installing drivers in XP: The system cannot find the file specified.

General Questions
#1

I hope there is some Windows genius out there. I’m trying to use my cell phone (xv6700 smartphone) as a modem for my laptop (known as tethering). The way you do this in general is, you attach the phone to the PC, then add the phone as a CDMA USB Modem on the PC. Then you just dial up with that modem like you did in the old days with real modems.

When I attach the phone, the PC does recognize it, saying it has found a CDMA USB Modem, and it tries to install drivers for it. As far as I know, there are no actual drivers for this to happen, all you need is an INF file which I have, and it only has to copy a few files around which should already be in XP. It looks like the install is working but then at the very end it suddenly says, “Windows was unable to install the modem” and the error message in the next dialog box is “The system cannot find the file specified.”

Thing is, for the life of me I can’t figure out which file it’s talking about. I know there is a setupapi.log in the windows directory but it still doesn’t say, even if I turn up the verbosity in the registry. This is the relevant piece of the log:

@ 19:52:34.421 #T200 Install Device: Begin.
@ 19:52:34.562 #I123 Doing full install of “USB\VID_0BB4&PID_00CF\5&329F7B9A&0&2”.
@ 19:52:34.734 #V005 Opened the PNF file of “c:\windows\inf\oem31.inf” (Language = 0409).
@ 19:52:34.843 #T211 Install Device: Changing registry settings as specified by the INF(s).
@ 19:52:35.281 #T212 Install Device: Writing driver specific registry settings.
@ 19:52:35.390 #T213 Install Device: Installing required Windows services.
#-035 Processing service Add/Delete section [Modem1.NT.Services].
@ 19:52:36.296 #V282 Add Service: Modified existing service “usbser”.
@ 19:52:36.359 #T214 Install Device: Writing driver descriptive registry settings.
@ 19:52:36.406 #T216 Install Device: Restarting device.
@ 19:52:39.640 #T217 Install Device: Restarting device completed.
@ 19:52:39.687 #I163 Device not started: Device has problem: 0x0a: CM_PROB_FAILED_START.
@ 19:52:39.734 #T222 Install Device: Calling ‘RUNONCE’/‘GRPCONV’ items.
@ 19:52:39.796 #T224 Install Device: Cleaning up failed device.
@ 19:52:39.859 #E122 Device install failed. Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.
@ 19:52:39.906 #T201 Install Device: End.
@ 19:52:49.437 #E154 Class installer failed. Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.
Well, obviously it would be a miracle if someone here was that intimate with windows and that willing to help me. So barring that, what other dedicated windows tech support forums would you guys go to for super-hardcore help with this kind of thing? Thanks.

PS, I was able to install the phone/modem on another XP computer without a hitch. So I know that part should be working.

#2

Plug in the phone and after all the messages are done check the device manager. Look for the phone devices in misc. first. Windows puts confused stuff there most of the time. Check the other categories if it’s not there. Look for an exclamation point by the device, that means it has a conflict and has been disabled. You can view properties to see why windows doesn’t like it and there is a trouble shoot box you can click to get Windows to help you. You can try to choose the update driver option when you do properties. You can manually choose the driver you want from the .ini file on cd. During the install if it says it can not find a file, you need to open My computer and use search to find the file name on the cd or hard drive. Then go back to the can’t find message on the install and type in the location you found doing the search. It may do this for multiple files. Keep plugging away at it. Write down any files you didn’t find and download them from Microsoft or the phone manufacturer.

#3

Actually, windows doesn’t leave any broken device there after the failed install. It also never says it can’t find a file until after the install has already failed, and the log never says which file it thinks it’s missing. I’d love to find out which file it’s talking about.

#4

All I have to suggest then is see if new drivers exist, and read the Faqs online section of the product.