I did it I did it - USB on 98 - YAY!

[Peter in New Zealand]

Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I was
trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell you this.
Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting W2K on the
laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.

Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links to
download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE again
on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No
idea what the heck was wrong last time.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born fruit
- finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very happily. It's
so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am hoping it will
serve in the longer term. At the moment all the indications are looking
good.

Thanks yet again for your help and support.

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I was
> trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell you this.
> Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting W2K on the
> laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.
>
> Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
> helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links to
> download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE again
> on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No
> idea what the heck was wrong last time.
>
> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born fruit
> - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very happily. It's
> so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am hoping it will
> serve in the longer term. At the moment all the indications are looking
> good.
>
> Thanks yet again for your help and support.

Good to hear, Peter! Wonder why it worked this time. Weird.

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

Bill in Co. wrote:
> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>> Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I was
>> trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell you this.
>> Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting W2K on the
>> laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.
>>
>> Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
>> helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links to
>> download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE again
>> on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No
>> idea what the heck was wrong last time.
>>
>> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born fruit
>> - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very happily. It's
>> so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am hoping it will
>> serve in the longer term. At the moment all the indications are looking
>> good.
>>
>> Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>
> Good to hear, Peter! Wonder why it worked this time. Weird.
>
>
Probably had my tongue sticking out the wrong side of my mouth.

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[PCR]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
| Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I
| was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell
| you this. Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting
| W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.
|
| Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
| helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links
| to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE
| again on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just
| fine. No idea what the heck was wrong last time.
|
| Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
| fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
| happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am
| hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
| indications are looking good.

Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
another one to a foreign OS!

| Thanks yet again for your help and support.
|
| --
| Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
| Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter,
| and compulsive computer fiddler.

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

 

[Dan]

Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use my current
HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not offer 98 drivers
anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want to use potentially
untrustworthy drivers that were not from the manufacturer. It also makes me
wonder if this workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a workaround may
be tougher to execute.

"PCR" wrote:

> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I
> | was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell
> | you this. Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting
> | W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.
> |
> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
> | helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links
> | to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE
> | again on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just
> | fine. No idea what the heck was wrong last time.
> |
> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am
> | hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
> | indications are looking good.
>
> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
> another one to a foreign OS!
>
> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
> |
> | --
> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter,
> | and compulsive computer fiddler.
>
> --
> Thanks or Good Luck,
> There may be humor in this post, and,
> Naturally, you will not sue,
> Should things get worse after this,
> PCR
> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>
>
>

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

Dan wrote:
> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use my current
> HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not offer 98 drivers
> anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want to use potentially
> untrustworthy drivers that were not from the manufacturer. It also makes me
> wonder if this workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
> Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a workaround may
> be tougher to execute.
>
> "PCR" wrote:
>
>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently while I
>> | was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just have to tell
>> | you this. Several days ago I posted that I was giving up and putting
>> | W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is quite sluggish.
>> |
>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of your
>> | helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the suggested links
>> | to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot and installed 98SE
>> | again on the spare partition. The USB driver installed and runs just
>> | fine. No idea what the heck was wrong last time.
>> |
>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I am
>> | hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
>> | indications are looking good.
>>
>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
>> another one to a foreign OS!
>>
>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>> |
>> | --
>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter,
>> | and compulsive computer fiddler.
>>
>> --
>> Thanks or Good Luck,
>> There may be humor in this post, and,
>> Naturally, you will not sue,
>> Should things get worse after this,
>> PCR
>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>>
>>
>>
One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop is
not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there is a
sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact fingers
embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This one is just
an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers standing naked, so to
speak. That was why the contact was intermittent previously and I had
all the trouble. I carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now
it works every time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting a
plug, as it would be very easy to "collide head on" with a contact
finger and buckle it back into the socket. It works every time, but
great care is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built like that before?


--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[MEB]

In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
| Dan wrote:
|> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
|> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
|> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
|> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
|> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
|> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
|> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
|>
|> "PCR" wrote:
|>
|>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
|>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
|>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
|>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
|>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
|>> | quite sluggish.
|>> |
|>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
|>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
|>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
|>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
|>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
|>> | last time.
|>> |
|>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
|>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
|>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
|>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
|>> | indications are looking good.
|>>
|>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
|>> another one to a foreign OS!
|>>
|>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
|>> |
|>> | --
|>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
|>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
|>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
|>>
|>> --
|>> Thanks or Good Luck,
|>> There may be humor in this post, and,
|>> Naturally, you will not sue,
|>> Should things get worse after this,
|>> PCR
|>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
|>>
|>>
|>>
| One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
| is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
| is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
| fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
| one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
| standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
| intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
| the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
| have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
| to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
| the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
| seen a USB port built like that before?

Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen that
occur.
You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the thickness of
the slot in the connector, trim to size and length, and Super Glue [using
forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the socket. You'll still need to be
careful as there are no side protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers"
don't get bent or break.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________

 

[PCR]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
| Dan wrote:
|> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
|> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
|> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
|> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
|> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
|> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
|> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
|>
|> "PCR" wrote:
|>
|>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
|>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
|>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
|>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
|>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
|>> | quite sluggish.
|>> |
|>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
|>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
|>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
|>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
|>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
|>> | last time.
|>> |
|>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
|>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
|>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
|>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
|>> | indications are looking good.
|>>
|>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
|>> another one to a foreign OS!
|>>
|>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
|>> |
|>> | --
|>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
|>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
|>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
|>>
|>> --
|>> Thanks or Good Luck,
|>> There may be humor in this post, and,
|>> Naturally, you will not sue,
|>> Should things get worse after this,
|>> PCR
|>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
|>>
|>>
|>>
| One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
| is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
| is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
| fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
| one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
| standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
| intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
| the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
| have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
| to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
| the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
| seen a USB port built like that before?

I can't see into my USB sockets well enough to know what it looks like
in there. Sounds like you've indentified a problem alright. Carefully do
as MEB suggested maybe. Glad you finally know what the problem was &
that you & your grandson will both be using Win98. Can he have broken it
when he was 8? Hurry up & find out-- the statute of limitations is about
to expire! He must be punished with 1000 RADS XP-exposure!

| --
| Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
| Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter,
| and compulsive computer fiddler.

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

 

[MEB]

In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
MEB contemplated and posted:
| In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
| Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
|| Dan wrote:
||> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
||> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
||> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
||> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
||> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
||> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
||> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
||>
||> "PCR" wrote:
||>
||>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
||>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
||>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
||>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
||>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
||>> | quite sluggish.
||>> |
||>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
||>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
||>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
||>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
||>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
||>> | last time.
||>> |
||>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
||>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
||>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
||>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
||>> | indications are looking good.
||>>
||>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
||>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
||>>
||>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
||>> |
||>> | --
||>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
||>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
||>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
||>>
||>> --
||>> Thanks or Good Luck,
||>> There may be humor in this post, and,
||>> Naturally, you will not sue,
||>> Should things get worse after this,
||>> PCR
||>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
||>>
||>>
||>>
|| One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
|| is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
|| is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
|| fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
|| one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
|| standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
|| intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
|| the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
|| have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
|| to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
|| the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
|| seen a USB port built like that before?
|
| Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen that
| occur.
| You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
| thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length, and
| Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
| socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
| protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or break.
|
| --
| MEB

I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced IF you're
handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the difficulties with
working on laptops.

Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

MEB wrote:
> In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
> MEB contemplated and posted:
> | In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
> | Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
> || Dan wrote:
> ||> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
> ||> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
> ||> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
> ||> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
> ||> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
> ||> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
> ||> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
> ||>
> ||> "PCR" wrote:
> ||>
> ||>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> ||>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
> ||>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
> ||>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
> ||>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
> ||>> | quite sluggish.
> ||>> |
> ||>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
> ||>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
> ||>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
> ||>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
> ||>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
> ||>> | last time.
> ||>> |
> ||>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
> ||>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
> ||>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
> ||>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
> ||>> | indications are looking good.
> ||>>
> ||>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
> ||>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
> ||>>
> ||>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
> ||>> |
> ||>> | --
> ||>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> ||>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
> ||>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
> ||>>
> ||>> --
> ||>> Thanks or Good Luck,
> ||>> There may be humor in this post, and,
> ||>> Naturally, you will not sue,
> ||>> Should things get worse after this,
> ||>> PCR
> ||>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
> ||>>
> ||>>
> ||>>
> || One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
> || is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
> || is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
> || fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
> || one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
> || standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
> || intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
> || the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
> || have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
> || to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
> || the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
> || seen a USB port built like that before?
> |
> | Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen that
> | occur.
> | You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
> | thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length, and
> | Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
> | socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
> | protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or break.
> |
> | --
> | MEB
>
> I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced IF you're
> handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the difficulties with
> working on laptops.
>
> Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
>
After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I can
see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of roughened
plastic that looks as though something was broken off down there. If so
it was not awfully good engineering design at the start. I might just
have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic piece some time, but in
the meantime things are working so nicely (as long as I use care in
inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave well alone. As far as replacing
the socket goes, I was a radio tech in our Air Force many years ago, and
so I know all about fine soldering on congested boards. But again, I
think I will leave well alone, as my hands at 63 years of age are not
quite as steady as they were back then. In the meantime the little
laptop continues to stroll along very well, and I have not had a blue
screen in two days now!

Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
appreciated. You guys are the best!

