[RESOLVED] Duplicate items in Device Control Panel

[sage19]

Running Windows ME with the following setup
ASUS A7V
Duron 700
2 WD 6.4 Gig Hard Drivers - UDMA 66
256mb PC100(cas 2)
ATI Rage Fury Maxx (latest drivers)
USR Hardware Modem
AOpen Express Sound Card
LAVA Parallel Port

In the Device Control Panel shows multiples of several different items, ie ECP Printer port, Keyboard, Mouse, various motherboard drivers.
I've tried reinstalling all of my drivers, have VIA 4-1 4.24 installed, used System Restore, deleting the offenders (repeatedly), ... blah blah blah.
I know it looks like a motherboard issue simply because all of the items that are repeated seem to be related to the mobo in some way, but no other ideas here, I've tried everything I know. Short of doing a format, any ideas? I don't think the video/sound/modem, etc are conflicting because this problem just occured fairly recently, and I hadn't installed any new hardware in that time... HELP!
(sorry about the long message)

[kornesque]

tried safe mode and deleting those ghosts there? try that and tell us how it works.
-drew

------------------
I just don't understand stop signs...aren't vehicles made to, well...GO???

[sage19]

Yeah, tried it in safe mode, tried it in normal mode, went into registry, deleteing the ENUM key to have windows reinstall all of the drivers, did about 6 different system recoveries, all of them to times before the problem, but it just won't go away... Yes these are ghost and my computers haunted.. maybe I just need to call a priest...

[Darren Wilson]

Try this one.

Delete the ENUM key from the Registry in SAFE MODE.

Check in the c:\windows\inf folder for a folder called others. If that is there delete it. Also check the INF directory for any duplicated inf files of different sizes or file stamps. If there are any there delete the older ones.

Shut the system down and remove all cards that are present apart from the display.
Make sure that in the BIOS that any onboard devices that are not used are disabled like sound, etc.

Restart the system and it should be ok then.


------------------
Visit my BRAND NEW Site from the 4th November 2000.

The Carpers Lodge.net (http://www.carperslodge.net)
The Webs Number One Resource for Today's Carp Angler.

[sage19]

Okay, found and deleted the other directory, I have the A7V that has the on board audio codec but no audio connectors, so I'll reboot and check that out, and if that changes nothing I'll do the enum key tommorrow night...
Thanks, hope this works. Adding this onto IE being a pain and crashing everytime I open it and I'm having lots of fun over here...

[sage19]

Okay, I'm just screwed.
Tried to boot to safe mode, IT LOCKED UP WHEN WINDOWS STARTED LOADING?!?! IE locks up, I've got ghosts, what else can go wrong?!?
Basically it looks like its time for a mass exorcism here. Thank god for zip drives and CD burners...

maybe microsoft should rename format c: to exorcise c:?
There are no bugs in programs - lets call them gremlins.
There are no viruses - they're now demons!
And microsoft is a legion of vampires and the Count must die!
(I know, I'm losing it)

[sage19]

problem solved... just ended up reloading windows...

[pga]

Originally posted by sage19:
problem solved... just ended up reloading windows...

sometimes that's the easiest fix... it's just a matter of knowing when to stop bashing your brain http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum/wink.gif

[sage19]

I hear ya on that one...
I actually didn't have to do a format - reinstall - just tried reinstalling windows as a last ditch effort before I did that - and for the first time it actually did fix something!
Unfortunately this still leaves me with IE crashing everytime I open it - it seems that regardless of how this turned out I'm still gonna have to do a reformat to fix that...

[format c:]

Yup looks like you get to exorcise c: but do it this way type this " format c:/u "
this will wipe the drive and leave nothing there, you can stop a normal format at 99 % reboot and still have Windows looking at you
I think you have a bad Windows install, Another question, Did you upgrade to ME or do a clean install?
If you upgraded theres the problem, do a clean install with your ME cd and it will ask for proof of product, when it does this just slip your 98 cd ( Or a friends ) into the cd rom drive, once it is happy that you own Windows 98 , slip your ME cd back into the drive, that is how I use my Windows ME cd
, If you cant get rid of those demons call Sin Busters
Hope this cleans your system up

------------------
Format c:( I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[sage19]

nope did a clean install - I've experienced the 'upgrade' from 98 to ME before.

Nope these problems just popped up out of the blue...
I'm not too worried about the IE problem though - Netscapes working fine, though Net. 6.0 won't work either...
For now though it looks like my ghost have disappeared for awhile - I'm sure that they'll be back though...

[pga]

Originally posted by sage19:
I hear ya on that one...
I actually didn't have to do a format - reinstall - just tried reinstalling windows as a last ditch effort before I did that - and for the first time it actually did fix something!
Unfortunately this still leaves me with IE crashing everytime I open it - it seems that regardless of how this turned out I'm still gonna have to do a reformat to fix that...


This is because your I.E. version on the old windows was probably newer than the version that you installed when re-installing windows. Probably not a good thing to let the I.E. errors you're having go....because I.E. is fully integrated into windows... (windows explorer, desktop, etc...

If you have data on the drive and do not want to go through the trouble of backing it up... you can do a clean install this way:

drop to DOS.
rename windows to something like winold.
rename progra~1 to something like progold.
install windows.
it will try to install to winold, change this to say windows.
you're done.
you'll need to re-install any software you had, but all of the data will be there.
once you've taken your email, favorites and anything else from the winold directory and progold directory... you can delete these.

[sage19]

actually, the IE errors were there before I did the reinstall of windows... also tried reinstalling the latest version of IE, no luck. Everything BUT IE and Netscape 6.0 work...
I'm not worried about losing data or anything as I've got to HD's, a zip drive, and CDR. The part I hate is reinstalling everything under the sun and then discovering that you forgot to install something later...

[sage19]

Ya know what, the one thing that might just be a big clue to the problem is that the IE error only pops up when IE is loading a webpage... It once gave an mlang.dll error (think thats right... posted this problem previously, never resolved)

[pga]

mlang.dll is a Multi Language Support DLL, i'd do a clean install... it sounds like some of the old I.E. is screwing stuff up....

[sage19]

yeah, I'm definetly going to have to do that, been planning on doing it this weekend possibly. Tell ya how screwed up windows is right now, IE not working, and I CAN'T BOOT INTO SAFE MODE! Not to mention there's about a foot of snow outside right now and I'm having a wonderful day...

[pga]

i'm from buffalo... 1 ft of snow.... sheesh! what is that like? hehehe

[format c:]

Remember there Sage type format c:/u this will erase the data on the drive not just verify it, this will make sure your new instalation will go smooth for you, then go out and shovel snow , We only have an inch on the ground but is is cold out there brrrrrrr!!!! http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum/smile.gif

------------------
Format c:( I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[sage19]

Its not so bad now, most everything being shoveled or plowed out... but we ended up getting about 17in I think, with about 3-4 more coming tonight, on top of that its only 3F outside right now!
I just clear my other hard drive in prep for this, so I'll do that format /u on that one, and not even have to touch my current primary! Won't have to worry about messing with data at all! This way I can take my time getting everything reinstalled but still be able to use it as I setup Windows...