Re: hardware detection and the registry (complicated)
- From: "Kerry Brown" <kerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx*a*m>
- Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 07:50:29 -0700
"John Shaw" <anon> wrote in message
news:uStyJm$aFHA.2996@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hmm, maybe instead of mentioning that helpful posts are appriciated, I
> should clarify right now, and make a plea to not get reprimanded by a
> troll with nothing useful to add... No offense, but this is exactly why I
> haven't really used newsgroups since before the millennium; it's amazing
> how the simple problems get help, (though mostly no one bothers to
> actually *read* the OP's simple problem and usually post garbage the OP
> can't use, but I digress, that's another subject and not related to my
> situation;) but when something gets a little complex and someone doesn't
> know the answer they get ill and don't want to help you, or question why
> you are even seeking an answer - this I observed several times already in
> reading through other posts this newsgroup tonight. As for
> professionalism, that's something that I didn't ask for an opinion on,
> (though you've show me that you wouldn't be the one to teach it if I ever
> did ask...)
>
> Perhaps then my question should be simply "Where online can I find some
> knowledgable people, who are good natured and willing to share that
> knowledge, in order to help me learn something to fix a problem?"
>
> With regards to another's pursuit of knowledge, I *thought* you'd be a
> helpful one, considering I recognize your "tweak" site. Honestly I'm
> surprised. But yeah, I'm proud that I *try* harder than scam artists and
> the "Geek Squad" at Best Buy (or whoever) to find solutions for people,
> and during my personal time no less, because I'm intrigued by the
> situation.. and that pride is nothing I need to "get over."
>
Please don't take this as a flame. It is advice that you can take or leave
as you see fit. Free advice is often worth what you paid for it.
While the pursuit of knowledge is a worthwhile pursuit you are not treating
your customer in a professional manner. If this application is crucial to
their business allowing them to continue in such a non-standard situation is
not in their best interests. Even if you get the problem fixed by your
method of a registry hack what happens when the computer eventually has a
problem that requires more work or even a new computer? Who but you will be
able to help them? A professional always allows a customer to discontinue
their services if they so desire. That said I have one customer in a similar
situation (not floppy related) but I made sure they understood the folly of
continuing with a non-standard setup and gave them a quote to do it properly
before agreeing to maintain the existing setup. Over the course of time they
have spent more than my original quote, have told me they now appreciate
what I was trying to tell them, and are planning on the necessary upgrades.
I have a satisfied customer who has recommended me to many more clients. I
have heard from other clients that they are also dissing the company that
set up the original non-standard setup.
As for your problem. If possible I would take the computer to my shop for
troubleshooting. It will be a time consuming process involving dismantling
the computer so it is best done off site. Physically remove all hardware
except that needed to boot up. See if the problem still exists. If it does
try to figure what is installed that is acting like a floppy controller and
disable it. If the problem went away add things back in one at a time until
you find the offending hardware. If you still get no joy then you have to
explain to them that their insistence on putting limits on what you do is
causing the problem so they'll have to live with it. If you do find your
desired solution of a registry hack it will cause you more problems in the
future. At some point they will install some new hardware (printer, USB
device, etc.) and then complain when they have to call you in to install it.
To sum up I think your best solution is to explain to them that they can pay
now for a proper solution or keep paying for the forseeable future to keep a
non-standard system running and they will be locked into your services or
they will have to pay someone else to learn the system if you are not
available. That leaves the ball in their court, you look more professional,
and hopefully they will not blame you for future problems.
Kerry
> "Kelly" <kelly@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:%232QphM$aFHA.2688@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> 1. Get over it, pride and all. This is the nature of the beast.
>> 2. Isn't wise to any extent of professionalism.
>> 3. That is not the solution.
