PRS-950 Connecting via USB - Page 2

Bookworm_Girl · 11-26-2010, 10:53 PM

Purl5, congrats on your purchase and I'm glad you love it! I am sorry you are having problems with Windows 7. My 950 is successfully recognized by both Mac OS X Leopard & Windows XP. I thought the issue might be 32 vs 64-bit. However, I was at a friend's house today, and she has Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. I connected my 950 via USB. It was successfully recognized, and I could view all the files on it just fine. I know it doesn't solve your issue but at least it's more data. I would call Sony and report the problem even if you can use your Windows Vista computer as a workaround. Good luck and have fun playing with your new ereader!

phenomshel · 11-27-2010, 02:46 AM

Windows 7 64 bit here and no problems at all. I also bought my 950 at Best Buy.

Purl5 · 11-27-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vxf

I got Windows 7, enterprise on a desktop and home premium on my laptop. Both 32-bit. My 950 connects with no problems.

Did you download any drivers for your Windows 7 version? Mine is also 32 bit.

My laptop (Vista) auto-downloaded some. But my desktop gave up after a bit of looking. Last night I googled drivers and sony & ended up at the Sony site --- redownloaded the reader software since it *looked* a bit newer, but still no recognition this morning.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to be able to connect it to both of my computers.

rhadin · 11-27-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

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.

Jack,

I have the 950 and am running Win7 64-bit on my PC. I have no problem connecting my 950 to the PC and using it to transfer books via Calibre.

As for customer service, I always find it interesting how people rate it. I have found both Sony and AT&T customer service to be fine. The worst CS experiences I ever had were with GE.

Ken401 · 11-27-2010, 09:44 AM

Not having any Windows 7 experience, I can only think of the obvious like trying other USB ports on your desktop, which you have probably done, or calling Sony as a last resort.

Bookworm_Girl · 11-27-2010, 10:33 AM

Ken401, I think that's a good suggestion. I would try each USB port separately. Also make sure you plug into the computer directly and not into a keyboard or a multi-USB hub. Also try only your ereader connected via USB and nothing else connected to another USB port at the same time.

Purl5 · 11-27-2010, 10:34 AM

Well, I did get through to Sony support. iChat isn't working & my hearing isn't the best. What I got out of the conversation is that if it connects to my laptop, that it must be a problem with my USB port. He wanted me to check a USB port on the back of my hard drive. I can't see any. It is interesting that my 2nd USB port on the front of my drive effectively ignores my reader altogether (doesn't charge, my reader home page comes back). So maybe there's something to that. I'll call the guy who helped rebuild my PC & see if maybe he has a USB port that he can swap out....

Bookworm_Girl · 11-27-2010, 10:52 AM

Purl5, do you have a thumb drive or other item you can connect to your computer to check the USB port? More than likely it is fine. Many computers have low and high-powered USB ports. Often you can plug an item into the low-power port and the item will be recognized but not charged. Sometimes if it is a device that needs high power like I suspect the 950 might be, then it won't be recognized. You need to plug the high power device into the high power port for it to be recognized and charge properly. The reason I made the suggestions above was because they could make a difference to the power requirements. One computer I have has special symbols by the USB port so you can tell the difference. My other computer does not, and it is trial and error to figure it out. So don't be too alarmed about your front port because it is probably fine. Hence the suggestion to see if some other USB device works ok.

jswinden · 11-27-2010, 01:12 PM

In my case I tried every USB port on my Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit desktop, but no luck with the 950. As I said the 350 works fine. CS said all the readers use the same driver, but something isn't correct.

I do not necessarily think this is a Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit issue. If you add up all the various Windows 7 versions (their are several for 32-bit and 64-bit computers) and realize that their are thousands of different computer models running them, you come up with millions of different combinations. No two Windows 7 systems are identical. Unlike Apple which lacks the knowledge or the guts to create a workable OS that will run on thousands of different computer models by various manufacturers, Microsoft has created a pretty good OS that CAN and DOES operate on such a diversity of computers. The problem is it is often difficult with all that diversity to find the specific issue causing the problem.

In my case I just decided to use my netbook rather than my desktop since the netbook connects to the 950.

As far others: A general set of rules with USB connection problems is:

Try another USB port
Back USB ports are often more stable than front ports
Restart the computer to clear out conflicts
Don't connect through a USB hub or extender

Purl5 · 11-27-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Purl5, do you have a thumb drive or other item you can connect to your computer to check the USB port? More than likely it is fine. Many computers have low and high-powered USB ports. Often you can plug an item into the low-power port and the item will be recognized but not charged. Sometimes if it is a device that needs high power like I suspect the 950 might be, then it won't be recognized. You need to plug the high power device into the high power port for it to be recognized and charge properly. The reason I made the suggestions above was because they could make a difference to the power requirements.

This is all very interesting. My USB ports have functioned just fine up to now. My camera & ipod have never shown any distinction between the 2 ports but that could just be that they are lower in power requirements.

This all sounds like the water faucets on the outside of my house. The front & side have decent water pressure (the side faucet very strong) -- the back faucet which of course is most convenient to my garden has pathetically poor water pressure. So I can see that these ports might be similar in the sense that their output might differ drastically (for very different reasons, I'm sure but I wouldn't venture to go there).

Well, this is very interesting. My PC won't recognize my camera through either USB port. It did so just fine yesterday. I tell you. The fun never stops. Well, at least I have my laptop! (knock wood)

elcreative · 11-27-2010, 04:30 PM

Have you rebooted your computer since trying the 950? Better computers switch off a USB port when detecting someting taking too great a power drain... and they don't become active again until the computer is (usually) switched off and restarted from cold, not just a restart...

