"Unknown Device" living in my Device Manager!

Unknown Devices will make you old before your time!!!

Hi Matt, First of all, I went on the MSI Live Update Online site and I ran the program! Well all I can tell is different are the new Icons on my desktop and the little information programs they take you to. Everything works ok so I must not have hurt anything! Yes!!! It's still there! This Unknown Device is immortal!! I also took off the side cover and guess what I found? There is 3 aliens living in there!!! ha,ha,ha..Seriously here is what you wanted, P4MFM Rev : 1.0 I hope this helps, it's all I could find. Next, what did you mean when you asked me, " I expect you used the "Search Online" on the Add Hardware Wizard when looking for the drivers? I have tried everyway I can think of to have that option come up, what am I doing wrong? Next, The only description of the unknown device that I found is as follows.............. (On location, on Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC). The list it is on is the System Devices list on the Device Manager. It also has this, Resourse Type, IRQ 09 ACPI_HAL_PNP0C08\0. Hope some of this helps, I will be waiting to hear from you. Thanks, Jim Oh, by the way I was shocked when I saw you were in Australia! This is really a long way to go to get a computer fixed. ha,ha. One day before I die I would love to visit your country. I think it looks awesome.

 

P4MFM is a Jetway motherboard. About the best information I can find is here:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=P4MFM-R&cat=MBB&cpc=JAD
You may want to make a record of those specifications.

http://www.jetway.com.tw/jw/downloadshow.asp?productid=P4MFM#
See the drivers tab, apart from the chipset drivers (which you already have) there are only the sound and VGA, the device should be covered by one of those The drivers are in Zip folders, unzip (decompress) them and look for instructions. You may need to direct the Add Hardware wizard to the decompressed files.

If you want to run the Add Hardware wizard, right-click on the unknown device in Device Manager. You can select Update Driver and will see the "allow Windows to search online" option. I use "No, not this time ". I (we) generally find it is best to select Uninstall, restart the computer and use the Add Hardware wizard that runs when Windows starts.

Yes, come and visit. Try to leave any computer problems at home

Matt

 

I downloaded and looked at the chipset drivers. There appears to be other drivers included in that download.

You could try running the Add Hardware wizard (update or uninstall the unknown hardware's driver in Device Manager) and direct the wizard to the extracted chipset files
or
try running the chipset driver installer. The instructions are the Readme.htm file.

Matt

 

Unknown Devices can cause grey hair and Isanity!!!!!

Hi Matt, bet you thought you were rid of me eh? Well I have been trying your last ideas with no success. I can't believe with all we have tried that we can't fix this stupid thing! Do you think I should just reformat and be done with it? Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to do that! I'm just going to tinker with it for the rest of tonight. As always thanks alot and if you have any ideas you know where I am. JIM

 

No problem Jim.

I would be very certain that reformatting will leave you in the same condition or worse.

Give me/us some more information about what you carried out.

Did you extract the contents of the zip file? If you just double-click them it only shows you the contents, you need to select Extract. It should create a new folder with the all the extracted files.

If you ran the installers, go to Device Manager, right-click on the unknown device and select Uninstall. Now, restart the system. The Add New Hardware wizard will run. At this point, you can can take different avenues. There are many so I will not go into each. I expect you just click through them, but you will need to start using the other (advanced) selections (double -check the instructions for guidelines). Watch the information at the top of the wizard boxes for what hardware it is looking for. It has put the device under System Devices so it can partially identify it. If you can tell us what type of drivers it is looking for, that could help. Check the wizard boxes carefully. Repeat all these processes (or use the Back button) to try different options. [At the least, you will improve your experience.]

No, if you run out of options, do a "Repair Reinstall ". If you installed those drivers, the repair should install the correct ones. To do it, boot to the Windows CD, go through the installation until you "accept the agreement" (Eula) and then you will see the option "Repair the current install of Windows ". Just make sure the data has been backed-up.

Since Windows thinks it is a System Device, I don't expect it is "added" hardware, but has all added hardware has been disconnected?

Matt

 

Unknown Devices are not permitted to have babies!!!!

Hi Matt, just wanted to let you know I am trying your last suggestions but no success yet. HEY!!!!!!!! DID I WRITE THIS ALREADY???? I am trying real hard to find something new to tell you. How about this? Should there be two "Media Control Devices" showing up in the Hardware section of Sounds and Audio Properties? This is what is in the Driver Files window of the Driver Files Details section of the Unknown Device Properties. The File version listed is (5.1.2600.2180 xp_sp2), then (C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\ACPI.sys) It also Shows it to be located in the Systems Devices. This number was also in the driver files, ACPI_HAL\PNP0C08\0. DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL HELP? I HOPE IT DOES! Thanks, Jim Oh yeah, that file version is the SP2 I installed.