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[MEB]

In news:%23sZ2dRX4IHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
| MEB wrote:
|> In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
|> MEB contemplated and posted:
|> | In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
|> | Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
|> || Dan wrote:
|> ||> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to
|> ||> use my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP
|> ||> did not offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and
|> ||> did not want to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were
|> ||> not from the manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this
|> ||> workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
|> ||> Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a
|> ||> workaround may be tougher to execute.
|> ||>
|> ||> "PCR" wrote:
|> ||>
|> ||>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
|> ||>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
|> ||>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
|> ||>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
|> ||>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine,
|> ||>> | but is quite sluggish.
|> ||>> |
|> ||>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to
|> ||>> | some of your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of
|> ||>> | the suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to
|> ||>> | dual boot and installed 98SE again on the spare partition.
|> ||>> | The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No idea what the
|> ||>> | heck was wrong last time.
|> ||>> |
|> ||>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has
|> ||>> | born fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with
|> ||>> | USB very happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same
|> ||>> | machine that I am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At
|> ||>> | the moment all the indications are looking good.
|> ||>>
|> ||>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
|> ||>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
|> ||>>
|> ||>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
|> ||>> |
|> ||>> | --
|> ||>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
|> ||>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
|> ||>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
|> ||>>
|> ||>> --
|> ||>> Thanks or Good Luck,
|> ||>> There may be humor in this post, and,
|> ||>> Naturally, you will not sue,
|> ||>> Should things get worse after this,
|> ||>> PCR
|> ||>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
|> ||>>
|> ||>>
|> ||>>
|> || One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my
|> || laptop is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my
|> || experience) there is a sort of internal "block" in the opening
|> || that has the contact fingers embedded into it, and the plug
|> || slides over that block. This one is just an open USB shaped hole,
|> || with the contact fingers standing naked, so to speak. That was
|> || why the contact was intermittent previously and I had all the
|> || trouble. I carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now it
|> || works every time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting
|> || a plug, as it would be very easy to "collide head on" with a
|> || contact finger and buckle it back into the socket. It works every
|> || time, but great care is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built
|> || like that before?
|> |
|> | Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen
|> | that occur.
|> | You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
|> | thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length,
|> | and Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
|> | socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
|> | protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or
|> | break.
|> |
|> | --
|> | MEB
|>
|> I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced IF
|> you're handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the
|> difficulties with working on laptops.
|>
|> Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
|>
| After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I can
| see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of roughened
| plastic that looks as though something was broken off down there. If
| so it was not awfully good engineering design at the start. I might
| just have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic piece some time,
| but in the meantime things are working so nicely (as long as I use
| care in inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave well alone. As far as
| replacing the socket goes, I was a radio tech in our Air Force many
| years ago, and so I know all about fine soldering on congested
| boards. But again, I think I will leave well alone, as my hands at 63
| years of age are not quite as steady as they were back then. In the
| meantime the little laptop continues to stroll along very well, and I
| have not had a blue screen in two days now!
|
| Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
| appreciated. You guys are the best!

I can relate to that myopic eyesight,, swear I'm going to get one of those
magnifying lens light one of these days... my guess is the boards are MUCH
more congested than from your radio days. Maybe not though, likely a lot is
now on one or two chips.
Someone threw away a new Sanyo TV because they dropped it and cracked the
board into three pieces,, took me three and a half months to trace and
solder in all the wire replacement traces... works like a charm now, but it
reminds me of an old prototype/experimental board with all the wires
dangling underneath.. and that WITHOUT a schematic

Well, anyway, the less times you disturb the connection the better... glad
your back and chugging along nicely.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________

 

[Bill in Co.]