Purl5 · 11-27-2010, 06:57 PM

I shut it down overnight most nights. Did that last night so I think that's probably not it unfortunately.

Now that I'm thinking about all this -- my DVD player went AWOL a few weeks ago. A visiting friend who has forgotten more than I will ever know about computers figured out how to make my PC re-detect that drive.

Hmmm, maybe I'll email him & see if he can describe to me what he did (in civilian terms).

vxf · 11-27-2010, 07:04 PM

In regards to my experience with Windows7 - no, I did not need to download any drivers. The PRS950 was recognized when I plugged it in the first time and everything self-installed.

Purl5 · 11-27-2010, 08:18 PM

So here I sit updating my Garmin GPS unit (almost complete) off the same USB drive. I have no idea what is going on with it. It obviously DOES work. But it seems a bit, uh... temperamental.

igorsk · 11-28-2010, 08:44 AM

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.

11-26-2010, 10:53 PM	#16
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Purl5, congrats on your purchase and I'm glad you love it! I am sorry you are having problems with Windows 7. My 950 is successfully recognized by both Mac OS X Leopard & Windows XP. I thought the issue might be 32 vs 64-bit. However, I was at a friend's house today, and she has Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. I connected my 950 via USB. It was successfully recognized, and I could view all the files on it just fine. I know it doesn't solve your issue but at least it's more data. I would call Sony and report the problem even if you can use your Windows Vista computer as a workaround. Good luck and have fun playing with your new ereader! Last edited by Bookworm_Girl; 11-26-2010 at 10:56 PM.

11-27-2010, 10:52 AM	#23
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Purl5, do you have a thumb drive or other item you can connect to your computer to check the USB port? More than likely it is fine. Many computers have low and high-powered USB ports. Often you can plug an item into the low-power port and the item will be recognized but not charged. Sometimes if it is a device that needs high power like I suspect the 950 might be, then it won't be recognized. You need to plug the high power device into the high power port for it to be recognized and charge properly. The reason I made the suggestions above was because they could make a difference to the power requirements. One computer I have has special symbols by the USB port so you can tell the difference. My other computer does not, and it is trial and error to figure it out. So don't be too alarmed about your front port because it is probably fine. Hence the suggestion to see if some other USB device works ok. Last edited by Bookworm_Girl; 11-27-2010 at 10:58 AM.

11-27-2010, 01:12 PM	#24
jswinden Nameless Being	In my case I tried every USB port on my Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit desktop, but no luck with the 950. As I said the 350 works fine. CS said all the readers use the same driver, but something isn't correct. I do not necessarily think this is a Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit issue. If you add up all the various Windows 7 versions (their are several for 32-bit and 64-bit computers) and realize that their are thousands of different computer models running them, you come up with millions of different combinations. No two Windows 7 systems are identical. Unlike Apple which lacks the knowledge or the guts to create a workable OS that will run on thousands of different computer models by various manufacturers, Microsoft has created a pretty good OS that CAN and DOES operate on such a diversity of computers. The problem is it is often difficult with all that diversity to find the specific issue causing the problem. In my case I just decided to use my netbook rather than my desktop since the netbook connects to the 950. As far others: A general set of rules with USB connection problems is: Try another USB port Back USB ports are often more stable than front ports Restart the computer to clear out conflicts Don't connect through a USB hub or extender Last edited by jswinden; 11-27-2010 at 01:16 PM.

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11-27-2010, 02:46 AM	#17
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Windows 7 64 bit here and no problems at all. I also bought my 950 at Best Buy.

11-27-2010, 09:44 AM	#20
Ken401 Addict Posts: 218 Karma: 417978 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO USA Device: PRS-T1, PRS-950, PRS-505, Nexus 10, Xoom	Not having any Windows 7 experience, I can only think of the obvious like trying other USB ports on your desktop, which you have probably done, or calling Sony as a last resort.

11-27-2010, 10:33 AM	#21
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Ken401, I think that's a good suggestion. I would try each USB port separately. Also make sure you plug into the computer directly and not into a keyboard or a multi-USB hub. Also try only your ereader connected via USB and nothing else connected to another USB port at the same time.

11-27-2010, 10:34 AM	#22
Purl5 Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-950	Well, I did get through to Sony support. iChat isn't working & my hearing isn't the best. What I got out of the conversation is that if it connects to my laptop, that it must be a problem with my USB port. He wanted me to check a USB port on the back of my hard drive. I can't see any. It is interesting that my 2nd USB port on the front of my drive effectively ignores my reader altogether (doesn't charge, my reader home page comes back). So maybe there's something to that. I'll call the guy who helped rebuild my PC & see if maybe he has a USB port that he can swap out....

11-27-2010, 04:30 PM	#26
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Have you rebooted your computer since trying the 950? Better computers switch off a USB port when detecting someting taking too great a power drain... and they don't become active again until the computer is (usually) switched off and restarted from cold, not just a restart...

11-27-2010, 06:57 PM	#27
Purl5 Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-950	I shut it down overnight most nights. Did that last night so I think that's probably not it unfortunately. Now that I'm thinking about all this -- my DVD player went AWOL a few weeks ago. A visiting friend who has forgotten more than I will ever know about computers figured out how to make my PC re-detect that drive. Hmmm, maybe I'll email him & see if he can describe to me what he did (in civilian terms).

11-27-2010, 07:04 PM	#28
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	In regards to my experience with Windows7 - no, I did not need to download any drivers. The PRS950 was recognized when I plugged it in the first time and everything self-installed.

11-27-2010, 08:18 PM	#29
Purl5 Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-950	So here I sit updating my Garmin GPS unit (almost complete) off the same USB drive. I have no idea what is going on with it. It obviously DOES work. But it seems a bit, uh... temperamental.

11-28-2010, 08:44 AM	#30
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	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.

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