win2k sp 4 and USB card readers

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moi@here.com - 03 Oct 2006 07:52 GMT

I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
readers (e.g. microtech snapshot USB card reader) or if windows
supports all those usb readers natively now.

I went through the usual mfg software install procedure on a new
computer, but the snapshot reader didn't show up in device manager
until I manually updated the driver with the mfg's .inf file.

Prior to that though, the drive letter was in windows explorer and
I could transfer pictures from the card to the computer.

Are the manufacturer's drivers unnecessary these days ?

PS it appears microtech international is out of business these days.

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POHB - 03 Oct 2006 08:55 GMT

> I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
> load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
> readers

SP 4 included support for USB 2.0 and fixed some bugs.
However, although these gadgets normally work without problem it is
still a bit of a black art especially with older devices and what works
on one machine may not work on another.
I spent ages trying to get a USB MP3 player to work on my home XP box
without success, despite working fine for all sorts of other USB disks
and card readers. Then I tried it in a laptop with the same level of
software and it just worked.
Here's a couple of links that may be useful:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/242062/
http://www.usbman.com/Win2000.htm

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Steve Wolfe - 03 Oct 2006 09:10 GMT

> I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
> load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Are the manufacturer's drivers unnecessary these days ?

It all depends on how the manufacturer decides to do things. USB support
has been present since Windows 98 OSR2, that's not a problem. The problem
is that while manufacturers are free to design their card readers to present
themselves as a standard USB mass storage device, some still decide not to -
and if it doesn't present itself as a standard device, then a driver from
the manufacturer is required.

"Back in the day", manufacturers were more likely to do odd things like
that, but I don't think I've bought a card reader in a few years that has
*not* presented itself as a standard device (and hence, not needed a
driver.)

steve

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AZ Nomad - 03 Oct 2006 14:48 GMT

>> I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
>> load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>>
>> Are the manufacturer's drivers unnecessary these days ?

> It all depends on how the manufacturer decides to do things. USB support
>has been present since Windows 98 OSR2, that's not a problem. The problem
>is that while manufacturers are free to design their card readers to present
>themselves as a standard USB mass storage device, some still decide not to -
>and if it doesn't present itself as a standard device, then a driver from
>the manufacturer is required.

W2K isn't based on win9x. It is based on NT which always had a severe
lack of drivers. For win2K, you'll may need to load the manuf's drivers.

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Steve Wolfe - 03 Oct 2006 18:58 GMT

> W2K isn't based on win9x. It is based on NT which always had a severe
> lack of drivers. For win2K, you'll may need to load the manuf's drivers.

I've used Win2K since it came out, and as long as the card reader was
designed to act as a standard mass storage device, I've never had to load a
driver. The worst that ever happened was it brought up the "new hardware"
wizard, and I just continued through it, and it found and used usb.inf from
the Windows installation.

steve

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AZ Nomad - 03 Oct 2006 20:36 GMT

>> W2K isn't based on win9x. It is based on NT which always had a severe
>> lack of drivers. For win2K, you'll may need to load the manuf's drivers.

> I've used Win2K since it came out, and as long as the card reader was
>designed to act as a standard mass storage device, I've never had to load a
>driver. The worst that ever happened was it brought up the "new hardware"
>wizard, and I just continued through it, and it found and used usb.inf from
>the Windows installation.

I was just dispelling the idea that if win98 had drivers for something then
that has the slightest bearing on what win2k had.

That's like somebody asking if a particular ford mustang had 4 valves per cylinder
and then somebody mentioning that the corvette did.

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Steve Wolfe - 04 Oct 2006 00:24 GMT

> I was just dispelling the idea that if win98 had drivers for something
> then
> that has the slightest bearing on what win2k had.

Either way, you were wrong.

> That's like somebody asking if a particular ford mustang had 4 valves per
> cylinder
> and then somebody mentioning that the corvette did.

Your analogy is wrong, too, but that's not important enough for me to want
to argue about.

steve

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Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!) - 03 Oct 2006 10:16 GMT

>I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
>load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Are the manufacturer's drivers unnecessary these days ?

I've got an IOGear multicard reader/usb2 hub on an older w2ksp4 at home.
When the machine boots it always detects new hw and goes through the driver
routine, but I choose cancel 6 times. Worked fine as a CF or SD reader and
hub in my use. xpsp2 machine at work nor the xp64 machine at home require
no drivers for the same device.

Signature

Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html

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moi@here.com - 03 Oct 2006 15:29 GMT

>I've got win2k service pak 4 and I'm wondering if you still need to
>load those old mfg driver files from 2001 for old smartmedia card
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
>PS it appears microtech international is out of business these days.

Ok. Bottom line, it needs a win2k driver. I plugged it into
another computer and it brought up the Windows' it needs a driver
let's find it wizard.

What I did wrong the first time was I didn't plug the reader in
while windows was running. I uninstalled everything and did the hot
plug after the driver software was re-installed and everything
installed correctly in device manager etc.

Turns out though that the driver: EUSBMSD.SYS from SCM Microsystems
Inc has a history of problems. The FAQ at SCM Microsystems Inc
website (they bought out Microtech Int.) says the product is
discontinued and no longer supported. I suppose that means they
never got a working driver without problems or they'd have it for
download. FYI I had the Win2k 2.13.30.1 driver (~7/4/2001), but
googled comments say there was a 2.14 at least.

PS There's NO (NADA) WinXP driver either.

I'm ditching this reader and it's abandoned drivers. Turns out
there are better multi-card readers on the market that don't need
ANY drivers from $6 to $30.

Looks like the sandisk imagemate is expensive but well built and
reads just about everything.

Any issues with the newer large capacity cards that I should wait
awhile before purchasing a reader ?

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