1. Windows® Versions - Make sure the operating system is Windows 98SE or higher. When using Windows 98SE, make sure the proper drivers are installed. (right click here and select "save as" to download the Windows 98SE driver.) If you do not know what Windows® operating system version you are using, go to your Control Panel, click on System and view the info on the General tab.
2. USB Cabling - Make sure the USB cable fits properly. The cable should be firmly in place, but not so tight force must be used to plug in. If the cable's connector or the computer's port is damaged, the cable may be loose. A loose cable will cause erratic behavior in any USB device.
3. USB Port Conflict or Other Problem – Some USB ports on the front panel of a desktop tower or machine do not support peripheral devices like File Transfer for Dummies. This is due to poor wiring/shielding from the motherboard. This is particularly true of older desktops. Try inserting File Transfer for Dummies in a rear USB port.
4. USB Hubs
   • Hub Overloading - If using a USB hub, and other devices are connected to that hub, there may not be enough power to power all the devices. While the computer's USB port supplies plenty of power for File Transfer for Dummies by itself, sometimes even powered hubs can be overwhelmed by power hungry devices such as USB hard drives, external CD drives, tape drives, etc. Before doing anything else, try removing some, or all other devices from the hub. Then unplug and re-connect File Transfer for Dummies Tool.
    
   • Test Hub – If you are using a USB hub, check the hub itself, it may be the cause of the problem. Unplug the hub from the computer, then plug File Transfer for Dummies directly to the computer. Try using a different computer USB port.
5. Older Machines – When connecting to an older machine, keep in mind older machines are much slower and require patience. Try waiting a few minutes after you plug in the tool before you decide that something is wrong.
6. System Busy – Sometimes a computer is busy doing something in the background. The computer may fail to notice a change in USB devices. To test this, wait until the computer is no longer busy, unplug File Transfer for Dummies Tool, count to ten, plug the File Transfer for Dummies Tool back in.

1. Navigate to the "Device Manager".
   • Windows XP or 2000 – click "Start"; click "Run"; type in "devmgmt.msc" and hit enter.
   • Windows 98 – right click on "My Computer"; click on the "Device Manager" tab.
2. Locate USB – Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers, click on the little plus sign inside the square to expand.
 
3. Inspect USB Icons – Look at the icon next to each item listed under the "Universal Serial Bus Controllers".
   • Red X – When a red X on the icon is present, either the USB hardware is missing or has been disabled.
   • Exclamation – When an exclamation point is present in the USB hardware, a conflict has occurred on the Computer.
   • Question Mark – When a question mark is present in the USB hardware, the entry is unknown and Windows® does not know how to deal with it.
   If any of the above three situations occur in the USB configuration then you have a problem with your computer. Consult a computer professional. If you see File Transfer for Dummies driver is installed and "working properly", then contact Data Drive Thru®'s support department at support login.
4. Other Possible - "Device Manager" in Windows® does not recognize File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool.
   • Make sure the drive letters are available in "My Computer" and assigned to File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool.
   • Disconnect all other USB hardware from the computer.
   • When multiple network drives are connected, disconnect the network drives and connect only File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool. Reconnect the network drives after the computer has detected File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool.
   • If your computer still does not recognize File Transfer for Dummies then unplug the tool and re-boot the problem computer. Then plug File Transfer for Dummies back in to the USB port of the problem computer AFTER it has completed loading all start-up applications. Then wait a couple of minutes and see if your computer finds the tool.
5. Exclamation or Question Mark is present in the "Device Manager" and/ or the "USB Host Controller".
   • Make sure the Windows® Installation Disk for the computer is available.
   • Reinstall the drivers in the "Device Manager".
   • Install all critical updates from Microsoft.com web site.
   • From the "Device Manager" remove the USB root hub followed by removal of all USB Hubs and controllers.
   • Reboot the computer and the USB drivers will be automatically reinstalled.
   Note about Data Drive Thru®'s free technical support: Data Drive Thru provides support for File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool and other Data Drive Thru products only. Computer troubleshooting and Microsoft® operating system configuration problems are not covered by our free technical support service. Our support team is happy to help you determine if the tool is working properly or not but does not provide general computer troubleshooting and repair services.
6. Miscellaneous: 
   1. Slower Than Expected Speed - I am not experiencing USB 2.0 High Speed performance.
      Low performance may be related to:
      • Tool is connected to USB 1.1 port, cable or hub.
      • Transferring folders with multiple files may take longer time than transferring a single file.
      • The Computing environment is not fully optimized to meet File Transfer for Dummies File Transfer Tool speed.
      • Antivirus software may slow down the transfer of files (however such software is still recommended.)
   2. Copy Denied - I cannot copy a file from "THIS COMPUTER" to the "OTHER COMPUTER". Make sure the setup is not set to "Read Only". To change the set-up, click on "System", then "Set Up" and uncheck the box set to "Read Only".
   3. When my system comes back from hibernation or standby mode, File Transfer for Dummies just keeps on dozing. You're using a Windows XP operating system. This happens because Windows XP wants to conserve power, so it turns off the USB root hubs. You can change the default setting: Open Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance (if in Category view), System, Hardware, Device Manager, and click Universal Serial Bus controllers. Double-click USB Root Hub, choose the Power Management tab, and then uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Repeat this procedure with each occurrence of a USB root hub. On a notebook, this will affect some battery life.
    
