'Safely Remove' hardware thing causing problems

[EnnisDelMar]

Has anyone else got this? I think it arrived with a windows update the other day - first I couldn't use my keyboard, which sorted itself out when I did a full scan and found a couple of dodgy trojans.

So keyboard is Ok, but every start up, it 'finds' the keyboard and tries to install it again - I just cancel the windows that pop up, because when I say yes, it loops once it's done and starts installing it again. (pointless)

But now there is also a little icon at the bottom right, which says 'safely remove', and I don't know where it came from.

The trouble is, my phone no longer brings up the 'copy pictures' box when I try and upload from it, and neither does my camera or card reader, though I get the option to scan the card reader.

I can't seem to find a way round it and have had to go to my parents' house to upload pictures from the camera.

Please can anyone help me with this?

I think that your machine has got it's USB drivers in a bit of a mess. You have a USB keyboard? The remove thing is there because Windows either isn't completely sure what the keyboard is or thinks that it's something that needs to be removed.

Regarding the camera even if the copy pictures box doesn't appear your camera might still work. Plug it in and then use Windows Explorer to see if it's appeared.

Which version of Windows are you on?

A quick thing you can try is to unplug your machine from the mains, turn it on with it unplugged (which won't work) and then leave it for 10 minutes or so. If it's a laptop also take the battery out.

What we're trying to do here is to reboot the USB controller to see if that helps.

Wow - have seen you on this board before and you are a legend - often people don't say thanks either, unbelievably! So, thankyou for replying to my meagre post

Okay, am on windows XP (home) with I think service pack 3 but not entirely sure.

It's a desktop - I will try the unplugging thing, in case that works.

May I ask what Windows explorer is please? I've been trying control panel and all sorts to try and find/open the camera dialog window but can't find anything - it says in device manager that everything is fine.

Don't thank me yet....

Windows Explorer is the thing that allows you to navigate around the files on your computer.

Start/Programs/Accessories/Windows Explorer will bring it up as will "Windows Key" + E.

Connect the camera and bring it up, does the camera appear, perhaps under "My Computer"?

Let me know if the great switch off works...

Yes, camera has appeared but it only gives me an option to write some files to a CD - not view the pictures on the camera?

It's just started sonic update manager

which it can't do because I don't have a dic - or something.

What do I do now I have found the camera on 'my computer'?

disc, sorry - ds2 trying to help

Under properties it had the window saying 'copy files to folder on computer' but when I clicked on it and 'apply', it disappeared and did nothing.

What used to happen was the box appeared whenevr I plugged in the card reader. Now it just doesn't!

If the camera appears then you might very well be able to just double click on it and "explore" it as if it were any other part of your computers disk.

Not an ideal fix, maybe the big switch off will do that, but it might mean that you can at least get to your photos...

Hmm. I did the switch on thing when it was unplugged, and now I can see the camera in 'my computer' whereas before, what I was actually seeing was a disc I have in the hard drive waiting to have photos put on it - the camera wasn't appearing.

So we have progress!

I just can't find a way to see the photos - 'there's no 'explore' on the right click, just properties.

And nothing comes up when I attach the camera to the cable and switch it on - just the fact that it is 'there' iyswim!

Hmm.

The icon disappeared btw, when I had done thing switch off thing - result - but it reappeared as soon as I tried plugging in the mobile phone

I am despondent

I never asked for 'safely remove' yet google seems full of folk who are desperate for it and it's not working for them!

They can have mine

OK I think it's worth reinstalling the USB controllers.

Go to this Microsoft Page:
support.microsoft.com/kb/310575

Then follow the instructions here:
Remove and reinstall all USB controllers

It might be worth also explicitly hunting down a proper driver for your keyboard, does it have a make/model number on it somewhere?

Thankyou very much, I will go and look at that page...it's a microsoft keyboard so hopefully it's compatible.

Tbh I'm happy enough just closing the 'install keyboard' stuff as it leaves me alone once I've cancelled it.

It's the camera thing that's troublesome.

I'll see if I can reinstall the drivers and see if that works.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Okay, have tried uninstalling the devices, and rebooting, and it wanted to reinstall everything, so have done that.

I plugged in the camera and nothing happened at all!

Oh dear. The keyboard thing didn't loop though which is great news, thankyou so much.

I just don't know how to find the photos and upload them...it must be simpler than I imagine. Just wracking my brains.

Did the camera come with any software? Can you reinstall it?

I tried that yesterday, yes there is a disc - but I will try it again now.

thanks

Okay, have installed camera again using disc.

Rebooted.
Connected camera, opened all programs - run - canon utilities - camera window and it says 'camera not detected, check connection and retry'.

I've connected it with a different cable and different port, still nothing.

I'm baffled. It's there under control panel/scanners and cameras but it doesn't seem to have any options but 'properties'. ie no photos, nothing.

There is no display on the camera when it's plugged in either.

OK this is going to be annoying but....

Disconnect the camera.

Uninstall the camera software.

Do the thing to delete all the USB Controllers again.

Reboot the PC, make sure that the keyboard works.

Reinstall the camera software.

Then, and only then, reconnect the camera.

Okay, will try!