Troubleshooting BSOD when connecting Kindle Oasis to old computer

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Did you also turn off everything in the run section of the registry?

Another possible solution is to delete the USB driver and then plug in the Kindle and let the computer reinstall the driver.

Yes, no change.
There are a lot of USB drivers and when I deleted them, my keyboard and mouse stopped working, so I couldn't reboot the computer properly, I had to do a hard reset. If anyone can tell me which USB driver exactly is responsible for the proper functioning of flash drives, I would be happy to try again, otherwise, I won't try again to delete USB hubs or drivers.
Also, I can't find a way to get the list of drivers that are loaded during safe and normal modes to compare them and maybe find the driver causing the BSOD, only when connecting the Kindle.

[haertig]

Sounds like you may have to do that thing that is always recommended by official Windows technical support. "Reinstall Windows". That's their first line suggestion to any problem. Probably with good reason. Oh wait, I got it wrong. First line suggestion is "reboot", followed by "reinstall Windows". I would add the natural step three, but I don't want to turn this thread into a Windows vs. Linux war.

Doesn't Windows hve some kind of claimer "self repair" thing built in? I seem to remember hearing someone mention that in the past. Supposedly it reinstalls missing drivers and components, re-installs corrupted ones, etc. I know nothing about this functionality, other than kind of thinking I might remember maybe hearing something possibly about it.

[DNSB]

Are you thinking of dism?

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Are you thinking of dism?

I ran DISM a few times, SFC, and nothing was found.
I do not intend to reinstall Windows only, maybe, to correct Kindle's connection.
For me, finding the cause is more important than fixing it. I can still use my laptop to transfer books.
If nobody else has any other interesting ideas about how to fix the broken USB connection, then I will end the search here and I'll thank you all for trying to help.

[DNSB]

You may want to check this link: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-48fe55bc1279 which is a bit of an oldie but still relevant. You can also copy usbstor.sys to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers though that should already have been taken care of by dism/sfc.

[Quoth]

Amazingly, Win98 has USB, but not USB storage. The files for that (which include usbstor.sys) can be copied from a Windows 2000 install and then it mostly works. You need some other files too, inc an updated .inf

Relevant Files could be copied copied from a "working" windows to the broken one. Deciding what is a relevant file takes some research.

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You may want to check this link: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-48fe55bc1279 which is a bit of an oldie but still relevant. You can also copy usbstor.sys to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers though that should already have been taken care of by dism/sfc.

I checked and the same versions of both files are found in the source and target folders. Besides that, the system doesn't let me replace both files in the INF folder. I probably should run an elevated File Explorer.
There is no usbstor.sys file in the INF folder, but there is one in the FileRepository\usbstor.inf_amd64..... folder. I think the sys file should be copied
somewhere else. But I don't think this is the problem as long as ALL other USB storage devices work fine.

[Quoth]

There is a file that tells windows what to load based on the USB IDs. That may be wrong. That will be why a USB memory stick is OK and the Kindle is not.

You can copy the .inf files (and others) from good computer on a USB stick, and then boot to command line safe mode to copy the files to BSOD PC.

The sys files wouldn't be in inf, but a different place, such as C:\Windows\System32\Drivers as mentioned

Also, but memory is hazy, there are compiled "inf" files with a different ending that can't be looked at with a text editor. They can take precedence. I think Precompiled setup Information files end in .pnf, so copy those too.

Edit:
Possibly (do check) you can delete a .pnf file that has same name as .inf and it's recreated on first use of the .inf. Perhaps if the program that does that is faulty, the Kindle connects OK first time, then a faulty .pnf is made (somehow?) and next time you get a BSOD.

So copying .pnf files from good laptop may fix the issue but hide the cause, which may occur wan a new USB thing is connected a 2nd time.

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by Quoth

There is a file that tells windows what to load based on the USB IDs. That may be wrong. That will be why a USB memory stick is OK and the Kindle is not.

You can copy the .inf files (and others) from good computer on a USB stick, and then boot to command line safe mode to copy the files to BSOD PC.

The sys files wouldn't be in inf, but a different place, such as C:\Windows\System32\Drivers as mentioned

Also, but memory is hazy, there are compiled "inf" files with a different ending that can't be looked at with a text editor. They can take precedence. I think Precompiled setup Information files end in .pnf, so copy those too.

Edit:
Possibly (do check) you can delete a .pnf file that has same name as .inf and it's recreated on first use of the .inf. Perhaps if the program that does that is faulty, the Kindle connects OK first time, then a faulty .pnf is made (somehow?) and next time you get a BSOD.

So copying .pnf files from good laptop may fix the issue but hide the cause, which may occur wan a new USB thing is connected a 2nd time.

Thank you for your efforts to help a lost cause!
Unfortunately, nothing helped. Besides that, to be more specific, the job was not easy at all. First, replacing any of the drivers, inf or pnf files is impossible, not even from Safe Mode cmd or elevated cmd.
The only way to replace those files is to reboot the computer in Safe Mode, then reboot it again from a Linux Mint USB drive. This way, the system files remain unprotected and can be replaced. Otherwise, if the computer is rebooted to Linux Mint after being booted normally, the system files remain locked. It is impossible to delete, rename, or replace them even in superuser mode in Linux.
I found only one file different from the same file on my laptop, but it did not help to replace it (usbhub.sys).
So I declare the mission a lost cause! Thank you anyway for being willing to help!

[Quoth]

I knew overwriting would be hard

I'm out of ideas for now. I hate to admit defeat.

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I knew overwriting would be hard

I'm out of ideas for now. I hate to admit defeat.

Me too.....

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I knew overwriting would be hard

I'm out of ideas for now. I hate to admit defeat.

Originally Posted by uhi711

Me too.....

Well, at some point, at least for that computer, it is quicker and easier to switch to linux, including getting up to speed in using linux.

[Quoth]

Having cake and eating it. You have win10 on laptop anyway, and already know Mint works (i've used Gnome. KDE, LXDE, Cinnamon etc and prefer Mate, but the default settings are ugly!).

[uhi711]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Well, at some point, at least for that computer, it is quicker and easier to switch to linux, including getting up to speed in using linux.

And much easier to turn on the laptop.....