GEEK QUESTION

[vicarz]

To be deleted when I figure this out:

I got a Dell memory stick, 128 mb, that plugs into the usb port of any old computer. When I plug it in, the system detects it and adds an icon in the bottom tray telling me to click it if I want to 'safely remove the hardware.' It does NOT pop up on any sort of folders view - I can't see it in any area where I might do something like...drag and copy files to it!?

Now...how the hell do I copy files to it? I was thinking it would show up like an extra drive shows up, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

Where do I find this silly thing?

Comments

[elvenfrost.livejournal.com]

It should be in Add/Remove or in hardware.

Go to my computer and look in hardware. Ergh or is it system and look in hardware? Something like that. It should be there. Hmmm...I'm leaving out a step. You may have to create a folder for it.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Actually it auto-detects it, so that's a good idea but doesn't seem to be the problem. I plugged it into someone's laptop, and it instantly popped it up on the "Folders" screen under drives in "My Computer."

The problem seems to be unique to this particular computer. Grr!

[seditiouscanary.livejournal.com]

Which version if Windows are you running?

Older versions are flaky when it comes to USB stuff and may not realize it's a USC Drive. It's it's Windows XP, ME or 2KPro, you should be OK as long as you are current on drivers and service packs.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

It's windows XP, and it's current on drivers etc. I even let it auto-check the usb drivers specifically, and it declared that it had the most recent ones.

I'm going to try it at home, and if it works there then I'll just chalk it up to the low-bidder computer system at work and ask our IT people to figure it out.

Oops.

[elvenfrost.livejournal.com]

I thought that you were trying to trouble shoot what to do on your system not is it supposed to auto-detect. I'll just shut up now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

Usually it will show up as a removable drive under "My Computer". If it doesn't, you probably need to install a driver.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Drivers up and the thing works at home no problem. Must be the gummint cpu

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

It's possible that the system policy doesn't let non-administrators add hardware.