I've got a USB 2.0 MP3 player, but in order to get the windows drivers for USB 2.0, I'm told I have to upgrade to XP SP2. I've done this, and SP2 is horribly unstable on my machine...SP2 interprets everything as "malicious code", or something like that, and crashes the system. Like, I can't even right click a file without bringing the whole thing down.

Is there any way at all to get USB 2.0 drivers without upgrading to SP2?

I would fix my system first. It sounds something is *seriously* wrong over there.

Like Garf said, something is seriously wrong with your XP install. I'd suggest making a slipstreamed XP &SP2 installation disc and install that way. Besides, the USB2 drivers were included since SP1.

Well, it is my system, but it's nothing I can fix. This is a problem with SP2. SP2 include data execution prevention (DEP) which is supposed to stop executables loading themselves into areas of memory that are meant for data storage. However, this only works on some AMD chips (like my opterons), and unfortunately, it works piss-poorly. *Everything* that is executed gets stopped by DEP and crashes the system. So SP2 is out of the picture.

I didn't know the drivers were on SP1. I could do that, but I tried that a while back and really didn't like it at all. Is there any way to get the drivers another way? I know they were available for download before Microsoft decided to make them unavaialbe except through the service packs.

AGAIN, something is SERIOUSLY wrong with your system/installation. This is NOT normal behaviour.

Quite likely, you have something (driver/app) installed which is seriously messing things up and may prevent proper USB operation, too.

Define "crashes the system" (bluescreen ? explorer.exe process crash ?). You mentioned right-clicking a file in your first post, that sounds like a buggy shell extension installed - there have been reports of those but I don't remember details anymore.
Last time I checked DEP was possible to disable too, you don't sound like you've tried that.

I seem to recall that at release date, there was a serious problem, ie., show stopper, with SP2 and AMD64 chips. However, I rather thought this had been resolved.

I can't offer any help other than to say it looks like a reinstall unless you can succeed in uninstalling SP2 which, as stated above, wasn't necessary for USB2 drivers anyway.

Good luck!!

disable DEP to start with

but i woud l rather sugest to reinstall windows
ad sp2 into this CLEAN windows

@garf: USB was actually working fine. You're right, there might have been some conflicts, but I don't think there was anything wrong with my hardware setup. I'd rather not have to hunt down conflicts just to get the "upgrade" to work right. XP ran rock solid. As far as I'm concerned, if SP2 breaks a bunch of stuff that was fine before, and if I like normal XP, I'll stick with normal XP. I just want to figure out how to get USB 2.0 on there.

@zZzZzZz: Basically, explorer crashes, something is mentioned about DEP, and then it starts back up again. You're right- it does sound like DivX problem, but this was a totally clean system with no installed software on it yet.

Incidentally...I did some googling to find the article I read when I was messing around with all this that convinced me to revert back to normal XP. I found it here. I'd been struggling with the problem for hours and upon seeing the "Microsoft recommends uninstalling SP2 to some AMD users", I gave up on SP2 without really reading the details. Turns out that article describes a slightly different problem than the one I was having. I don't have the DVD decoder that causes that problem.

So, yeah...I could disable DEP, but as I mentioned before, I have issues with having to hack my OS "upgrade" just to get it to work when it was fine before. I didn't necessarily want SP2...I just want USB 2.0. I'll take SP2 if it doesn't give me any trouble, but I'm not going to go hunting down bugs for the privledge of having it on my system.

I know the drivers were out there somewhere at some point. Is there any place now that still has them? Do any members here still have the install files from when they were available for download?

As suggested before, it's better to install with SP2 slipstreamed.

It's the only way I install service packs on my machines.

You might try this; I haven't it tested myself, though.

Aah! So close. sTisTi, thanks for the link...but when I try to install the files that it has for XP, it looks for other files it needs which aren't in the included package.

Maybe I just need to drop the drivers in a certain folder as opposed to trying to install them properly through the device manager. Does anyone know if this is possible or how it might be done?

BTW, thank you all for the help, you have no idea how much appreciate your time. I've had the player for two months now so I'd love to get it work to full capacity.

I don't clearly see where the problem is.

USB 2.0 drivers were required on XP, before SP1.

They are not required with SP1 and thus SP2.

So your motherboard USB2 ports should be recognised as such. Do you have a yellow question mark in the Device Manager for certain USB ports ?
If it is the case you should see on your motherboard manufacturer's site.

