god damn dell!!

ok well i have a dell computer (model# 4550)and am tryign to use the usb mass storage device that came with it when we bought it new, but when i go to install the hardware for it, it come up with this:
The software you are installing for this hardware:
USB Mass Storage Device
has not passed Windows Logo testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP
__________________________________________________ _____
(different mesage after continueing after the first message)
there was a problem installing this hardware
USB Mass Storage Device
An error occurred during the installation of the device:
the driver cannot be installed becuase it is either not digally signed or not signed in the appropriate manner.
Contact your hardware vendor.

the device looks like this
http://img.dell.com/images/ca/segments/dhs/snp/usb_memkey.jpg

its a Dell 64MB USB Mass Storage Device

Check the dell website for updated drivers, use Windows Update.

Windows Update should definitely take care of that. It won't be a critical update, so you'll need to do a custom install.

I have a similar usb drive, and never had a problem.

Windows XP already comes with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 drivers. You shouldn't have to install any USB drivers to get it to work. Should be able to just plug it in. A Windows update though might help if there's any newer USB drivers available (service pack 2 should already take care of this).

As for whether the driver is digitally signed or not, that's usually something that you shouldn't worry about. There's plenty of drivers around that aren't. Most of the time it won't hurt anything.

Here's the most current BIOS for your Dell Dimension 4550 as well with Windows XP. Has some USB fixes in it that might help out.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P4_4550&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=308&devlib=1&category=0&releaseid=R67246

It's not a Dell problem, it's a Window's problem. Fucking Microsoft, will they ever get their shit straight?

well tried the windows updates and my computer screws up and cant find any and when i go to download the BIOS but it wouldnt download because it couldnt find a file called omic.sys (whatever that is) so it canceled the install.

well looks like my computer is fuked again might as well see if i can get it taken in and fixed or i will just try and get my mother to get a completely new computer (defently not a dell!!)

If you have service pack 2 installed, uninstall it. The majority of people you talk to will advise you to stay far away from it. Everyone I know, including myself, has had to reformat thanks to SP2.

If you have service pack 2 installed, uninstall it. The majority of people you talk to will advise you to stay far away from it. Everyone I know, including myself, has had to reformat thanks to SP2.

I haven't had any issues with SP2. I admin and maintain all the PC's at the house where I live (two are mine, the other two are my roommates') and they all have SP2. I didn't have any issues installing it or any problems thereafter on either PC. Been running SP2 on all the PC's here for almost a year without issues.

SP2 isn't a big deal if you're experienced enough to work with it. The problem is that the majority of PC owners aren't knowledgeable enough to ensure proper installation and maintenance of the software on their computers.

:1: I'm responsible for the security and general network/admin for 20+ PCs and all that are on XP are running SP2 no worries.

I haven't had any issues with SP2. I admin and maintain all the PC's at the house where I live (two are mine, the other two are my roommates') and they all have SP2. I didn't have any issues installing it or any problems thereafter on either PC. Been running SP2 on all the PC's here for almost a year without issues.

SP2 isn't a big deal if you're experienced enough to work with it. The problem is that the majority of PC owners aren't knowledgeable enough to ensure proper installation and maintenance of the software on their computers.
I am knowledgeable. I've installed it numerous times. The first 2 or three it worked great. It actually improved my pc's performance and i loved it. The last two times I installed it, it completely fucked up my computer.

I am knowledgeable. I've installed it numerous times. The first 2 or three it worked great. It actually improved my pc's performance and i loved it. The last two times I installed it, it completely fucked up my computer.

I wasn't implying you weren't. :smile: Just a general example. As for why SP2 didn't work for you the last couple times, well, it's a Microsoft product. I wouldn't expect any less from their software. :p

I wasn't implying you weren't. :smile: Just a general example. As for why SP2 didn't work for you the last couple times, well, it's a Microsoft product. I wouldn't expect any less from their software. :p
I knew you were gonna think I took it the wrong way. Not at all. I knew you were just explaining a generalization. I'm sure that I'm no where near as knowledgeable as you and many others, that's a fact. Yep, microsoft is the devil.

It has borked up on a client's machine on me before. Got halfway through the install, the whole thing hangs, I reboot and get absolutely nada. Can't boot, can't restore. Ugly.

DAMN! You know, I just spent 3 hours on the line with my dad tonight, because he just unstalled an update for his XP, and it killed his internet abilities. He was still able to get an IP address from his ISP, and they had no problems commmunicating with his router. So, I said "Let's try to use the Windows XP disc to repair the installation," figuring the update mucked something up -- and in the past I've had no problems reinstalling and repairing operating systems from the disc. BIG MISTAKE. Needless to say, my dad now has an operating system that can't load, but won't get past the setup process either, because it halts the installation telling him that it detected a "crash from a previous upgrade" and won't continue, however it did do enough file damage during setup to where (as previously mentioned) the OS can't boot on its own anymore. All his files are still there, but the OS is phucked. We could (hopefully) just get away with a clean install of the OS, but it warns him that it could delete the My Documents folder, which is completely retarded since I've never EVER experienced that in the past with OS reinstalls. Now I feel like an ass as well, because it seems like everything I had him try only culminated in this deeper pile of crap. On the other hand, he had (prior to calling me) went over every possible setting (that could have been effected by the update) with a tech support guy from his ISP, and I'm A+ certified with IT schooling and an AS degree, so I'm no noob myself. In the end, I blame Microsoft, just like always. Why? Because they are a shitty excuse for a business, and I'm still to this day in awe of how Bill Gates managed to saturate the world with such an utterly horrible line of products, and if anything goes wrong with those products, well, if you aren't computer savvy, you had better expect to pay out the ass for Microsoft tech support (and it'll probably be delivered to you in broken English to boot.) I can only hope that what they say is true, and Firefox is quickly gaining ground on IE to the point where Microsoft is rethinking its strategy for the browser. Let's hope this is the beginning of something better -- the end of Microsoft tyranny. Go opensource!

^^^^

Something similar happened to my dad's computer where the OS wouldn't boot and he had a lot of importent files. so we got another HDD installed win XP and put the other HDD with the phucked up OS as the slave drive. Got the Files and formatted the original HDD. Now he just uses 2 HDDs as a backup system.