Free PC Support

[ex sanguination]

Hi, I've recently resorted to using my old laptop as the mother board on the modern laptop collapsed. This laptop has unfortunately windows 98.

I downloaded the generic usb flash driver for windows 98 SE that you have here. However it hasn't appeared to work. I can't see in the device manager that it is even installed.

I have an integral 512 pen which the manufacturers no longer offer dowloadable drivers for.

I have only one usb port and work a USRobotics wireless adapter through there.
Could it be that this device's driver conflicts with the new one.

When following your instructions on downloading the generic driver I couldn't see in device manager any usb flash drivers. There is alot of other stuff though that I just don't understand.

Could someone please help as I'm currently stuck with this antique laptop until I can afford a new one and I need it for thesis work

[SoftStag]

What happens when you plug in the USB drive? Do you get the drive showing in My Computer, or does it appear in Device Manager at all?
_________________
"Microsoft programs are generally bug-free. If you visit the Microsoft hotline, you'll literally have to wait weeks if not months until someone calls in with a bug in one of our programs. 99.99% of calls turn out to be user mistakes. I know not a single less irrelevant reason for an update than bugfixes. The reasons for updates are to present more new features."
-- Bill Gates, on code stability, from Focus Magazine

[ex sanguination]

Hey, thanks for getting me to check that. [by the way I'm late in replying as I don't log on much because this laptop is so irritating.] Anyway I checked what you asked. The device didn't show up in my computer but did in device manager. Now in device manager I noticed that device manager had symbol showing device wasn't working. I double clicked on it, it told me the problem. I got windows to search for a driver and hey presto, what do you know it works. Excellent. Now if only the damn keyboard worked properly.

Keyboard by the way, the problem is buttons one to four and seven to zero do not work either in shift mode or normal. Do I need a new keyboard or can I reposition the keys to the F buttons on top. Will not buy a new keyboard for this lump of junk, though. Perhaps it just needs cleaning?? Any ideas

[SoftStag]

I'm pleased you got your USB drive working

With regard to the keyboard, I would suspect that the keyboard itself needs replacing. This is often not very easy on a laptop and you have to get one made for that model. The easiest option is to buy a USB Keyboard and use that, although it does somewhat defeat the object of the laptop being portable.

Before you go buying a new keyboard though, just check the Fn isn't stuck down (tap it a few times quite hard). This button makes some keys do special functions on most laptops.
_________________
"Microsoft programs are generally bug-free. If you visit the Microsoft hotline, you'll literally have to wait weeks if not months until someone calls in with a bug in one of our programs. 99.99% of calls turn out to be user mistakes. I know not a single less irrelevant reason for an update than bugfixes. The reasons for updates are to present more new features."
-- Bill Gates, on code stability, from Focus Magazine

[ex sanguination]

thanks once again, I might just purchase that