PRS-950 Connecting via USB

[Purl5]

igorsk: thanks. Love a clear set of steps to follow. What I got was 3 items: My primary C: drive, my external Maxtor drive E: and then a 3rd line labeled "System reserve". This was only 70 MB and when I select it, the description reads Healthy (Boot, Page file, Crash dump, Primary Partition). I don't see anything of the appropriate size or label in the list. I do appreciate the things to try...

My laptop immediately recognized my reader & downloaded a few drivers. I'm wondering if there is a way to view those? When I google for drivers on this I only get the latest version of the software and that doesn't do anything. Because the Vista laptop spent that time (& succeeded), it makes me think that the Windows 7 just didn't find the right driver (it did spend a good bit of time looking ... that I eventually stopped).

[igorsk]

Normally there should be no need for any drivers, the Reader uses the standard USB Mass Storage interface, the one used by all the USB flash drives.

Let's try something else.
1. Connect the Reader to the PC.
2. Open Device Manager.
3. In the menu, choose View-Devices by Connection
4. Expand the PC node, then something like "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System", then "PCI Bus", then anything you can find with "USB" in name.
5. If the Reader was recognized properly, you should have something like this:

[jackinca]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I've never been able to get my 950 to connect with my Wondows 7 64-bit desktop. My 350 connects fine. The 950 will connect to my Windows XP netbook though. All I got from Sony CS was disrespect after they found out I bought it at Best Buy. Sony CS can bleep themselves as far as I'm concerned. They are the most worthless CS I've ever dealt with except for AT&T of course.

I have a HP 64 bit Windows 7 laptop and a 950. They connect without any problems.

Originally Posted by igorsk

I think you might have a drive letter conflict. Try this.

0. Connect the Reader to PC
1. Press Win+R
2. Type diskmgmt.msc, Enter
3. Check the drive list below. Look for "Removable" of around 1.50GB. It should be labeled READER.
4. Right-click it and choose "Change drive letter".
5. Click Change (or Add, if there are none) and choose a free letter.

Hope this helps.

This is what I get with various devices connected. As you can see the 350 and Kindle show up as connected and they both function properly. The iPod touch does not show up but it functions properly. I think Apple purposely hides the iPods. The 950 does not show nor does it connect at all.

------------------------------------------------------------------
No Reader or iPod Connected

DISK#  TYPE          NAME/DESIGNATOR
Disk 0 Basic         Win7 (C:), HP (D:), FACTORY IMAGE (F:) Online
Disk 1 Basic         Backup Drive (E:) Online
Disk 2 Removable     (L:) No Media
Disk 3 Removable     (I:) No Media
Disk 4 Removable     (J:) No Media
Disk 5 Removable     (K:) No Media
Disk 6 Removable     (M:) No Media

CD-ROM 0 DVD         (G:) No Media


------------------------------------------------------------------
PRS-350 Connected

DISK#  TYPE          NAME/DESIGNATOR
Disk 0 Basic         Win7 (C:), HP (D:), FACTORY IMAGE (F:) Online
Disk 1 Basic         Backup Drive (E:) online
Disk 2 Removable     (L:) No Media
Disk 3 Removable     (I:) No Media
Disk 4 Removable     (J:) No Media
Disk 5 Removable     (K:) No Media
Disk 6 Removable     (M:) No Media
Disk 7 Removable     READER (H:) Online
Disk 8 Removable     SETTING (N:) Read Only

CD-ROM 0 DVD         (G:) No Media


------------------------------------------------------------------
PRS-950 Connected

DISK#  TYPE          NAME/DESIGNATOR
Disk 0 Basic         Win7 (C:), HP (D:), FACTORY IMAGE (F:) Online
Disk 1 Basic         Backup Drive (E:) Online
Disk 2 Removable     (L:) No Media
Disk 3 Removable     (I:) No Media
Disk 4 Removable     (J:) No Media
Disk 5 Removable     (K:) No Media
Disk 6 Removable     (M:) No Media

CD-ROM 0 DVD         (G:) No Media


------------------------------------------------------------------
Kindle WiFi Connected

