Every time I try to see something on my computer I get an error message. My EzTune quit working and I keep getting Gateway theft picture. All I do is try to fix problems. Please help me!

EzTune Software

EzTune is a utility program typically installed on Gateway computers. This utility is used to adjust the settings on a computer’s monitor from a computer interface rather than via the monitor’s onscreen display menu. The utility uses a protocol known as DDC/CI which allows the monitor, graphics card, graphics drivers, and connecting cables to communicate with each other as well as with the EzTune software.

Common EzTune Errors

If your monitor hadn’t entered Theft Deterrence mode, you’d have a few basic troubleshooting steps that you could try. When EzTune runs into trouble, it “locks out” most functions with the exception of the Options and Help tabs. When Theft Deterrence is enabled and an issue arises, the image turns black and white and the Theft Deterrence image appears.

Because your computer has entered Theft Deterrence Mode, you may need to call Gateway to turn off Theft Deterrence, especially if you don’t remember your PIN. Before you call Gateway, check to see if the Extras tab is grayed out. If so, then there’s a communications error somewhere that needs to be addressed before you can turn off Theft Deterrence.

Reestablishing Communications

If you can access the EzTune software, the Help tab should still be functional. If so, click Help > Check for Updates. Running the most current version of the software can solve discovered bugs in the software.

After updating the software, check to be sure that you are using a direct connection between your computer monitor and the computer. If you are using a docking station, switch, port replicator, extension cable, or any other type of adapter, it’s possible that the device isn’t fully compatible with the DDC/CI protocol. A direct connection may solve your communications errors. If so, you can then go into the EzTune software’s Extras tab and turn off Theft Deterrence.

If EzTune still doesn’t communicate properly, consider updating your graphics card’s display drivers. According to Gateway’s support Web site, display drivers are the most common cause of communication errors with EzTune. To update the drivers, you will need to find out the manufacturer of the graphics card and visit that manufacturer’s Web site. Search for the device driver download section and follow the manufacturer’s directions for updating your graphics card.

Go to the Control Panel and select Device Manager. Is the monitor listed as a “Plug and Play” monitor? If the monitor is listed as “default monitor” or “Generic non-Plug and Play monitor,” that means that the drivers aren’t recognizing the monitor. Updating the drivers may solve this problem.

Contacting Gateway

If you cannot solve the Theft Deterrence issue or get EzTune to work, you’ll need to contact Gateway. Gateway’s Technical Support phone number is 800-369-1409.

What does “No wireless network card driver present” mean?

You will see this message when your computer is trying to access the Internet wirelessly, but it is not detecting the wireless network card that it needs in order to get on the Web. When other device drivers are missing, it is simply a matter of hopping on the Internet, finding the manufacturer’s website and downloading the latest driver for that device. I’m sure you can see where the problem with the method lies - at this point you probably have no Internet access, which makes it difficult to get the driver you need.

Uninstall/Reinstall Device Driver

The easiest way to try to get your network card driver working again is to try to uninstall and then reinstall it from the device manager.  To get to the device manager in Windows XP, first click on Start and then on Control Panel. Find the System icon, click on that and then on the Hardware tab. At the top of the Hardware tab, you will see the button for the Device Manager.

In Device Manager, see if your wireless network card is listed. If it is, click on it and then choose to Uninstall the card. Follow the prompts until the card is uninstalled and then close the window. Reboot the computer - the network card driver should reinstall automatically.

Download the Driver

If your computer is not showing the network card in the Device Manager, then you need to get onto the Internet via a wired network in order to download the correct driver.  Use a cable to connect to a wired router in order to access the Internet. Once you can access the Web, go to the network card manufacturer’s (or the computer manufacturer’s) website and look for the newest driver for your network card. Once you find it, you can choose to download it and then install it on your computer. Once it is installed, then you should be able to work wirelessly once again.

If you don’t want to do the legwork yourself, there are many sites and software available on the Internet that will help you manage your device drivers automatically. One we recommend is Driver Genius.

One reason that drivers often get knocked out is a virus or Trojan. Once you have everything up and running, make sure that your antivirus program is up to date and run it often.

I bought a laptop that has installed Windows 98 (second edition). Although the laptop has two USB ports, the laptop does not detect that the USB ports are present. So, if I plug a USB flash drive, the laptop does not detect it. The same issue happens with the 56k modem. I do not have the CD drives for the laptop. I try to update in Windows Update but it indicates that there is an error. I go to the site of the company, but I do not find anything related to the USB ports.

Since you are having problems updating, you might want to scan for spyware and viruses first, just to make sure that your machine is not infected. Next, you should boot up in Safe Mode since that only boots up the most necessary device drivers for the computer. To do so, turn the power button to the laptop on and press the “F2,” “F8,” “F10,” or “F12″ key. It varies with laptops, so it might be any one of those keys. Select the option for Safe Mode with Networking so that your computer can connect online to download the correct drivers.  Once you are in Safe Mode, complete the next set of directions.