   4. Some days, my computer does not see File Transfer for Dummies, while on other days it does. The culprit here may be over current, either on the PC's USB ports or on a powered USB hub. Over current occurs when too many power-draining USB peripherals are turned on at once, causing some devices to not be seen by the PC. This glitch usually arises with devices that need power from the USB port, such as un-powered hubs, memory card readers, and flash drives. Remove all USB devices and only plug in File Transfer for Dummies. If that doesn't work, try another USB port.
   5. When I plug File Transfer for Dummies into my PC, it gets recognized. But when I unplug the device and then plug it back in, my system ignores it. Depending on the device involved, your PC's operating system may take as long as 5 minutes to find a peripheral (a process officially known as enumeration). External hard drives, including flash drives, can take up to a minute to be seen. Plug it in, don't fiddle with anything, and have patience. If you use a notebook and an un-powered hub, limit the number of devices to two. Better, buy a hub that offers a power option.

Yes. File Transfer for Dummies is Windows VISTA compatible.

No. VISTA has a new security feature called User Account Control which has the ambitious goal of attempting to recognize all software programs that are run on the computer. The technology is new and the list of software is incomplete. If you click on the "Allow" selection File Transfer for Dummies will operate normally.

Yes. Windows XP recognizes File Transfer for Dummies.

In Windows XP, on the taskbar, click on Start. Go to My Computer. Under the Devices with Removable Storage click on File Transfer icon and it should then load. You should also see the device as a new drive letter (usually D:, E: or F: ) and you can click on File Transfer icon there as well.

In Windows XP, on the taskbar, click on Start. Go to My Computer. Under Devices with Removable Storage click on File Transfer icon and it should then load.

Check for the device in My Computer first. If it is not there, unplug File Transfer for Dummies and restart your computer. Once ALL the software has loaded, plug File Transfer for Dummies back in.

Remove all other USB devices (except keyboard and/or mouse) and restart the computer. Once all the software has loaded, plug File Transfer for Dummies back in.

Make sure that File Transfer for Dummies is plugged directly into the USB ports on the front or rear of your computer. You may have a USB port configuration problem (some computers' USB ports are not activated due to pre-configured security issues). Do any other USB devices work on your computer? If not, you either have a hardware or software problem. To check this, do the following: Remove File Transfer for Dummies. In Windows®, click START, CONTROL PANEL, double click on SYSTEM, click on DEVICE MANAGER then double click on UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS CONTROLLER. If the port appears to be working properly, then go to our tech support link at the bottom of this page and open a ticket with our tech support department.

If there is a red mark on any of the USB listings, double click on it. If it says that there is a problem, cancel out. Then right click over the red listing and click on uninstall. When the warning window comes up, click on OK. Close down and shut off the computer. Once the computer has been off for 30 seconds, and with File Transfer for Dummies removed, restart the computer. Once Windows® has completely reloaded, wait about a minute or two, in that time or before, Windows® should have announced that it has found new hardware and had installed the drivers for it. Now plug the File Transfer for Dummies device in.

You need to contact your PC manufacture about a possible hardware problem. You may also open a technical support help ticket at the bottom of this page and we'll make sure that it's not a problem with the device.

Yes. Windows 2000 recognizes File Transfer for Dummies.