MEB wrote:
> In news:%23sZ2dRX4IHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>> MEB wrote:
>>> In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
>>> MEB contemplated and posted:
>>>> In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
>>>> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>>>>> Dan wrote:
>>>>>> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to
>>>>>> use my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP
>>>>>> did not offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and
>>>>>> did not want to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were
>>>>>> not from the manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this
>>>>>> workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
>>>>>> Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a
>>>>>> workaround may be tougher to execute.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "PCR" wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
>>>>>>>> while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
>>>>>>>> have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
>>>>>>>> giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine,
>>>>>>>> but is quite sluggish.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to
>>>>>>>> some of your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of
>>>>>>>> the suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to
>>>>>>>> dual boot and installed 98SE again on the spare partition.
>>>>>>>> The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No idea what the
>>>>>>>> heck was wrong last time.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has
>>>>>>>> born fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with
>>>>>>>> USB very happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same
>>>>>>>> machine that I am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At
>>>>>>>> the moment all the indications are looking good.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
>>>>>>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>>>>>>>> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
>>>>>>>> nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Thanks or Good Luck,
>>>>>>> There may be humor in this post, and,
>>>>>>> Naturally, you will not sue,
>>>>>>> Should things get worse after this,
>>>>>>> PCR
>>>>>>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>> One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my
>>>>> laptop is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my
>>>>> experience) there is a sort of internal "block" in the opening
>>>>> that has the contact fingers embedded into it, and the plug
>>>>> slides over that block. This one is just an open USB shaped hole,
>>>>> with the contact fingers standing naked, so to speak. That was
>>>>> why the contact was intermittent previously and I had all the
>>>>> trouble. I carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now it
>>>>> works every time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting
>>>>> a plug, as it would be very easy to "collide head on" with a
>>>>> contact finger and buckle it back into the socket. It works every
>>>>> time, but great care is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built
>>>>> like that before?
>>>>
>>>> Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen
>>>> that occur.
>>>> You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
>>>> thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length,
>>>> and Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
>>>> socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
>>>> protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or
>>>> break.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> MEB
>>>
>>> I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced IF
>>> you're handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the
>>> difficulties with working on laptops.
>>>
>>> Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
>>>
>> After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I can
>> see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of roughened
>> plastic that looks as though something was broken off down there. If
>> so it was not awfully good engineering design at the start. I might
>> just have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic piece some time,
>> but in the meantime things are working so nicely (as long as I use
>> care in inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave well alone. As far as
>> replacing the socket goes, I was a radio tech in our Air Force many
>> years ago, and so I know all about fine soldering on congested
>> boards. But again, I think I will leave well alone, as my hands at 63
>> years of age are not quite as steady as they were back then. In the
>> meantime the little laptop continues to stroll along very well, and I
>> have not had a blue screen in two days now!
>>
>> Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
>> appreciated. You guys are the best!
>
> I can relate to that myopic eyesight,, swear I'm going to get one of those
> magnifying lens light one of these days... my guess is the boards are MUCH
> more congested than from your radio days. Maybe not though, likely a lot
> is
> now on one or two chips.
> Someone threw away a new Sanyo TV because they dropped it and cracked the
> board into three pieces,, took me three and a half months to trace and
> solder in all the wire replacement traces... works like a charm now, but
> it
> reminds me of an old prototype/experimental board with all the wires
> dangling underneath.. and that WITHOUT a schematic
>
> Well, anyway, the less times you disturb the connection the better... glad
> your back and chugging along nicely.

I still remember Lee De Forest adding a grid to the vacuum tube to make the
first triode, so that amplification was possible, for the first time.

 

[Dan]

I wanted to write that I have been to New Zealand before and it is beautiful.
I have been to Auckland and Wellington. You are most fortunate to live in
such a beautiful land.

"Peter in New Zealand" wrote:

> MEB wrote:
> > In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
> > MEB contemplated and posted:
> > | In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
> > | Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
> > || Dan wrote:
> > ||> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
> > ||> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
> > ||> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
> > ||> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
> > ||> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
> > ||> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
> > ||> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
> > ||>
> > ||> "PCR" wrote:
> > ||>
> > ||>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> > ||>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
> > ||>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
> > ||>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
> > ||>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
> > ||>> | quite sluggish.
> > ||>> |
> > ||>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
> > ||>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
> > ||>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
> > ||>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
> > ||>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
> > ||>> | last time.
> > ||>> |
> > ||>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
> > ||>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
> > ||>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
> > ||>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
> > ||>> | indications are looking good.
> > ||>>
> > ||>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
> > ||>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
> > ||>>
> > ||>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
> > ||>> |
> > ||>> | --
> > ||>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> > ||>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
> > ||>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
> > ||>>
> > ||>> --
> > ||>> Thanks or Good Luck,
> > ||>> There may be humor in this post, and,
> > ||>> Naturally, you will not sue,
> > ||>> Should things get worse after this,
> > ||>> PCR
> > ||>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
> > ||>>
> > ||>>
> > ||>>
> > || One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
> > || is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
> > || is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
> > || fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
> > || one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
> > || standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
> > || intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
> > || the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
> > || have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
> > || to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
> > || the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
> > || seen a USB port built like that before?
> > |
> > | Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen that
> > | occur.
> > | You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
> > | thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length, and
> > | Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
> > | socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
> > | protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or break.
> > |
> > | --
> > | MEB
> >
> > I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced IF you're
> > handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the difficulties with
> > working on laptops.
> >
> > Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
> >
> After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I can
> see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of roughened
> plastic that looks as though something was broken off down there. If so
> it was not awfully good engineering design at the start. I might just
> have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic piece some time, but in
> the meantime things are working so nicely (as long as I use care in
> inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave well alone. As far as replacing
> the socket goes, I was a radio tech in our Air Force many years ago, and
> so I know all about fine soldering on congested boards. But again, I
> think I will leave well alone, as my hands at 63 years of age are not
> quite as steady as they were back then. In the meantime the little
> laptop continues to stroll along very well, and I have not had a blue
> screen in two days now!
>
> Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
> appreciated. You guys are the best!
>
> --
> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
> compulsive computer fiddler.
>