So that could lead to think that you have a driver problem with your MP3 player, which is also strange, because if it is UMS (visible as a disk in My Computer) it doesn't need drivers since XP has them also.

Anyway, you can try a system file checker by doing, Start - Run - sfc /scannow - OK. it will need the XP CD if files are to be replaced.

It's divx that caused the behaviour when installing SP1. Search in the divx forums.

FrDakota, XP doesn't come with USB 2.0 drivers by default (link). You have to get them off Microsoft, and they're only giving them away with the service packs. Even the mobo disc didn't have them...it directed me to Microsoft's site.

There's nothing wrong with my player either. It works fine, but at the speed of 1.1.

Also, I didn't have divx installed. As I've said, It was a clean install with no other software put on.

But all this is besides the point. I don't want to figure out how to get SP1/SP2 working properly on my machine...I just want to find a USB 2.0 driver that I can install (there were standalone ones at one point that didn't come with a service pack) or I'd like to figure out a way to install the ones that sTisTi directed me to. Does anyone know anything about this?

You can disable DEP from the system control panel.

Check out this link:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;EN-US;886348

You can disable DEP completely by editing the BOOT.INI file and changing the /noexecute parameter to alwaysoff.

Cheers.

its almost the same.
the importnet thing is the the windows have no ben "poluttede" with other program

Maybe you have an old DivX version installed. Old versions were not SP2-compatible and could crash explorer. http://www.divx.com/divx/download/

im on xp sp1 and use usb2.0 with my iriver, i did nothing special to get usb working, infact nothing at all. only place i can imagine they came from was windows update, so make sure your fully upto date, but don't install sp2.

Guys/girls, I appreciate the advice on DEP, but that's not the problem I'm looking to fix. I want to get USB 2.0 working without the service packs, and therefore I won't be even be dealing with DEP. I wish I hadn't mentioned I was having trouble with SP2...everyone seems to be getting caught up in that.

dobz, yeah, if you have SP1, you'll have the drivers, so it did come from windows update. The frustrating part is that now microsoft won't let you get the drivers via windows update unless you get the entire service pack. And I'd rather not install either, so that won't work either...but thanks for the idea.

So...original question: does anyone out there have the drivers for USB 2.0 from before they became embedded in the service packs?

That's right, because service packs are pretty damn important. The problem here is that your computer is broken in some way - not the service packs, and you should fix that instead of hacking your way around it.

From the sound of it, you're running Windows XP without any service packs at all, which is silly at best, unless you're not on the Internet. I'm guessing you are, since you're posting this.

If you download the SP2 standalone version here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=en

Then you can use the /X:path command line switch to extract all the SP2 files in the folder you wish. Afterwards, you can try to overwrite your current drivers (although you might have to do that by booting in Safe Mode, because if the Windows File Protection system notices that you are trying to do something nasty, it will try to defend itself)

I don't want to be annoying, but I think that you should REALLY fix your computer instead and install SP2.

Soon, Microsoft will probably start denying you any security patches unless you install SP2.

Cheers.

I'm getting the feeling that people aren't going to be happy until I have entirely explained why I don't want the service packs. So here goes.

I have two hard disks. One is used for data storage, the other I use for OS. That way, if anything happens to my OS, my data is still okay. Furthermore, I have an image of the OS disk set up just the way I like it, so if something happens, I restore the image and I'm up and running again in half an hour flat. I could wipe my drive right now and I wouldn't care. Also, the data disc is also backed up to a remote drive nightly, and I keep this drive turned off when it is not being used.

Furthermore, I keep no sensitive information on this computer. If someone deperately wants my music collection, digital photos and programming projects that badly, they can have them. I am also behind two firewalls (router + zonealarm), I use Firefox exclusively, I run anti-virus and anti-spyware software daily, and I'm verrrry careful about what I install.

Now, trust me, I realize the value of the service packs. I know that not installing the service packs is "silly", but I just don't like them, and I have another security setupthat I personally find more better. Is it perfect? Probably not, but neither is windows, or we wouldn't need service packs.

In fact, the insecurities in windows are what prompted me to get this system set up. It is quite nice knowing that my OS could be full of holes and that it would *still* be tough for me to lose everything- because I guarantee you, even with SP2, there are still holes there. Having the "latest" security stuff from microsoft means you are the most protected you can be, but it doesn't mean you are safe. I have tried to make my security solution as OS-independent as possible.

