Possible to remove ALL chipset drivers and start fresh?

[jsmith24]

Hi all,

My little boy's Biostar HiFi A85W USB 3.0 ports are still giving me grief, and I think it's a driver issue. I finally got the drivers to load and got rid of the "Code 10 device cannot start" junk, but the ports now only recognize USB 2.0 devices. If I plug a USB 3.0 specific device in, I hear the "connect" sound, then the devices light flashes and there's a disconnect sound, and it just goes on connecting and disconnecting. If I plug that USB 3 device into the 2.0 port, works fine. If I plug a USB 2 device into the USB 3 port, works fine. All devices work properly on all the other machines. SO....

What I want to do before wiping the slate and reinstalling Windows is to erase ALL the USB 3.0 drivers (or even all motherboard specific drivers) from everywhere and start from scratch. Want them off the hard disk, out of the registry, just like they never existed. Can someone tell me how to do that?

The USB 3.0 devices work fine in any other machine.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[fireberd]

If you are going to "wipe the slate" and reinstall Windows, I assume you will be reformatting the hard drive. That means when you install it is like a new install, nothing will be left.

 

[jsmith24]

Thanks, fireberd, but a re-installation of Win 7 is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

There MUST be a way to blow out the hardware enumerator and just have all hardware redetected and reinstalled.

Anyone else?

Thanks,
Jack

If you are going to "wipe the slate" and reinstall Windows, I assume you will be reformatting the hard drive. That means when you install it is like a new install, nothing will be left.

 

[RolandJS]

Under my older Windows versions, I remember Control Panel -> Hardware, one was able to "re-sniff" the hardware. Presently within my Win7Pro, I can go to Device Manager, pick a particular device, uninstall it, or remove drivers, or update drivers...hopefully Windows will "re-sniff" and reInstall more up to date and/or working drivers. Before you go doing all of this -- make sure you have a restorable backed up image or two of your Cdrive. And, while you're at it, hopefully you have all of your created files, downloaded files, your data files safely backed up as well.

 

[strollin]

Look into the Sysprep /generalize command. Here's a link: Sysprep (Generalize) a Windows installation

It's meant to generalize an installation by removing the specific drivers so a hdd can be installed in a different computer. It might help in what you are trying to do.

 

[jsmith24]

Look into the Sysprep /generalize command. Here's a link: Sysprep (Generalize) a Windows installation

It's meant to generalize an installation by removing the specific drivers so a hdd can be installed in a different computer. It might help in what you are trying to do.

I'll give it a look - thanks!

Jack