If I plug a USB device into a different USB port on my machine to the one I used when installing the software, Windows (XP Pro) asks for the bloody drivers again! :bang:

Surely once the drivers are installed they should work no matter which USB hole the device is plugged into?

Yet another thing about computers that drives me bonkers. Anyone know a way around it, i.e. to somehow force Windows to recognise a device in all USB ports?

I have noticed this.

Also if I disconnect my USB keyboard and plug in back into the same port the Keyboard will not be recognised.

I have to either restart the machine OR change USB port for it to be detected.

The problem you have described may be down to the Hardware itself and not Windows as it does not happen with all Hardware components.

My Mouse, WebCam and JoyPad all go back in nicely no matter what port I use.

My Phone however does not and all the drivers appear to be reinstalling if I use a different port then I did last time.

Trancendental said:

I have noticed this.

Also if I disconnect my USB keyboard and plug in back into the same port the Keyboard will not be recognised.

I have to either restart the machine OR change USB port for it to be detected.

Click to expand...

Do you first click on "safely remove hardware" in systray?

As for the drivers, each USB port is a piece of hardware, so thats why you need to install it again, but I addmit this is stupid and could have been done logically...

Its not the device its windows thats at fault IMO. It assigns each USB port on the USB hub has a 'USB ID' and everytime each seperate USB ID gets a device it hasn't seen before it had to reload the driver into a 'known' list for that port. Just another thing that makes windows super ghey. Linux FTW :slayer:.

Keyboard and mice tend to be different as they use 'Native' usb functions which windows again doesn't respect the standards properly.

As I said, each USB socket is a hardware on it's own, you can see that in device manager, and it's logical that each peace of hardware needs drivers first time you use it, it doesnt matter its the same thing...I know its stupid, I'm not for it, but thats the way it is....

And Linux has /dev folder but I'm not sure how it treats USBs....

I was a Linux guy for quite a while, but for home/office use its no good.

First, lets face it Windows made some standards, which are reasonable, such as point and click, drag and drop....Linux copies this interface, but in order to install an applicattion you may need additional packages...does an average PC consumer knows how to compile .c files?Off course you have YUST or other add/remove programs applicattion but you get the point...

Linux is good for specific purposes as servers or even working as a router, in other words, once you start using GUI (graphic user interface) it starts to suck

I use linux for everything except gaming due to poor driver / gaming developers support of linux. Oh and I HAVE to use windows at work you would think the military would know better :bang:.

And as for linux there is a device node file for each port in the /dev location. And the way it works if if you have a device say a Webcam it should be loaded either by a kernel module (build into kernel) or by insmod (inserted at startup). So on linux you can plug any device you have a driver for in any port and it just works .

And you dont need to compile C files.... Ive been using linux for 5 years and never had to and I don't know a thing about C programming!. Thats why RPM's were invented (src RPM's self compile and won't do so until dependancies are met). Sorry I lie when I first started researching Asterisk (a Open Source PBX) I had to compile it but it had a ready made .make script which was well written and worked every time as long as you met the dependancies first.

But I agree windows is best for muppets as it continues to baby sit users into their own sense of security.

RPMs right...I once wanted to install Cacti, for that I needed Pearl and bunch of stuff...I've downloaded RPM I needed, but it needed more references (more RPMs)... so I found the one I needed (after 15 mins of googleing and foruming) and guess what? Those 2 new RPMs needed 5 more, 2 for one 3 for other....found them....after half an hour....then message that 7 more are needed...thats when I gave up

insmod...are you saying that Linux loads all the drivers on startup? Doesnt Windows do the same? Does it or does it not, I didnt get the point why is this "loading of drivers" (which is normal) better?
Windows also has kernel, as every OS, and drivers are loaded on every OS also...

Just wanna underline this....

I was against Windows, and was hailing Linux, but in time I see no benefit of poking with OS for the most simple things...

I like to click and enjoy also, without thinking whats behind all that, and keep in mind that I'm an IT guy, but got borred of useless stuff

No it loads drivers you want it too on startup and nothing else this uses insmod unless its a kernel module. Insmod can also be called from any shell script.

And as far as dependancies you can add a RPM Source either on the internet or Use rsync to keep a local mirror which has litterally every RPM made for that OS which makes it a lot easier .

Totally get what you mean about point and click it has its luxury's .

ChrisUK said:

And as far as dependancies you can add a RPM Source either on the internet or Use rsync to keep a local mirror which has litterally every RPM made for that OS which makes it a lot easier .

Click to expand...

I preffer to click 'Next' until 'Finish'

Yes, I know this thread is ancient, but I stumbled across it and just HAD to point out a MAJOR glaring error that I just HAD to correct.

oktopod said:

First, lets face it Windows made some standards, which are reasonable, such as point and click, drag and drop....Linux copies this interface,

Click to expand...

Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG!!!!

The Xerox Alto had the first GUI and set the standards. That was back in 1973! Windows first reared its ugly head in 1985. There is nothing "new" in any version of windows ever. Everything has already been done before, and windows has not introduced ANY standards. There were far more advanced GUIs before Windows, which Windows blatantly copied from. GUIs like Gem, Workbench, etc - all of which provided far more that Windows did.

Even the latest versions of Windows are just knock-offs of things you have had in other GUIs before - transparent window borders? Had those on Linux years before in Enlightenment and other window managers. Snap to screen edges? Bah - that's old hat. "Gadgets"? Try borderless desktop apps on Amiga Workbench - or OS-X's Widgets...?

So please, don't try and claim that Windows has introduced "standards", when they are just copying everything that has gone before. Oh, and the few things that windows have tried to do "originally" (like the "start" button) can't be called a standard, as they are only in Windows. If they were "standard", they would be there as "standard" in other GUIs, which they aren't.

Yes but Microsoft took those standards and got them to the masses with a system that was easy and 'affordable' and then later became one of the most successful companies in the world. You don't do that without stepping on peoples toes .

A lot of that Xerox garbage was designed specifically for document manipulation so had no use outside the office.

Did you sign up to a Fiat car forum just to type that? lol

I get lost, somewhere -- from memory, and I came into Windows about 3.2 -- Solaris and HP_UX already had the windowing stuff (but, presumably, Mac had it too -- mind you, Atari had much of it). From KDE onwards, Windows has just stolen ideas for GUIs.

APT (and all the GUI interfaces) pretty much take care of upgrades for me in Debian. Which reminds me, I've 2 packages to upgrade.

Done. took approx 2 minutes including root password. All else by mouse clicks.