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

Re: I did it I did it - USB on 98 - YAY! - now getting OT

Dan wrote:
> I wanted to write that I have been to New Zealand before and it is beautiful.
> I have been to Auckland and Wellington. You are most fortunate to live in
> such a beautiful land.
>
Ah yes - so often we who live here forget what a blessing it is. We are
a bit naeve (neave, nieve, ah heck - try gormless) sometimes. I'm in the
south, on the edge of an area called Central Otago and I am very
fortunate to be able to get broadband here. Within 2.5 hours drive are
the skifields, southern lakes, the port of Bluff where the best oysters
in the world come from. In the late 1960s I crewed on one of the oyster
boats for a season in the roaring 50s. Ah, great times. Now I care for a
rural church parish and love the place and its people.

Hmmm. I seem to be rambling = bad habit of mine please forgive me for
the OT. In the meantime my little laptop with Windows 98 still strolls
on beautifully.

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[Dan]

Re: I did it I did it - USB on 98 - YAY! - now getting OT

I suffer from the same bad habit of going off-topic so you are not alone.
<grin>

"Peter in New Zealand" wrote:

> Dan wrote:
> > I wanted to write that I have been to New Zealand before and it is beautiful.
> > I have been to Auckland and Wellington. You are most fortunate to live in
> > such a beautiful land.
> >
> Ah yes - so often we who live here forget what a blessing it is. We are
> a bit naeve (neave, nieve, ah heck - try gormless) sometimes. I'm in the
> south, on the edge of an area called Central Otago and I am very
> fortunate to be able to get broadband here. Within 2.5 hours drive are
> the skifields, southern lakes, the port of Bluff where the best oysters
> in the world come from. In the late 1960s I crewed on one of the oyster
> boats for a season in the roaring 50s. Ah, great times. Now I care for a
> rural church parish and love the place and its people.
>
> Hmmm. I seem to be rambling = bad habit of mine please forgive me for
> the OT. In the meantime my little laptop with Windows 98 still strolls
> on beautifully.
>
> --
> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
> compulsive computer fiddler.
>

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:uMZxg4X4IHA.4488@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

> MEB wrote:
>> In news:%23sZ2dRX4IHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
>> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>>> MEB wrote:
>>>> In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
>>>> MEB contemplated and posted:
>>>>> In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
>>>>> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>>>>>> Dan wrote:
>>>>>>> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to
>>>>>>> use my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP
>>>>>>> did not offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and
>>>>>>> did not want to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were
>>>>>>> not from the manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this
>>>>>>> workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
>>>>>>> Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a
>>>>>>> workaround may be tougher to execute.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "PCR" wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
>>>>>>>>> while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
>>>>>>>>> have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
>>>>>>>>> giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine,
>>>>>>>>> but is quite sluggish.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to
>>>>>>>>> some of your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of
>>>>>>>>> the suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to
>>>>>>>>> dual boot and installed 98SE again on the spare partition.
>>>>>>>>> The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No idea what the
>>>>>>>>> heck was wrong last time.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has
>>>>>>>>> born fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with
>>>>>>>>> USB very happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same
>>>>>>>>> machine that I am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At
>>>>>>>>> the moment all the indications are looking good.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
>>>>>>>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>>>>>>>>> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
>>>>>>>>> nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Thanks or Good Luck,
>>>>>>>> There may be humor in this post, and,
>>>>>>>> Naturally, you will not sue,
>>>>>>>> Should things get worse after this,
>>>>>>>> PCR
>>>>>>>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>> One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my
>>>>>> laptop is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my
>>>>>> experience) there is a sort of internal "block" in the opening
>>>>>> that has the contact fingers embedded into it, and the plug
>>>>>> slides over that block. This one is just an open USB shaped hole,
>>>>>> with the contact fingers standing naked, so to speak. That was
>>>>>> why the contact was intermittent previously and I had all the
>>>>>> trouble. I carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now it
>>>>>> works every time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting
>>>>>> a plug, as it would be very easy to "collide head on" with a
>>>>>> contact finger and buckle it back into the socket. It works every
>>>>>> time, but great care is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built
>>>>>> like that before?
>>>>>
>>>>> Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen
>>>>> that occur.
>>>>> You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
>>>>> thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length,
>>>>> and Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
>>>>> socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
>>>>> protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or
>>>>> break.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> MEB
>>>>
>>>> I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced
>>>> IF
>>>> you're handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the
>>>> difficulties with working on laptops.
>>>>
>>>> Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
>>>>
>>> After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I
>>> can see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of
>>> roughened plastic that looks as though something was broken off down
>>> there. If so it was not awfully good engineering design at the
>>> start. I might just have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic
>>> piece some time, but in the meantime things are working so nicely
>>> (as long as I use care in inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave
>>> well alone. As far as replacing the socket goes, I was a radio tech
>>> in our Air Force many years ago, and so I know all about fine
>>> soldering on congested boards. But again, I think I will leave well
>>> alone, as my hands at 63 years of age are not quite as steady as
>>> they were back then. In the meantime the little laptop continues to
>>> stroll along very well, and I have not had a blue screen in two days
>>> now!
>>>
>>> Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
>>> appreciated. You guys are the best!
>>
>> I can relate to that myopic eyesight,, swear I'm going to get one of
>> those magnifying lens light one of these days... my guess is the
>> boards are MUCH more congested than from your radio days. Maybe not
>> though, likely a lot is
>> now on one or two chips.
>> Someone threw away a new Sanyo TV because they dropped it and cracked
>> the board into three pieces,, took me three and a half months to
>> trace and solder in all the wire replacement traces... works like a
>> charm now, but it
>> reminds me of an old prototype/experimental board with all the wires
>> dangling underneath.. and that WITHOUT a schematic
>>
>> Well, anyway, the less times you disturb the connection the better...
>> glad your back and chugging along nicely.
>
> I still remember Lee De Forest adding a grid to the vacuum tube to
> make the first triode, so that amplification was possible, for the
> first time.
>
>
>

