TT C1501 stopped working!

[Confused Stu]

OK, I always seem to bring strange problems to this forum, so let's continue that trend!

Last night I tried to update the drivers to the newest version, but the PC said it couldn't find any compatible drivers. So I uninstalled the existing ones and now it wouldn't let me install either. After an hour of messing about with it, I got sick of it and used it as an excuse for a reinstall.

The problem is that now (post wipe and reinstall) it won't let me install ANY drivers! Trying to install drivers from the download file or the original disk just tells me it couldn't find any drivers. I've forced it to install the right driver, but it then sits there at "device unable to start (code 10).

Have so far tried 2 different PCI slots, two reinstalls (once installing pre-SP1 and one post SP1) and 2 sets of drivers, but the card refuses to come back to life. The last attempt I only had Vista 32 and the motherboard drivers installed so can't think it's a conflict.

Has anyone run across anything similar, or can think of anything I can try to get the damn card to accept it's own drivers and come back to life? Thanks.

[CrashUK]

sound like dead pci card. Try cleaning the pci slots they get full of dust.

Try the pci card on a other computer see if it works. have you done a clean install of windows and have you reset the bios. Try the stuff below before giveing up

1. If hardware stops working in windows I would just uninstall the driver and restart the system windows will reinstall that driver from the driver cache.. 9 times out of 10 this will fix it..

2. Reset BIOS and look in Device Manager see of any thing is in red.

3. Deable any thing your not using in BIOS e.g. Printer ports, some times you can be using the same IRQ for 2 or more pci cards this can stop them working..

4.. Try removeing any hardware not needed from your system.

5. Reinstall all the hardware and only add back what you need to test your pci card that is not working.

[Confused Stu]

Originally Posted by CrashUK

sound like dead pci card. Try cleaning the pci slots they get full of dust.

Try the pci card on a other computer see if it works. have you done a clean install of windows and have you reset the bios. Try the stuff below before giveing up

1. If hardware stops working in windows I would just uninstall the driver and restart the system windows will reinstall that driver from the driver cache.. 9 times out of 10 this will fix it..

2. Reset BIOS and look in Device Manager see of any thing is in red.

3. Deable any thing your not using in BIOS e.g. Printer ports, some times you can be using the same IRQ for 2 or more pci cards this can stop them working..

4.. Try removeing any hardware not needed from your system.

5. Reinstall all the hardware and only add back what you need to test your pci card that is not working.

Thanks for the reply CrashUK.

Haven't thought of checking for dust in the PCI (rookie mistake!). Will check tonight. Brought the card into work today to try on a standalone PC. Knew they're all half-height PCI but thought that'd be OK if I leave the top off while testing - but the backplate top level fouls the aeriel input so I can't try it! D'oh! Guess I'll try it at home with my gaming PC later on.

1. First thing I tried was uninstalling the driver. Windows wasn't able to reinstall the driver either automatically or manually pointing it at the CD or downloaded driver folder. Since then I've formatted the drive and reinstalled Windows twice, both times the PC is unable to load drivers for the card. First time I tried with SP1 installed, second time without SP1 installed - same result both times.

2. BIOS hasn't changed since it was working (and had been working for about 3 months). Will try resetting it anyway. In Device Manager, Multimedia Controller shows with yellow question mark for this card. Nothing else shows yellow question mark or red.

3. Everything unused on this PC has been disabled in the BIOS since I first built in a few months back.

4. The only hardware on the system (apart from motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, PSU, etc) is two floppyDTV C/CI's and the front panel LCD. Nothing new has been added to the PC for about a month or so and the card was working up to two days ago.

5. Last time I tried installing the TT drivers straight after installing Vista, motherboard drivers, and graphics drivers. Didn't install any other drivers in case they were causing a conflict, but no luck.

The other thing I've tried is to update driver, select from the drivers on the PC, force Windows to show all drivers irrespective of if it thinks it's the right one, then navigate to the CD (or the downloaded driver folder) and force it to use the Technotrend C1501 driver. This then got the card showing as a C1501 on Device Manager, but it reports the device cannot start - Code 10. Looking this up on the web shows Code 10 is a generic failure code when a particular message isn't specified! Helpful!

I'll try the card tonight in another PC, but this definitely isn't looking promising.

[Confused Stu]

OK, card doesn't work in:

• my HTPC with a fresh install of Vista32,
• my HTPC with a fresh install of Vista32 with SP1,
• my HTPC with a fresh install of Vista64 with SP1;
• my mate's PC with Vista32 installed
• another mate's PC with XP installed

In each case, it shows under Device Manager as a "Multimedia controller" but will not accept that any of the drivers I've got are for it.

Seeing as it's been working for the past 5 months, I've no idea how I've broken it!

Just looked over DVBShop and their page says any problems with Technotrend products need to be mailed to a particular address, so I've emailed them for help/advice/possibly RMA?

Ho hum, these HTPC things are fun!

[HONCHO]

you should contact the manufacter direct bro if its faulty eh

but did you try to install drivers via safe mode @ all

[dmck]

"Seeing as it's been working for the past 5 months, I've no idea how I've broken it!"

Hey Stu,
Sounds like the card has overheated and died.

D

[Confused Stu]

Maybe it was the card's final revenge for the swearing I did at it when I was setting up my HTPC in the first place!!

Anyway, bought a new C1501 and HTPC is back happy and working (kids no longer moaning). Have emailed TT a couple of times about replacing the broken one (no response yet).

Thinking about it, the last thing I did before it broke was I tried the new file "update BDA data" - wonder if that was kind of a firmware update and I killed it? Ho hum, lesson learned.