XP Says It's Busy Installing Hardware

Whenever I try installing any new Hardware, using the Add Hardware Wizard, after a few seconds a message comes up saying something like "Windows is busy installing hardware, wait until that task is completed then try again "

This means you can't even plug in a Memory Stick, as presumably the automatic hardware finder can't tell it's there.

What can I do?!

 

Look in device manager (start->run->devmgmt.msc) and look for any problem hardware (Question Marks/Exclamation Marks)

If you find any then right click and uninstall, then restartt your system.

Roger,

If this is your main system then it would be helpful if you add your system details to your profile. Please click on the link and follow those instructions it could save some time when resolving this or further issues.

 

Everything looks fine in Device Manager, already checked that

No, this is my daughter's IBM Laptop . . . . plus I haven't put my details as I have 4 PCs that I use here, all different ages and operating systems

 

No problem,

Have you tried system restore to a point before this started happening?

Only other suggestion I have is to strip the computer to bare minimum (remove all USB/PCMCIA devices etc), start up in safe mode and uninstall all H/W from device manager (obviously make sure you have drivers available).

If you post model number and any details of currently and previous attached hardware of the laptop in this thread it may help.

 

Many thanks for the suggestions . . . but I've tried a System Restore but it made no difference

And the problem is that being a laptop I can't get inside to physically remove any hardware . . and nothing extra has been added, it's as it came from the factory

The Laptop is with my daughter at the moment, so can't post details of model etc . . .

But I was hoping someone may have had a similar problem and could suggest something to try if I get it back from her (in all other respects it's working fine)

I've never seen this problem EVER on any machine, of it thinking it's still in the middle of installing some Hardware !

 

OK

I never asked you to, USB/PCMCIA are external devices

You've already mentioned a memory stick, so at least one device has been tried

Let's leave it for now then untill you have this information.

 

Yes but it has hardware devices inside, like graphics, sound card, a modem, a wireless transceiver, etc etc . . none of which I can physically remove!

Nothing else (external) has been installed, just tried to use a memory stick, which as I say, it won't even recognise as it says it's busy installing hardware !

Hope someone has come across this before and can help

 

Again, I never asked you to.

So there's a chance it's the memory stick and not the laptop that's at fault?

Try the stick in another system and try other USB devices in the IBM laptop, please let us know the results.

 

No it's not a faulty stick . . . plus I've tried other memory sticks

Even without anything plugged in, if you run the Add Hardware Wizard, and ask it to Search for new hardware, the dialogue box opens that says it can't as it's in the middle of installing hardware.

 

Try Safe Mode and perhaps it will be able to complete.

If not, try uninstalling all usb controllers from Device manager and let Windows reinstall them.