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Plug and play (Theo?-centric)

Judge_B [Edit] [Delete] 31 replies 10:58, 2 October '06

Has anyone ever bought anything that is apparently plug and play, only to find that it isn't? The PC knows that there is something there as it comes up as an unknown device, but there are no drivers to be found for it anywhere, and certainly nothing on the discs that came with it.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

Bueller?

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  • look on the net

    buy a mac

    plug it in a different socket

    throw it at the wall

    what is it anyways?

    I think that's covered all bases.

    Slicky | 2 Oct '06, 11:01 | X
    • I did

      No

      I did

      Mrs Judge wouldn't be happy, it was her birthday present to me!

      A USB turntable

      I've tried all of the regular DiS approaches I think, which is why I'm at a bit of a loss...

      Judge_B @Slicky | 2 Oct '06, 11:07 | X
      • A USB Turntable? Wow, that sounds ace

        Have a search on the discs that came with it for any file ending .INF - use the Windows Search thing. The drivers might be on there but hiding.

        If you find them then you can look in the hardware list on your PC, find the turntable and look on its properties, then do 'Update Driver' and force it to look at that...

        TheoGB @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 11:13 | X
        • I've

          tried the update driver thing, no joy. I've not looked for INF files, I could try that.

          http://www.getinthemix.co.uk/index.php?SCREEN=scrListProductItem&nProdID=1095

          Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 11:16 | X
  • I once bought

    a £30 'Plug and Play' Sidewinder control pad so I could do the special moves on Fifa 98. 'Plug and Play' made it sounds so simple, it was anything but. I spent hours trying to install it to no avail. I returned it and was confined to the keyboard, and everyone knows how crap football games are on keyboards :(

    moribund | 2 Oct '06, 11:02 | X
  • Yeah, 'plug and play' is essentially a myth

    it just means that Windows does more of the work than it used to.

    I have an old USB 56K modem that I lost the drivers disk for. Despite all kinds of efforts (including opening it up to find the chip manufacturer) I can't get any drivers thta work for it and it is 'plug and play'. Except now it's just 'plug'.

    What DO the discs contain, Judge? What sort of device is it? What OS are you running on your machine and is it all patched and up to date? Is this device USB? Can you sneakily plug it into a work PC just to see if it functions any better?

    TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 11:10 | X
    • It

      is a Numark USB turntable, and the disc itself contains Audacity, which is to the turntable what iTunes is to iPod. I've run all the Windows upadtes over the weekend in an attempt to get it to work, I guess it isn't that. It is USB, and I know that that is working not only because it knows something is there but because the remote keyboard and stuff is working. I haven't tried plugging it in elsewhere, is that the next step?

      Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 11:14 | X
      • That is the next step for sure

        You're running Windows 2000/XP I presume? Some USB stuff won't function under Win 98 SE or Win ME.

        If you can plug it into another computer then do so and see what happens. What's strange is that you didn't get anything asking you for a driver? I'm sure that normally comes up if there isn't anything there.

        TheoGB @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 11:19 | X
        • If

          you troubleshoot the unknown device, it tells you that there is no driver installed, but it certainly doesn't ask for any drivers.

          I'll plug it in elsewhere, see if I get any joy. Cheers!

          Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 11:21 | X
          • Okay,

            this does seem odd. I don't know if the troubleshoot will ask about drivers. You would get that by:

            Right clicking on My Computer and selecting 'Properties'.

            Then select the 'Hardware' tab and click 'Device Manager'.

            Find the turntable device in the list of USB items and choose properites. The Driver tab lets you update the driver, and will then ask you where to search for a new driver.

            Of course, first have a look for *.INF files on the CDs and also choose internet.

            One final thing, Windows Update will only install the ultra-important stuff, but there is a block there that includes drivers for your hardware. It's unlikely your turntable's in there I'd imagine, but worth checking.

            TheoGB @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 11:55 | X
    • Plug & play

      ain't a myth on the Mac, Theo.

      crablin @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 12:53 | X
      • 'Plug and Play' is a Windows term

        though it's become more generic. But I only refer to Windows because Gates was cock enough to use it when it was bollocks and it's carried through ever since :D

        TheoGB @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:51 | X
  • Yeah

    You usually get this with gay "No brand" stuff from china off eBay.
    Try plugging it in then running windows update or "Search for drivers on the internet". Or look on the package it came in to look for a website. You could probably download drivers off there.