Wow! What year was that? I remember our radio instructor in the air firce in
1969 telling us that little grid was the birth of all electronics.

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[Peter in New Zealand]

"PCR" <pcrrcp@netzero.net> wrote in
news:#VDqMyU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>| Dan wrote:
>|> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
>|> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
>|> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
>|> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
>|> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would work
>|> with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even if it
>|> did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to execute.
>|>
>|> "PCR" wrote:
>|>
>|>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>|>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
>|>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
>|>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
>|>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but is
>|>> | quite sluggish.
>|>> |
>|>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some of
>|>> | your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
>|>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual boot
>|>> | and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB driver
>|>> | installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was wrong
>|>> | last time.
>|>> |
>|>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has born
>|>> | fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB very
>|>> | happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine that I
>|>> | am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the moment all the
>|>> | indications are looking good.
>|>>
>|>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to lose
>|>> another one to a foreign OS!
>|>>
>|>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>|>> |
>|>> | --
>|>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>|>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
>|>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
>|>>
>|>> --
>|>> Thanks or Good Luck,
>|>> There may be humor in this post, and,
>|>> Naturally, you will not sue,
>|>> Should things get worse after this,
>|>> PCR
>|>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>|>>
>|>>
>|>>
>| One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my laptop
>| is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my experience) there
>| is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that has the contact
>| fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over that block. This
>| one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the contact fingers
>| standing naked, so to speak. That was why the contact was
>| intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I carefully bent
>| the contact fingers slightly and now it works every time. Mind you, I
>| have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it would be very easy
>| to "collide head on" with a contact finger and buckle it back into
>| the socket. It works every time, but great care is needed. Has anyone
>| seen a USB port built like that before?
>
> I can't see into my USB sockets well enough to know what it looks like
> in there. Sounds like you've indentified a problem alright. Carefully do
> as MEB suggested maybe. Glad you finally know what the problem was &
> that you & your grandson will both be using Win98. Can he have broken it
> when he was 8? Hurry up & find out-- the statute of limitations is about
> to expire! He must be punished with 1000 RADS XP-exposure!

Err, actually he's sitting just across the room from me as I type this
playing some lethal car racing sim running on XP, so I guess he's a gone
cookie! Meantime I'm doing this on the laptop with W98 chugging away
happily. Why did I ever upgrade? (sheepish grin)