 

Try booting into Safe Mode and uninstalling the unknown device there.

I presume you have been able to extract and install those drivers.

ACPI is intricately involved with the BIOS. You have not tried upgrading the BIOS on this machine?? [I presume the motherboard is a Jetway from that model number, apparently it does not state the manufacturer, I would want to be completely sure before I flashed the BIOS].

Check those pictures at geeks.com I linked to. Does the motherboard look exactly the same? Does the "Magic Install" disk look the same?

Did you try the Repair Reinstall? You say "I am trying your last suggestions ". You will need to tell us exactly what you tried, if you notice any changes, if the problem changes or the system improves. They might give us some leads.

Try uninstalling the device in safe mode. If necessary, direct the hardware wizard to the chipset files you have extracted.

Matt
BTW, good detective work on the ACPI, it seems to be the area we should concentrate on.

 

Hey Matt, The Unknown Device Has Been Found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ding-Dong the Device was found, which Old Device, the Unknown Device, Ding-Dong the Unown Device is KNOWN! ha,ha,ha. Hey Matt, guess what I found? That's right buddy, the Unknown Device! I was going to do the Repair Reinstall you suggested. I was also thinking about what you said (GOOD DETECTIVE WORK ON THE ACPI, THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING). So as I was thinking about every clue having ACPI written in it, I realized that in the Driver Details the file version (5.1.2600.2180 xpsp..sp2.. etc...) which is a Service Pack 2 file, was always there too! So I decided to try a Repair Reinstall on the SP2 before I uninstalled it in order to do the Repair Reinstall on the Windows XP. I didn't know if it would work or not but I had nothing to lose. As I was doing the repair, actually I was just reinstalling it over the old SP2, I recieved a Virus found warning! It said something like.... ( a virus or trojan horse has been detected in the Device file for the systems device, ( Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Sytem )!!! That's right! It's the no good, dirty rotten, low life, Unknown Device we have been hunting! WOW! So I figured I would run a virus cleaner I had and uninstall the SP2, and Reinstall it. Well there it was, right where it was suppose to be, the device that just about done me in! (MICROSOFT ACPI-COMPLIANT SYSTEM), a systems device. Well my computer has never worked this good. I don't know how or where I got the problem but I know I would never have found it without your guidence Matt. Thank You, and everyone at Windows BBS. I'll be back! Jim

 

Hey Matt, The Unknown Device Has Been Found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ding-Dong the Device was found, which Old Device, the Unknown Device, Ding-Dong the Unown Device is KNOWN! ha,ha,ha. Hey Matt, guess what I found? That's right buddy, the Unknown Device! I was going to do the Repair Reinstall you suggested. I was also thinking about what you said (GOOD DETECTIVE WORK ON THE ACPI, THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING). So as I was thinking about every clue having ACPI written in it, I realized that in the Driver Details the file version (5.1.2600.2180 xpsp..sp2.. etc...) which is a Service Pack 2 file, was always there too! So I decided to try a Repair Reinstall on the SP2 before I uninstalled it in order to do the Repair Reinstall on the Windows XP. I didn't know if it would work or not but I had nothing to lose. As I was doing the repair, actually I was just reinstalling it over the old SP2, I recieved a Virus found warning! It said something like.... ( a virus or trojan horse has been detected in the Device file for the systems device, ( Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Sytem )!!! That's right! It's the no good, dirty rotten, low life, Unknown Device we have been hunting! WOW! So I figured I would run a virus cleaner I had and uninstall the SP2, and Reinstall it. Well there it was, right where it was suppose to be, the device that just about done me in! (MICROSOFT ACPI-COMPLIANT SYSTEM), a systems device. Well my computer has never worked this good. I don't know how or where I got the problem but I know I would never have found it without your guidence Matt. Thank You, and everyone at Windows BBS. I'll be back! Jim

 

Well lol its almost a MSI :

an Elitegroup (ECS) model P4M266-8233 system board, Award bios ID 04/30/2002
So goto the ECS site for the right drivers

 

Huh???????????????????????lol

Well Bronan lol it's almost an ECS, Turns out it is neither an MSI or an ECS! It is a Jetway motherboard, model number P4MFM. The number is on the board. It also has Jetway Bios. The machine is working fine now