    Jolley | 2 Oct '06, 11:11 | X
    • Tried

      looking at the Numark website, I couldn't find anything. Nor, indeed, anywhere else on the web

      Judge_B @Jolley | 2 Oct '06, 11:22 | X
  • What are you expecting it to do?

    It's just a turntable with a USB audio out, which you can then record with by setting it as the primary input in the Audio/Sound applet in the control panel, and one of the devices you can choose will be something like "USB Audio Input Device" or "Numark Turntable Input"

    Then, use something like Cool Edit or Audacity to record the input of whatever you're playing on the turntable.

    crablin | 2 Oct '06, 12:59 | X
    • Audacity

      doesn't pick up on the turntable playing, because the PC doesn't recognise the device. The paperwork with the turntable says to change the input on Audacity to the USB Audio Input Device (or similar) but that isn't an option to change it to...

      Judge_B @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:03 | X
      • when you say there isn't an option

        does that mean you can't find the input changer, or when you get to it, it doesn't show up?

        does it show up in your device manager in control panel?

        it does implicitly state that if you're running 2000/XP, you don't need drivers.

        crablin @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 13:14 | X
        • It

          doesn't show up as an option. I can get to the Audio I/O preference in Audacity, but where apparently I should be looking for the USB device, I've only got two options though I can't remember exactly what they are off the top of my head. Device manager has it down as 'Unknown device', so it obviously sees that something is there. And this is on XP.

          I must have tried it in like 8 different USB ports. I get a pop-up telling me that there is a new device, swiftly followed by an error telling me that there are no drivers for it.

          I want to be able to listen to Chas and Dave doing the Romford Rap on my iPod :(

          Judge_B @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:22 | X
        • How can it implicitly state that?

          It should explicitly state it.

          Otherwise there still needs to be a driver or some sort somewhere in XP, even if it's a generic one.

          But yeah, if it's fuckered plugging it into another machine is the best way to tell. If it works in another machine then we can move on to what's wrong with your current PC set up; if it doesn't work in a different PC then it's faulty and should go back, I'd say...

          TheoGB @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:33 | X
          • "How can it?"

            I meant 'where does it implicity state that?'

            Hmm...

            TheoGB @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 13:36 | X
            • on the numark web site

              and various other dealer web sites.

              crablin @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 13:43 | X
              • Ah,

                It didn't seem to imply that when I read Judge's link above.

                TheoGB @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:46 | X
          • Then

            I shall try another PC tonight. If it doesn't work, expect some more PC illiterate whining tomorrow...

            Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 13:38 | X
            • If it *doesn't* work?

              Surely no more whining needed? Ring the support people and tick them off...

              TheoGB @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 13:39 | X
              • Having

                offered your help, I see both you and crablin as support on this now. Is there some sort of hotline number I can reach you both at?

                Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 13:43 | X
                • the drowned in sound office number

                  crablin @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 13:47 | X
                  • Is

                    it 24 hour?

                    Judge_B @crablin | 2 Oct '06, 13:51 | X
                    • nearly...

                      crablin @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 15:00 | X
  • Update:

    Having plugged it in to Mrs Judge's swanky laptop, that too doesn't recognise the device. Exactly the same as on the home PC, the device manager can see it but says that it is an unknown device. That said, the laptop is a work laptop. Unless anyone has any good advice, I think I'm going to take it back to the shop...

    Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 19:39 | X
    • Yeah do it I'd say.

      And if possible, take Mrs Judge's laptop with you to demonstrate that you're clearly following the manual's commands?

      Either way, if it's not getting recognised it sounds like something's wrong with the hardware not the software. Maybe they'll just point out to you that you're being an idiot and make it work immediately, but hopefully they'll be able to do it nicely.

      TheoGB @Judge_B | 2 Oct '06, 19:48 | X
      • Cheers

        Theo and crablin, I think I probably am being an idiot but at least you've been kind to an idiot today :)

        Judge_B @TheoGB | 2 Oct '06, 20:08 | X
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