And please understand: my computer is not "broken". It works absolutely fine, and has for months. This thing is very finely tuned. Tell me why, if I install a piece of software which constantly crashes, it would be my machine that is broken. Does the program *conflict* with my system? Sure. But it's not a matter of the software being right and my hardware being broken. Given that I don't like the piece of software (SP2, that is), I don't feel the need to go running around fixing up all its problems just for the privledge of using it. JensRex, you tell me not to try to hack around the service packs, but it's ironic: if I wanted SP2, I'd have to hack it to get it to work.

I really hope that satisifies people. I am very appreciative to everyone who has tried to help me out, even if it wasn't the problem I was setting out to solve.

Leolo, thanks for the idea. I will give that a shot for sure. And I appreciate your concern, but don't worry, I'm looked after.

Does anyone else have other ideas about the original question?

You have perfectly logical reasons for sticking with your setup (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) but I still think that you should install SP2!

Anyway, try also with these drivers, maybe they work for you:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en

Good luck.

Ha ha, yeah, I know what you mean. SP2 could only make it even more secure, you're right. I guess I just don't like idea of windows telling me more and more what I can or can't execute on my own system? I'm quite certain that my reasons are pretty idealistic and illogical when it comes down it. While I'm at it, I should just switch to linux.

Those drivers looked like just the thing...it said on the page it would work with standard XP (I thought, at least)...but when I try it, it says I need to get SP1.

I think I'm about ready to give up at this point...thank you everyone for your help. Maybe one day I'll just crack and get the packs.

If you read me right, that's exactly what I said.

But anyway if you want to use USB 2.0 without at least SP1 you're going the wrong way.

I suggest you read this page Universal Serial Bus 2.0 Support in Windows XP



Before SP1 you had to do three thing to install USB 2.0 on XP (and the patches were available on the motherboard's CDs at that time, now good luck for finding them).

1. Install QFE fix for USB 2.0. (Q312370_WXP_SP1_x86_ENU.exe in english)
2. Install INF driver. (Skipable if already installed)
3. Install USB 2.0 Driver. (If you have them)

Not worth the trouble. Just install SP1 and live with it. And make your image from it for future restores. At least SP1 doesn't have the DEP implemented if that bothers you. You can get it here.

It seems you are quite concerned with security after all. Good to see. I just want to make a few things clear.

I wasn't trying to be an asshole or an elite bastard, by being so stubborn about SP2. I was trying to recommend the optimal solution to your problem. There is a lot of FUD going on with SP2, and to be frank, I'm tired of seeing people not installing service packs, for whatever arbitrary reason they've read on Slashdot. People often argue that it's their own computer, and they are free to do what they want with it, which is true, strictly speaking. But when someones computer starts hitting my servers with Blaster, or whatever the worm of the week is, or is filling my inbox with spam, it becomes my problem too, and they are directly to blame for it, for being too lazy, ignorant or uninformed. So that is why I'm zealous about getting people to keep their systems updated, and in that regard, at least keeping up with service packs is mandatory.

If you've got your systems locked down, by other means than service packs, good for you - and good for me, and everyone else. I still think something is wrong on your end, that could be fixed, but as long as you're not relaying any spam or worms, whatever problems you get into from your lack of service packs, are entirely your own, at which point I no longer care. It's your computers, and you can do what you want with them.

(insert smileys where deemed appropriate)

I agree with you completely. There's a lot of FUD regarding SP2, fuelled even by some respectable sites like eWeek and ZDNet.

The truth is that you can turn off most of the new features in SP2 if you wish, and your computer will run as fast and trouble-free as it was with SP1 (or even faster).

As I mentioned a few posts above, DEP can be turned off completely

And the firewall, autoupdates and security center can also be turned off completely by typing these simple commands:


Note: The Computer Browser service needs to be disabled because for some strange reason Microsoft decided to make it dependent on the firewall and will not work unless you have the firewall service running.

Cheers.

I have spent several months reading about SP2.
The reputable tech sites report it as having very few issues and in limited situations.
Since I run a single dedicated firewall I have just disabled the XP firewall and Security Center ( look in services ). Security Center is like Microsoft Bob, not for experienced users.
There are several important security fixes that make it unwise in my opinion to not install the service pack.
I have two AMD XP based systems I upgraded to SP2. They are rock solid with no issues.
I have installed a couple of Slipstreamed SP2 systems. They are rock solid.