>>
>> --
>>
>> All the Best,
>> Kelly (MS-MVP)
>>
>> Troubleshooting Windows XP
>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com
>>
>>
>>
>> "John Shaw" <anon> wrote in message
>> news:uQ3C1P9aFHA.1404@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Need one small problem solved (pick one, any one) and would appriciate
>>> any *helpful* replies. Mostly I've solved my own problem (or rather
>>> found an acceptable workaround) except for the cosmetics of the
>>> situation. Here are my issues:
>>>
>>> * I need Windows XP Pro to quit asking me to reboot after automatically
>>> detecting and installing new devices. Some devices windows will not ask
>>> you to reboot, others it does --- what is the difference, and how can I
>>> modify (assuming using the registry) it to NOT prompt me to reboot after
>>> installing a device that it usually DOES give the reboot prompt.
>>> Example: Windows doesn't prompt to reboot after installing a floppy disk
>>> drive, but it does prompt you after installing a floppy disk controller.
>>> Specifically, I need it to NOT ask when installing a new floppy disk
>>> controller.
>>>
>>> - or -
>>>
>>> * I need to completely disable windows from detecting new devices in a
>>> specific category (not altogether!) -- in this case, as an alternate to
>>> the previous question, I need windows to NOT detect new floppy disk
>>> controllers! If I could restrict that, or even restrict the installation
>>> of a single Hardware ID / Device Instance ID (of that floppy controller)
>>> that would be absolutely ideal.
>>>
>>> Why you might ask? Well rather than getting flamed for why, here's a
>>> description of the problem and my workaround. An older system running
>>> Windows XP Pro was installed with the standard pc HAL, and going to ACPI
>>> is not an option (though the bios is supposedly ACPI compliant...) The
>>> BIOS was updated and there are no chipset drivers/patches for this
>>> particular ALi garbage. The client's reasons for the standard pc HAL
>>> are none of my concern, and XP cannot be reinstalled on the system, also
>>> not my concern. Something to do with some custom software. Regardless,
>>> the system works great, except the floppy drive. There are two Floppy
>>> Disk Controllers detected in device manager. With both detected, the
>>> machine will not detect the Floppy Disk Drive itself. Both FDC's fight
>>> for the same resources, which cannot be manually assigned - disabling
>>> one (either one) does no good, as the other still complains the
>>> resources aren't available. By uninstalling either (or both) of the
>>> problem FDC's, a rescan for new hardware finds nothing new. I've been
>>> through numerous troubleshooting and registry crawling in ENUM, checked
>>> for phantom devices (i.e. SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1) and done
>>> many other things, all to no avail. The simple workaround is to
>>> uninstall one ghost controller (either one) and almost immediately the
>>> Floppy Disk Drive is detected and shows up in My Computer. Sweet. So I
>>> through a script in the %allusersprofile% Startup folder that runs "
>>> DEVCON REMOVE @ROOT\*PNP0700\PNPBIOS_12 " to rip out one of the FDC's at
>>> every reboot, allowing windows to detect the actual FDD which happens in
>>> the background with no "new hardware/reboot" prompts - works like a
>>> charm 4/5 reboots on average. The timing is perfect on this system that
>>> the script runs AFTER the hardware detection and BEFORE the reboot
>>> prompt has a chance to rear it's ugly head. Sometimes though, the
>>> timing with windows' hardware detection on startup is off, so the script
>>> could execute WAY after the device is detected, leaving the client with
>>> a reboot prompt for the new hardware (confusing the client, since he
>>> didn't add new hardware, and the floppy disk is in fact working.) I
>>> added the script to the HKLM run key instead of using the startup
>>> folder, thinking it would execute sooner, and it does(!) but in this
>>> case, 100% of the time it is run before the hardware detection on
>>> startup, making it pointless, and the user is left with the reboot
>>> prompt AND the FDC screwed up. Right now, there are multiple users of
>>> the system, and getting it through each one of their heads to NOT
>>> restart the computer, because it *MIGHT* ask you to every 4 or 5 times
>>> you start it up, isn't an option... wouldn't be very professional
>>> either. So that's the story. Back to helping me solve either of the
>>> two bulleted problems, I would appriciate any help.
>>>
>>> Thx again!
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
.
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