I recently gave my old laptop to a less-than-computer-literate friend, and have been trying with no success to get his cable modem to speak to it. There are no problems with the service or the connections; I can use the modem on my (XP) desktop just fine. The USB port works; I can connect a mouse to it with no problems.
This leaves us with the driver, and indeed, the demon-spawn Add Hardware Wizard confirms that, while it recognizes the existence of the modem, it cannot find a driver for it. I click “Update Driver”. It asks me to specify a location to search for the driver. I select the folder that contains the proper driver; it will not, for some unconscionable reason, allow me to select the .inf file itself. I tell it to search the folder. It tells me no driver is found. I contemplate smashing it. We have been through this routine about 20 times tonight, this laptop and I, and through strength of will granted by Og himself, the beast remains intact.
Now, I turn to the Dope, and its infinite wisdom, for assistance. How do I force Windows 98 (Second Edition, if it matters) to accept the dagblammed modem driver? The modem in question is a Motorola Surfboard 5120, and as I mentioned, it’s connected via USB rather than Internet. I know the driver is valid because it’s the same one I’m using on my own system, and I’ve matched it to the driver file for this model downloadable from Motorola’s own site. Win98 just won’t recognize it.
Any thoughts? And, failing that, any particular sledgehammer retailer you’d like me to support when I finally decide to end this thing’s miserable existence? Any help is greatly appreciated.
