Unable to remove hidden device in device manager
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From: mario on 9 May 2007 12:04 I tried to install a Netgear wpn111 wireless USB adapter. The installation failed. I ran the Netgear uninstallation routine and tried to re-install the wpn111. XP will not detect the device. I called Netgear - no help. I noticed that the adapter still appears in the device manager as a hidden device. When I try to remove it using the device manager, I get the error message: "Failed to uninstall the device. The device may be required to boot up the computer." I removed the USB device from the boot list in the BIOS but the device manager still won't let me delete the Netgear device. I tried to remove it from the registry and got an error when I tried to delete the key. I tried this on two machines with the same results. Is there a way to remove the device so I can try to reinstall it?
From: Lem on 9 May 2007 12:42 mario wrote: > I tried to install a Netgear wpn111 wireless USB adapter. The installation > failed. I ran the Netgear uninstallation routine and tried to re-install the > wpn111. XP will not detect the device. I called Netgear - no help. I > noticed that the adapter still appears in the device manager as a hidden > device. When I try to remove it using the device manager, I get the error > message: "Failed to uninstall the device. The device may be required to boot > up the computer." I removed the USB device from the boot list in the BIOS > but the device manager still won't let me delete the Netgear device. I tried > to remove it from the registry and got an error when I tried to delete the > key. I tried this on two machines with the same results. > Is there a way to remove the device so I can try to reinstall it? You can try uninstalling in Safe Mode, or you can try going into your BIOS and making sure that any "boot from network" option is disabled. Neither of these suggestions worked for me when I had a similar problem. You can also try the following KB article, although my notes say that it "may be not entirely accurate for XP". If you do try this, be sure to back up your registry first. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/147797/EN-US/ The only way I was able to deal with this issue was to do a System Restore to a point before the problem arose. -- Lem MS MVP -- Networking To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
From: Lem on 9 May 2007 12:46 mario wrote: > I tried to install a Netgear wpn111 wireless USB adapter. The installation > failed. I ran the Netgear uninstallation routine and tried to re-install the > wpn111. XP will not detect the device. I called Netgear - no help. I > noticed that the adapter still appears in the device manager as a hidden > device. When I try to remove it using the device manager, I get the error > message: "Failed to uninstall the device. The device may be required to boot > up the computer." I removed the USB device from the boot list in the BIOS > but the device manager still won't let me delete the Netgear device. I tried > to remove it from the registry and got an error when I tried to delete the > key. I tried this on two machines with the same results. > Is there a way to remove the device so I can try to reinstall it? Sorry, I didn't fully read your post. I see you have already tried to deal with the boot list as well as removing the device from the registry. Try removing it from the registry while in Safe Mode, and see if that works. Otherwise, System Restore (or restore from a disk image) may be your best options. -- Lem MS MVP -- Networking To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
From: mario on 9 May 2007 13:26 I tried to remove it in safe mode using both regedit and the device manager. I get the same errors. Mario "Lem" wrote: > mario wrote: > > I tried to install a Netgear wpn111 wireless USB adapter. The installation > > failed. I ran the Netgear uninstallation routine and tried to re-install the > > wpn111. XP will not detect the device. I called Netgear - no help. I > > noticed that the adapter still appears in the device manager as a hidden > > device. When I try to remove it using the device manager, I get the error > > message: "Failed to uninstall the device. The device may be required to boot > > up the computer." I removed the USB device from the boot list in the BIOS > > but the device manager still won't let me delete the Netgear device. I tried > > to remove it from the registry and got an error when I tried to delete the > > key. I tried this on two machines with the same results. > > Is there a way to remove the device so I can try to reinstall it? > > Sorry, I didn't fully read your post. I see you have already tried to > deal with the boot list as well as removing the device from the > registry. Try removing it from the registry while in Safe Mode, and see > if that works. Otherwise, System Restore (or restore from a disk image) > may be your best options. > > -- > Lem MS MVP -- Networking > > To the moon and back with 64 Kbits of RAM and 512 Kbits of ROM. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer >
From: Pavel A. on 9 May 2007 15:06
"mario" wrote: > I tried to remove it in safe mode using both regedit and the device manager. > I get the same errors. Yes, failed driver installation can leave an unremovable "phantom". It isn't in any way related to bios settings, network boot and so on. But it is strange that this happens to you on WinXP - this was usual on win2k, but in XP they fixed this so that phantoms can be easily deleted in dev. manager (you can't do this with regedit... sorry ) Anyway, if the device is plugged again, a phantom usually does not prevent XP from detecting it. IMHO your case is pretty unusual, no wonder that Netgear support can't help. Have you tried system restore as Lem advised? Are you sure that this driver is really for XP and not for win98 or win2k? Regards, --PA |