundreds of files in the WINDOWS\INF folder - mostly
file sizes of 1KB

Noel

"cut this out" " wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice but to no avail, unfortunately.

There are no 0 byte oem files in INF folder, Just 4, 5 to 7 bytes long.
My smgr.dll version is 4.90.0.3003. So far I've never had to use safe
mode or the ME cab disk, or System Restore. The pc has behaved itself
very well (bought in 2006).

I did mean system restore. Unfortunately this happened about 2 weeks
back and I've had to carry on using pc so scanreg won't go back that
far.

My simplistic mind was thinking if I could identify the 4 or 5 system
files that relate to usb usage I could recopy them. For example, the one
that detects and throws up the disconnect icon when you plug a usb
device in

Thanks for pointing out Belarc Advisor. I must admit I've don't update
all MS patches for ME on the basis of if it's not broke don't fix it. As
I said usb and everything else was working fine. I feel one of the
instal programs walked all over existing settings/files.

Noel Paton wrote:
I've just had a look at the files that 'cit this out' sent, Mike, and can
confirm that the file was in fact strmanim.inf - "Microsoft Streaming
Animation" - and mswmp.inf "Windows Media Player 5.2"!!! - so perhaps we
have a corrupted install of WMP??

I've just run WMP and it says it is v9.00.00.3250.
I don't have any problems with it - but then I don't use it much and
have never gone on-line to get music or titles etc. It sometimes goes
on-line itself if I happen to be on-line for emails and have it running
in the background. What it is doing I don't know.

I am looking out the discs that came with my USB devices ready to try
Mike's driver re-install procedure.

I'm currently charging up my video corder to check if the firewire port
is still working OK.

Will report back probably tomorrow. Thanks again for all the help.