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Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 12:38

Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 12:38
When I double click on install hardware on my control panel a message appears saying

" You can install only one device at a time. Another device installation is underway, when it is finished you can try this wizard again"

However I am not installing anything, I cant get anything I plug into a USB slot recognised such as ipod or new mouse.  Any advice?
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: Sandra on July 21, 2006, 12:57
Hi Gaz and :welcome:

Have a look in your device manager and see if there is anything showing with yellow ! or ? that your pc may be trying to install and see if you can fix that problem.

If everythings ok then click on Action and select Scan for Hardware changes and see if that shows any new or uninstalled devices.

If that doesnt help then plug your device into the USB port and reboot your pc, that should detect it and start the installing process.

I assume that your USB ports are working with USB devices that were already connected before this problem occurred ?
If nothing works on the USB ports at all then check in the BIOS that the USB controllers are enabled.
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 14:14
Thanks for your help I'll give that lot a try
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 14:17
Quote from: "Sandra"
Hi Gaz and :welcome:

Have a look in your device manager and see if there is anything showing with yellow ! or ? that your pc may be trying to install and see if you can fix that problem.

If everythings ok then click on Action and select Scan for Hardware changes and see if that shows any new or uninstalled devices.

If that doesnt help then plug your device into the USB port and reboot your pc, that should detect it and start the installing process.

I assume that your USB ports are working with USB devices that were already connected before this problem occurred ?
If nothing works on the USB ports at all then check in the BIOS that the USB controllers are enabled.


This is gonna sound stupid but how do I get to device manager? :blush:
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 14:20
Sorry found it had a lapse of memory there
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 21, 2006, 14:37
Tried all of the above without success apart from the bios, what am I looking for in bios and what should it be set at?
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: Sandra on July 21, 2006, 15:05
Ok it will be in the onboard devices or maybe peripherals.
It could be under the Advanced part as well depending on the make and version of your bios.

It should say something like USB Host controllers and will have options for enable or disable.
It needs to be set to enable.

Does anything work in your USB ports at the moment as it will be enabled if something is working on them ?
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: gazt1976 on July 22, 2006, 20:26
According to the bios USB is enabled.  Tonight I tried to install PC suite software for my mobile phone but it said that hardware installation wizard is open and I had to close it before continuing but the problem is that the hardware wizard is not open as far as I can see.  It must be opening by itself, how would I make sure it was closed?
I also went into device manager and under the yellow question mark was samsung which is my monitor I selected that and it updated the drivers and the yellow ? is no longer there but which I click on wizard it is still saying it is installing something else
Title: Hardware wizard
Post by: Simon on July 23, 2006, 00:07
Found this on another forum - might be worth a try, but please don't skip step 1, in case you need to restore the registry:-

Click Start->Run, type "regedit" in the Open box, and click OK.

1. Make backup copy of registry (File > Export)

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Setup"

3. If there is any key or values named "FactoryPreInstallInProgress", right click and delete it.

Reboot, and hopefully that should do it.