Add hardware error: Cannot run two device installations
Hi everybody.
Whenever I click on the "add hardware" Icon in the Control panel of Windows XP, I get the following error message:
Cannot Run Two Device Installations:
You can install only one device at a time
Another device installation is underway, when it is finished you can try this wizard again.
I am not intentionally running another device installation, and if I am, how on earth do I cancel/quit/get rid of this mystery installation that I cannot find?
I have checked every system process in Windows task manager, and have uninstalled every Item in Device Manager that is 'unknown' or has a yellow exclamation mark or question mark next to it, and have even used system restore to roll back to a fair while ago, how can I solve this problem please?
I have already tried (extensively) googling this problem, and checking in other forums, and I cannot find an answer, I am beginning to become desperate and, having recently had to recover ALL my data from a crashed machine and fcatory reset, I do not fancy doing the same thing again.
please help, thankyou very much.
Cannot run two device installations - Error FIX
After an exhaustive search on Google and contacting Microsoft on two different occassions for support on the Add Hardware Wizard error of "Cannot run two device installations", I have fixed my Windows XP.
Solution that worked for me:
Step I. backup registry
-------------------------------------
1. Click Start->Run, type "regedit.exe" in the Open box, and click OK.
2. In Registry Editor, click File->Export.
3. Specify a name in the File Name box, making sure that "All" is selected in the Export range box, and then click Save.
***(Probably not a bad idea to create a RESTORE point in XP also just to be safe)
Step II. Delete some keys
-------------------------------------
1. Click Start->Run, type "regedit.exe" in the Open box, and click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Setup"
3. If there is any key or values named "FactoryPreInstallInProgress", please right click and delete it.
4. Repeat the above steps to delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
5. Restart the computer.
Upon restart my PC ran the Hardware Wizard and prompted me for a restart so it could rebuild the deleted registry keys. After restart it was fixed and I am now able to use the "Add Hardware Wizard".
DoubleTrouble's fix worked for me
Hi:
I don't know enough to make a contibution to this group. I joined specifically so I could post a big thank you to DoubleTrouble and to report that his suggested fix worked for me. Briefly, I had NO USB port access...neither a new PCI 4-port USB 2.0 card nor my old 1.1 ports on the motherboard. XP recognized nothing I plugged in. The hardware wizard was tied up with the message reported in this thread. Naturally, I tried all sorts of stuff, to no avail. Deleting the reg keys as DoubleTrouble suggested "woke up" the hardware wizard. It suddenly recognized "new" hardward on board...specifically my printer which had been there and was functioning all along (go figure). After it "installed" the printer, I rebooted and (tada!) the 1.1 ports were alive. I shut down and installed the PCI card and everything works. Big thanks, DoubleTrouble!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleTrouble2004
After an exhaustive search on Google and contacting Microsoft on two different occassions for support on the Add Hardware Wizard error of "Cannot run two device installations", I have fixed my Windows XP.
Solution that worked for me:
Step I. backup registry
-------------------------------------
1. Click Start->Run, type "regedit.exe" in the Open box, and click OK.
2. In Registry Editor, click File->Export.
3. Specify a name in the File Name box, making sure that "All" is selected in the Export range box, and then click Save.
***(Probably not a bad idea to create a RESTORE point in XP also just to be safe)
Step II. Delete some keys
-------------------------------------
1. Click Start->Run, type "regedit.exe" in the Open box, and click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Setup"
3. If there is any key or values named "FactoryPreInstallInProgress", please right click and delete it.
4. Repeat the above steps to delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Factory
5. Restart the computer.
Upon restart my PC ran the Hardware Wizard and prompted me for a restart so it could rebuild the deleted registry keys. After restart it was fixed and I am now able to use the "Add Hardware Wizard".