--
Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:uMZxg4X4IHA.4488@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:
>
>> MEB wrote:
>>> In news:%23sZ2dRX4IHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
>>> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>>>> MEB wrote:
>>>>> In news:eNGrPkU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl at ,
>>>>> MEB contemplated and posted:
>>>>>> In news:edutvZU4IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl at ,
>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand contemplated and posted:
>>>>>>> Dan wrote:
>>>>>>>> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to
>>>>>>>> use my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP
>>>>>>>> did not offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and
>>>>>>>> did not want to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were
>>>>>>>> not from the manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this
>>>>>>>> workaround would work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second
>>>>>>>> Edition but somehow even if it did I think the processes in a
>>>>>>>> workaround may be tougher to execute.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "PCR" wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
>>>>>>>>>> while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
>>>>>>>>>> have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
>>>>>>>>>> giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine,
>>>>>>>>>> but is quite sluggish.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to
>>>>>>>>>> some of your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of
>>>>>>>>>> the suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to
>>>>>>>>>> dual boot and installed 98SE again on the spare partition.
>>>>>>>>>> The USB driver installed and runs just fine. No idea what the
>>>>>>>>>> heck was wrong last time.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has
>>>>>>>>>> born fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with
>>>>>>>>>> USB very happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same
>>>>>>>>>> machine that I am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At
>>>>>>>>>> the moment all the indications are looking good.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
>>>>>>>>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Thanks yet again for your help and support.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>> Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
>>>>>>>>>> Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
>>>>>>>>>> nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Thanks or Good Luck,
>>>>>>>>> There may be humor in this post, and,
>>>>>>>>> Naturally, you will not sue,
>>>>>>>>> Should things get worse after this,
>>>>>>>>> PCR
>>>>>>>>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my
>>>>>>> laptop is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my
>>>>>>> experience) there is a sort of internal "block" in the opening
>>>>>>> that has the contact fingers embedded into it, and the plug
>>>>>>> slides over that block. This one is just an open USB shaped hole,
>>>>>>> with the contact fingers standing naked, so to speak. That was
>>>>>>> why the contact was intermittent previously and I had all the
>>>>>>> trouble. I carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now it
>>>>>>> works every time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting
>>>>>>> a plug, as it would be very easy to "collide head on" with a
>>>>>>> contact finger and buckle it back into the socket. It works every
>>>>>>> time, but great care is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built
>>>>>>> like that before?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Not in my experiance, sounds like it has broken off. I have seen
>>>>>> that occur.
>>>>>> You can "fudge" one in by finding a plastic strip about the
>>>>>> thickness of the slot in the connector, trim to size and length,
>>>>>> and Super Glue [using forceps, needle-nose or other] back into the
>>>>>> socket. You'll still need to be careful as there are no side
>>>>>> protectors, but it does ensure the "fingers" don't get bent or
>>>>>> break.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> MEB
>>>>>
>>>>> I should have mentioned that the ports can generally be replaced
>>>>> IF
>>>>> you're handy with low watt soldering gun and understand the
>>>>> difficulties with working on laptops.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kycon or Molex will likely have a replacement.
>>>>>
>>>> After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I
>>>> can see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of
>>>> roughened plastic that looks as though something was broken off down
>>>> there. If so it was not awfully good engineering design at the
>>>> start. I might just have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic
>>>> piece some time, but in the meantime things are working so nicely
>>>> (as long as I use care in inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave
>>>> well alone. As far as replacing the socket goes, I was a radio tech
>>>> in our Air Force many years ago, and so I know all about fine
>>>> soldering on congested boards. But again, I think I will leave well
>>>> alone, as my hands at 63 years of age are not quite as steady as
>>>> they were back then. In the meantime the little laptop continues to
>>>> stroll along very well, and I have not had a blue screen in two days
>>>> now!
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, which are greatly
>>>> appreciated. You guys are the best!
>>>
>>> I can relate to that myopic eyesight,, swear I'm going to get one of
>>> those magnifying lens light one of these days... my guess is the
>>> boards are MUCH more congested than from your radio days. Maybe not
>>> though, likely a lot is
>>> now on one or two chips.
>>> Someone threw away a new Sanyo TV because they dropped it and cracked
>>> the board into three pieces,, took me three and a half months to
>>> trace and solder in all the wire replacement traces... works like a
>>> charm now, but it
>>> reminds me of an old prototype/experimental board with all the wires
>>> dangling underneath.. and that WITHOUT a schematic
>>>
>>> Well, anyway, the less times you disturb the connection the better...
>>> glad your back and chugging along nicely.
>>
>> I still remember Lee De Forest adding a grid to the vacuum tube to
>> make the first triode, so that amplification was possible, for the
>> first time.
>>
>
> Wow! What year was that? I remember our radio instructor in the air firce
> in
> 1969 telling us that little grid was the birth of all electronics.

Around the time of Teddy Roosevelt (one of our illustrious presidents), but
a bit after the sinking of the Titanic.

