partial connect install now calibre not working

[mahler]

I've searched the forum and can't find a solution to this problem. Heres what I've done so far, its a long list:

A while back I uninstalled Calibre and installed the Sony software (partially), while it was installing the PC crashed (XP-SP1) (due to something else).

I uninstalled the Sony software, using windows add/remove programs, then deleted the folders, searched for drivers and deleted them, etc.

Today I connected my PRS500 directly into a USB port (not a hub) and windows tried to install the Sony driver, which didn't exist.

I forgot to mention something, when windows looked for the driver and there was none, I renamed the calibre driver to match the name of the sony driver, then installed it.
It worked for one session and then stopped when I reconnected the reader

After that I cleaned the fake sony driver from the system and ...

I went into the device manager and it had a yellow icon on the device. I uninstalled the driver.

• Then installed Calibre, once with the reader plugged in, then another time with it disconnected, calibre wouldn't see the reader. (restarts in-between)
• Uninstalled Calibre
• reinstalled then uninstalled Sony connect (without reader connected)
• soft reset
• installed calibre once without the device connected (restarted), once with it connected

Zone Alarm not running during all this and no other devices connected

Everytime I restart the computer the Sony driver installs and I can't see the reader in calibre
can someone help me out here?

[itimpi]

After you have uninstalled the Sony driver, have you explicitly installed the calibre driver (rather than letting Windows select the driver) from C:\Program Files\calibre\driver?

[mahler]

Originally Posted by itimpi

After you have uninstalled the Sony driver, have you explicitly installed the calibre driver (rather than letting Windows select the driver) from C:\Program Files\calibre\driver?

Yes, and still nothing

I also ran a full spyware/virus scan on the computer too. Also after the second sony install/reinstall I never repeated the 'search and delete drivers', it didn't matter in the past though.

[kovidgoyal]

In the calibre installtion folder under drivers locate the file prs500.inf, right click on it and select install

[mahler]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

In the calibre installtion folder under drivers locate the file prs500.inf, right click on it and select install

done - still nothing

add more info the first post

[kovidgoyal]

go into your driver manager, delete the sony drivers and then install the calibre driver as i said before

[mahler]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

go into your driver manager, delete the sony drivers and then install the calibre driver as i said before

First off let me say I love this program. I'm usually pretty good at troubleshooting this sort of thing.

I uninstalled the Sony Reader driver that was listed under USB controllers (the only sony driver in the Device Manager. Then installed the calibre driver. fired up Calibre. No connection

Restarted computer, sony driver auto-installed, repeated above procedure, same thing.

Here a Screen of the Device Manager, just incase i'm missing something

[itimpi]

If the sony driver is auto-installing then you must have a remnant of it somewhere.

It might be worth going through a reboot between each stage to see if that helps. e.g.

1. remove Sony driver and reboot
2. Install calibre driver and reboot
3. Plug reader in and see if Sony driver is installed again.

I know I had trouble getting rid of the Sony driver for my PRS-500, but once I had succeeded Calibre picks up the reader every time with no problems.

[comtrjl]

Under the 'View' menu, also tick 'Show hidden devices'.
If that still doesn't show it, try this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241257
This is to make inactive/disconnected devices appear.

bob

[mahler]

Originally Posted by itimpi

If the sony driver is auto-installing then you must have a remnant of it somewhere.

It might be worth going through a reboot between each stage to see if that helps. e.g.

1. remove Sony driver and reboot
2. Install calibre driver and reboot
3. Plug reader in and see if Sony driver is installed again.

I know I had trouble getting rid of the Sony driver for my PRS-500, but once I had succeeded Calibre picks up the reader every time with no problems.

Followed your directions to a 't'. Same thing, sony driver auto installs.

Did steps 1-3 again, this time following the steps outlined in the link that comtrjl provided. Made sure the driver was gone. Same result.
argghh!

[kovidgoyal]

Try deleting any files the sony software may have left behind in program files

[mahler]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Try deleting any files the sony software may have left behind in program files

I went through the Sony folders in the Program files and there was nothing left over.

Tried the uninstall driver then reboot, etc thing again. Only this time shutdown and startup each time.

Now when I connect the reader there its no auto-install, no sony reader driver in device manager (hidden or otherwise) and the screen of the reader doesn't show a USB connect symbol.

Installed driver from calibre folder, launched calibre - device isn't appearing. Rebooted - launched calibre - no effect.

[mahler]

Reader froze (without connect icon on its screen) - soft reset - shutdown-startup - froze again.

[kovidgoyal]

Hmm sounds like you're stuck in inscrutable windows land, where your only recourse is a re-install

[mahler]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Hmm sounds like you're stuck in inscrutable windows land, where your only recourse is a re-install

Got it Working!

Here's a detailed list of what I did, just in case someone has a similar problem in the future:

• I did a Hard Reset on the Reader
• Plugged the reader back into the computer
• Reader didn't freeze, but installed the device again using the Sony drivers
• I Uninstalled the driver, searched for the Sony drivers and deleted all of them
• Renamed the Calibre drivers to match the Sony drivers
  Plugged the device back in and let windows find the new drivers-started Calibre
  Calibre connected(!!!), but when I tried to transfer a file to the internal memory it gave me a ffffd7 error (path error).
• Then I Ran:

prs500 mkdir/Data
prs500 mkdir/Data/media
prs500 mkdir/Data/media/books

Transferred a book and it worked. I'm back and calibre land again and thinking that when I top up my CC its time to donate