TV Tuner on Computer Problems

When you try your wife's computer, do you connect it at the same point as yours? I.e., could there be a wiring problem to the point you connect your computer?

Thanks, In both cases, I installed the driver, plugged it in the USB then installed the program as instructed. It did mention in the instructions not to change USB. I also checked it under "Device Manager" and there are no errors there. I have tried several USBs on my computer, that work fine for other devices, reinstalling the driver first each time.

Tony

You mentioned an antenna on the roof. You must have (antenna) wiring from that antenna to your computer, and to your wife's computer. I'm assuming those are two different locations. My question relates to whether there is a chance that the antenna wiring to your computer is the problem.

Did you connect your wife's computer to the antenna at the same where you connect your computer?

In addition to #3, try connecting a DVD player (or VCR, or video game, etc) to the antenna input of the tuner. If that works, then you know the problem is outside of your computer.

Yes, her computer is 2 meters away, I didn't disconnect the cable.

Thanks Tony

Ok, thanks!

I just re-read your post and realize I didn't read it carefully enough the first time--and so now I went and looked up the Compro U500 and see that it is one of those external tuners that you plug into a USB port.

So, iiuc, you only have one of those devices: when you plug it into her computer it works, and when you plug it into your computer it doesn't (even though you have the software installed).

Is there any chance the USB port on your computer is bad? Or loose?

Otherwise, you may be approaching the maintenance step that I used to use regularly (about every 6 months) when I lived in the Microsoft world--you may have to reinstall XP in hopes of getting things working again.

I hope somebody will have a better solution / suggestion for you.

Thanks rhkramer

I've tried other USB ports that have had other devices in, reinstalling the driver each time, no success.

Is it possible to reinstall XP Pro over the existing or do I have to start again and reinstall all my programs?

You're welcome!

I hesitate to give you advice about reinstalling XP, as I rarely touch Windows anymore.

Hopefully someone else will jump in. I used to make special reinstall disks (well, ghost images of my disk with applications installed) to make my every six months exercise easier. I moved my data files out of the way first, then reinstalled them afterwards.

You might want to prepare such a set of images after you get XP and the video module working again.

You can try to use the repair function built into XP, but it has rarely worked on any computer I have ever tried it on. If you have a restore disk from your computers manufacturer, you may not have this option. You need to have a bootable version of XP on the install disk to get to the Windows Repair.

Here's a quick link I found that describes the process. I cannot vouch for it since I just looked for a quick one:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/

Most uninstallations unfortunatelly do not leave the system exactly as they found it. And I do not mean just a few extra files and folders and a few Kbytes in registry. I mean semi crippled, slower and quite often unable to do things it did before. And this policy more unfortunatelly is accepted if not promoted by microbloat. Some jeniouses there think that if problems like that will stress you enough you will be forced to buy their new O.S. version. As far as I'm concirned they have another thing coming. S.M.

I used system restore and removed it from the registry to try and minimise that problem.

Thanks Tony

May I suggest the Registry Cleaner, one of the Norton Utilities? It's a nice cleanup tool for both installations and uninstalls. Removing an application folder from the Registry is a drastic step, but unfortunately it is sometimes necessary.

I have used an earlier version of the utility (called "WinDoctor" in that incarnation) on a Windows 95 machine for ten years, and am a believer. That computer never crashes!

Good luck with your project.

TV stations are now broadcasting digitally. TVs on antennas today need a converter box. Without one you only get static. The laptop may have one built in.

StandardsGuy, He's in Australia. They haven't fully switched over to digital.

Thanks

We are digital and analogue currently, the analogue will be switched off in 2-3 years. The same antenna picked up digital stations previously and is used for our digital TV.

The only difference is my reinstalling the software, which has taken it from working to no stations, but able to pick up stations on another computer, same device, same connection, same software, same antenna and lead, both M/S XP.

One thing nobody has mensioned yet is the standards settings of your tuner. Check to see if it's PAL or NTSC. It may have defaulted to standards that don't match your area. I have a similar device and it defaults to European broadcast standards.

There should be a settings program for it either in the control panel or in the Programs menu.

Hi

Remove all Tv tuner related hardware from your computer (cabels, tuner etc) then

try 3 things:

1: clean your laptop usb insertion point with some cleaning liquid. 3 years time is enough to grow carbon on contact points.

2: Open registery editor of winxp ( command is regedit) . Search for u500 or full name of your tv tuner, if you find any keys with those name inside, DELETE them. If some of those searched keys do not give you permission to delete, ignore them and search further and delete them. Now " if " some are left due to permissions

3: then reboot to safe mode, and repeat step 2.

Reboot. Then shutdown, insert your hardward again and install the driver as if it detected by windows xp.

Happy watching.

Have fun.

PLEASE, back up the registry before attempting manual editing.

And... Know how to restore the backup.

Hooker

Try to remember if you had installed some software when it stopped working. Also double check you have the correct cable system in setting or option. Sometime installation got funny and pick up wrong region and setting. I used similar tuner for a long time and found them to have problem from time to time. It looks like you have some software preventing the tuner from working.

Or maybe the cable is attached to the output? Just thinkin'.