On the taskbar, right click on Start. Click on Explore. When the window comes up, scroll down to the bottom. Click on the File Transfer icon, this will then show an updated file directory on the right, click on connect, and it should then load. You can also go to My Computer on your desktop and look for the File Transfer for Dummies drive letter (usually D:, E:, or F: ) and click on the icon.

On the taskbar, right click on Start. Click on Explore. When the window comes up, scroll down to the bottom. Click on the File Transfer icon, this will then show an updated file directory on the right, click on connect, and it should load.

Unplug the File Transfer for Dummies device and restart your computer. Once all the software has loaded, plug File Transfer for Dummies back in.

Remove all other USB devices (except keyboard and/or mouse) and restart the computer. Once all the software has loaded, plug File Transfer for Dummies back in.

Make sure that File Transfer for Dummies is plugged directly into the USB ports on the front or rear of your computer. You may have a USB port configuration problem (some computers USB ports are not activated due to pre-configured security issues). Remove File Transfer for Dummies. In Windows 2000, on the taskbar, click on Start, Click on settings, Click on Control Panel, double click on System, click on Hardware, then click on Device Manager. Scroll down to the bottom listing for Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Are there any listings in red? If any of the USB listings are in red, double click on them. If it says that there is a problem, cancel out. Then right click over the red listing and click on uninstall. When the warning window comes up, click on OK. Close down and shut off the computer. Once the computer has been off for 30 seconds, and with File Transfer for Dummies removed, restart the computer. Once Windows® has completely reloaded, wait about a minute or two, in that time or before, Windows® should have announced that it has found new hardware and had installed the drivers for it. Now plug the File Transfer for Dummies device in.

Contact the manufacture of the computer. You have either a software driver or hardware problem.

Just click the Okay box and the window will go away. This is a normal Windows 2000 warning and removal in this way will not damage the File Transfer for Dummies device.

Yes, but first you need to have the Windows 98 driver installed. Right click here and select "save as" to download the Windows 98SE driver.

98SE does not support the AUTO-LOAD / AUTO-RUN function. On the taskbar, right click on Start. Click on My Computer. When the window comes up, click on the File Transfer icon, this will manually start the GUI. You can also go to My Computer on your desktop and look for the File Transfer for Dummies drive letter (usually D:, E:, or F: ) and click on the icon.

If you are using any USB devices on your computer most likely File Transfer for Dummies will run when installed.

Using your Internet browser go to right click here and select "save as" to download the Windows 98SE driver.

If you are using Internet Explorer, click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose Save Target As. The browser normally prompts you for a folder in which to save files, and it provides a default filename. You can change the folder and filename if you wish. Make a note of the location and name. Once the file is downloaded to your hard drive it can be viewed by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer.

Remove File Transfer for Dummies and reboot the system. Wait until all of the software has loaded then plug File Transfer for Dummies in. If you have a second USB port, try that one also. You may have a USB port configuration issue.

On the Windows® main screen, double click on MY COMPUTER, when that window opens up double click on the File Transfer icon (usually a new drive letter D:, E: or F: ) and the program should start.

Do any other USB devices work on your computer? If not, you either have a hardware or software problem. To check this do the following: In Windows®, click Start, click on Settings, click on Control Panel, double click on System, click on Device Manager. Scroll down to the bottom listing for Universal Serial Bus Controller. If there are no listings like USB Root Hub your computer either has no USB ports or the computer does not recognize that the USB ports are there. You need to contact your computer manufacturer.

If there is a red mark on any of the USB listings or if the listing itself is red, double click on it. If it says that there is a problem, cancel out. Then right click over the red listing and click on uninstall. When the warning window comes up, click on OK. Close down and shut off the computer. Once the computer has been off for 30 seconds, and with File Transfer for Dummies removed, restart the computer. Once Windows® has completely reloaded, wait about a minute or two, in that time or before, Windows® should have announced that it has found new hardware and had installed the drivers for it. Plug the File Transfer for Dummies device in.

You need to contact your PC manufacturer about a possible hardware problem. You may also open a technical support help ticket at the bottom of this page and we'll make sure that it's not a problem with the device.

Yes, although you may need to download and install the Windows 98 drivers. Windows 98

No, Windows NT does not support USB devices without custom proprietary drivers. None are available at this time.

File Transfer for Dummies currently only supports Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista. The next version of the device due to be shipped later this year will support Mac.