 

[J. P. Gilliver]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
[]
> After removing my glasses and peering myopically into the socket I can
> see between the root of each contact finger a tiny area of roughened
> plastic that looks as though something was broken off down there. If
> so it was not awfully good engineering design at the start. I might
> just have a go at glueing in a replacement plastic piece some time,
> but in the meantime things are working so nicely (as long as I use
> care in inserting plugs) I am tempted to leave well alone. As far as
> replacing the socket goes, I was a radio tech in our Air Force many
> years ago, and so I know all about fine soldering on congested
> boards. But again, I think I will leave well alone, as my hands at 63
[]
An alternative would be to use a short USB extension lead here, Poundland
sell (for a pound) a 4-port unpowered hub (I presume 1.1 at that price),
that comes with a short (looks like about 6") lead you could use this (and
discard or give away the hub if you don't want it - though thinking about it
your laptop's probably only USB 1.1 anyway). And maybe glue the plug in.
--
J. P. Gilliver | Tel. +44 1634 203298

 

[PCR]

Peter in New Zealand wrote:
| "PCR" <pcrrcp@netzero.net> wrote in
| news:#VDqMyU4IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:
|
|> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
|>| Dan wrote:
|>|> Thanks for sharing, Peter. It reminds me of how I was able to use
|>|> my current HP printer with Windows 2000 drivers because HP did not
|>|> offer 98 drivers anymore and I wanted to keep 98SE and did not want
|>|> to use potentially untrustworthy drivers that were not from the
|>|> manufacturer. It also makes me wonder if this workaround would
|>|> work with Windows XP drivers to 98 Second Edition but somehow even
|>|> if it did I think the processes in a workaround may be tougher to
|>|> execute.
|>|>
|>|> "PCR" wrote:
|>|>
|>|>> Peter in New Zealand wrote:
|>|>> | Hi everyone. After so many of you helped me so much recently
|>|>> | while I was trying to get USB operating reliably on 98 I just
|>|>> | have to tell you this. Several days ago I posted that I was
|>|>> | giving up and putting W2K on the laptop, which works fine, but
|>|>> | is quite sluggish.
|>|>> |
|>|>> | Well, I just can't seem to leave it alone. I went back to some
|>|>> | of your helpful posts in that old thread and used one of the
|>|>> | suggested links to download NUSB.EXE again. I set up to dual
|>|>> | boot and installed 98SE again on the spare partition. The USB
|>|>> | driver installed and runs just fine. No idea what the heck was
|>|>> | wrong last time.
|>|>> |
|>|>> | Anyway, I just wanted you to know that your offered help has
|>|>> | born fruit - finally, and I am currently running 98 SE with USB
|>|>> | very happily. It's so much snappier than 2K on the same machine
|>|>> | that I am hoping it will serve in the longer term. At the
|>|>> | moment all the indications are looking good.
|>|>>
|>|>> Yep, glad to hear it alright! I almost thought we were about to
|>|>> lose another one to a foreign OS!
|>|>>
|>|>> | Thanks yet again for your help and support.
|>|>> |
|>|>> | --
|>|>> | Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
|>|>> | Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee
|>|>> | nutter, and compulsive computer fiddler.
|>|>>
|>|>> --
|>|>> Thanks or Good Luck,
|>|>> There may be humor in this post, and,
|>|>> Naturally, you will not sue,
|>|>> Should things get worse after this,
|>|>> PCR
|>|>> pcrrcp@netzero.net
|>|>>
|>|>>
|>|>>
|>| One of the things that puzzles me is that the USB socket on my
|>| laptop is not like any other I have seen. Usually (in my
|>| experience) there is a sort of internal "block" in the opening that
|>| has the contact fingers embedded into it, and the plug slides over
|>| that block. This one is just an open USB shaped hole, with the
|>| contact fingers standing naked, so to speak. That was why the
|>| contact was intermittent previously and I had all the trouble. I
|>| carefully bent the contact fingers slightly and now it works every
|>| time. Mind you, I have to be *very* careful inserting a plug, as it
|>| would be very easy to "collide head on" with a contact finger and
|>| buckle it back into the socket. It works every time, but great care
|>| is needed. Has anyone seen a USB port built like that before?
|>
|> I can't see into my USB sockets well enough to know what it looks
|> like in there. Sounds like you've indentified a problem alright.
|> Carefully do as MEB suggested maybe. Glad you finally know what the
|> problem was & that you & your grandson will both be using Win98. Can
|> he have broken it when he was 8? Hurry up & find out-- the statute
|> of limitations is about to expire! He must be punished with 1000
|> RADS XP-exposure!
|
| Err, actually he's sitting just across the room from me as I type this
| playing some lethal car racing sim running on XP, so I guess he's a
| gone cookie! Meantime I'm doing this on the laptop with W98 chugging
| away happily. Why did I ever upgrade? (sheepish grin)

Oh, OK. I guess -- if he's already getting lethal XP-irradiation
burns -- it's a moot point whether he is guilty or not. You upgraded out
of impatience, thinking Win98 had an insolvable USB driver problem.
However, it is good you came back after discovering the real cause of
your USB problem to be a faulty connector.

Sounds like Gilliver may be on to something-- a refinement of MEB's
idea. (But I have no experience with that.)

| --
| Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)
| Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter,
| and compulsive computer fiddler.

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net