DISK#  TYPE          NAME/DESIGNATOR
Disk 0 Basic         Win7 (C:), HP (D:), FACTORY IMAGE (F:) Online
Disk 1 Basic         Backup Drive (E:) Online
Disk 2 Removable     (L:) No Media
Disk 3 Removable     (I:) No Media
Disk 4 Removable     (J:) No Media
Disk 5 Removable     (K:) No Media
Disk 6 Removable     (M:) No Media
Disk 7 Removable     Kindle (H:)

CD-ROM 0 DVD         No Media (G:)


------------------------------------------------------------------
iPod touch 4G Connected

DISK#  TYPE          NAME/DESIGNATOR
Disk 0 Basic         Win7 (C:), HP (D:), FACTORY IMAGE (F:) Online
Disk 1 Basic         Backup Drive (E:) Online
Disk 2 Removable     (L:) No Media
Disk 3 Removable     (I:) No Media
Disk 4 Removable     (J:) No Media
Disk 5 Removable     (K:) No Media
Disk 6 Removable     (M:) No Media

CD-ROM 0 DVD         (G:) No Media

Originally Posted by igorsk

Normally there should be no need for any drivers, the Reader uses the standard USB Mass Storage interface, the one used by all the USB flash drives.

Let's try something else.
1. Connect the Reader to the PC.
2. Open Device Manager.
3. In the menu, choose View-Devices by Connection
4. Expand the PC node, then something like "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System", then "PCI Bus", then anything you can find with "USB" in name.
5. If the Reader was recognized properly, you should have something like this:

In the Windows 7 Device Manager the 350 shows up under Disk Drives, not USB Controllers. See my attached image. I get the following items:

Sony PRS-350 Launcher USB Device
Sony PRS-350 USB Device

Since the 350 does not have an SD card slot or a MS card slot, the related items will not show up as they should for the 650 and 950. I cannot believe that the same driver will be used for the 350 and 950, as was stated by Sony CS, as the 350 does not have the two card slots.

Originally Posted by jackinca

I have a HP 64 bit Windows 7 laptop and a 950. They connect without any problems.

I'm always confused as to why people think it helps to mention that something works on their particular computer. It only proves that no two computers have the same exact set up.

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by jswinden

In the Windows 7 Device Manager the 350 shows up under Disk Drives, not USB Controllers. See my attached image.

You missed step 3

Originally Posted by igorsk

You missed step 3

Does not make a difference--still does not show up. If it cannot connect it is not going to show up at all. The fact that the driver installation failed and that I cannot get it to re-install a driver suggests to me it never will connect unless I can get the proper driver to install.

As far as the driver installation went, it failed completely the first time I connected. No other readers or iPods or any devices were connected at the time. I kept trying and once it successfully installed one driver but showed two failed to install. I should have written down the error messages, but didn't. It showed a box with one green checkmark and two red "X" marks. I tried uninstalling the 350 drivers, but the 950 still would not install any drivers, although the 350 did when I connected it afterwards.

I don't think the fact that it has a 3G and a WiFi radio matters, but it might. However, my 900 never had a problem connecting to this computer. I did notice that before I installed it on the netbook, it was already authorized in the Sony Reader Library store. I bought the 950 at BB so no way Sony could have pre-authorized it. The 950 must have authorized itself via WiFi as the 3G never connected. We have crappy AT&T service in my area. I wonder if that caused a problem?

[igorsk]

I meant that by omitting step 3 you got a different device tree, that's why you had the 350 under "Disk Drives".
As for the 950, have you tried formatting internal memory (from the device) or hard reset?

[Isurus]

I think the 950 may be more sensitive than the 900 to variations in USB ports (power? voltage?). My new 950 would not connect on the USB ports (driver installation failure) on one side of my laptop (Win7x64) where I have connected - and still can connect - my 900 without problems. However, it connected flawlessly to a USB port on the other side of the same laptop.

[Harmon]

I've read through the thread.

For whatever reason, your computer & this device are incompatible. Time for a divorce.

I suggest that you take the device back to Best Buy, complain that it won't work with your computer, & get them to give you a replacement. Maybe the new one will play better with your computer.

Either that, or upgrade your computer to Macintosh! (But be aware that Sony treats Mac's like it owes Mac money and doesn't have the cash to repay. So the Mac versions of Library are upgraded last, after the Russian hackers' needs are taken care of...)