Laptop Doesn’t Detect USB Ports

One of the options you have available is to use the Device Manager to check the status of the USB ports. If something is wrong with the port itself, you should be able to tell simply by looking. Typically, you can access it by completing a path similar to this one: Start> Control Panel> Performance and Maintenance. System> System Properties> Hardware> Device Manager. If the USB ports are defective, you should see an indication of this such as a yellow icon. Right click on the problematic port identification for options. What you need to do at this point is decide whether you want to click the Driver Tab and update the driver or if you want to uninstall the USB port and reboot the computer. If you uninstall the USB port, when you reboot, the computer should automatically install the correct device driver for you.

Hard Reset

Laptop problems are often solved with a simple hard reset. Follow these directions to complete a hard reset: Disconnect your laptop from its power source and all of the external devices that are connected to it including speakers, printer, and so on. Gently turn the laptop over and remove the battery. Hold the power button down for a full minute to allow any residue power to drain from the laptop. Return the battery to the laptop, connect the laptop back to its power source, and replug in the external devices. Turn the laptop back on to see if the problem has been solved.

Check That USB Is Enabled in the BIOS

If the computer’s BIOS is not set up to enable USB support, then this problem can occur. Boot up your computer and press the “Delete” key as soon as possible. You might need to check your manual for the laptop to see if this is the correct key to enter the BIOS. Search for USB support and check to see that it has been enabled. If it has not, fix it.

I have an HP SR5223WM desktop with an Asus M2N 68-LA motherboard (Vista 32 Home Basic). My CD and DVD-RW drives stopped reading discs but still show as installed and in device manager. The system will not reinstall their drivers. Any suggestions on how to return them to previously working conditions?

There are a few options we can try including using System Restore, updating the drivers manually, and using a Microsoft “Fix It” tool.

System Restore

First, if your CD and DVD drives just recently stopped reading discs, it could be a problem related to a bad operating system update or file corruption. If so, and if you have a current System Restore point, you can use System Restore to roll back your system to an earlier point in time. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore and choose a restore point from before the drive issues occurred. System Restore will recommend a restore point, usually the most recent one. If the problem has been going on for some time, you’ll want to click on “Choose a different restore point.” System Restore will then list recent restore points. These may not go back far enough in which case you will need to check the box that says, “Show restore points older than 5 days.”

System Restore has its limitations. First, System Protection must be turned on. If you turned it off, you won’t have a restore point at all. Next, older restore points are eventually overwritten by new ones, so you can’t go too far back in time.

Update Drivers

If System Restore doesn’t do the trick, you can try updating the CD/DVD device drivers again. How did you initially try updating them? Via Windows Update? Device Manager? These methods are only as good as the drivers that Microsoft has on file. Since your system didn’t update the device drivers, it’s possible that Microsoft doesn’t have new drivers on file for your drives. Check with the CD/DVD drives’ manufacturers for updated drivers and then install them following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Another trick that you can try with Device Manager is to “uninstall” the drives. Once uninstalled, reboot Windows. Windows will then detect the “new” hardware and install the most current drivers for your drives. To do this, go into Device Manager, right-click the drive that you want to uninstall, and choose “Uninstall” from the menu.

Microsoft Diagnostic Tool

Finally, Microsoft has a “Fix It” diagnostic tool designed specifically for diagnosing and repairing issues such as CD and DVD drives failing to read discs. You can read more about this particular tool and download it for free at Microsoft’s Help and Support Web site.   

Catalyst Enterprises - Drivers

Company Name: Catalyst Enterprises

Description: Catalyst Enterprises is a company that was introduced to the global market in 1992. The company is principally located at Santa Clara, California, USA.

The company provides protocol tests and validation solutions to various companies involved in developing technologies. Typically, the companies served are those that develop the Universal Serial Bus, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Peripheral Component Interconnect, Serial Attached SCSI and PCI-X.

Products of Catalyst Enterprises are used by a large number of consumers to assist them in manufacturing certain products for its own clients. Some of Catalyst’s customers include computer makers, developers of software, value-added resellers, system integrators, manufacturers of computer peripherals, storage product developers, networking companies and component manufacturers. With the company’s products, users may enhance the overall quality of work and be compliant with all the required industry standards for the user’s own products.

Catalyst Enterprises acknowledges with an increasing number of testing requirements, the demand for protocol and architecture-specific instruments had also risen. The answers to these demands are provided by Catalyst Enterprises through the wide array of Catalyst’s products.

Catalyst Enterprises offers a wide range of solutions for PCI/PCI Express, USB, Storage, Adapters Wireless and Extenders. Under the product PCI/PCI Express, the company provides solutions CatScan/CatScan Pro and PCI-X.

Under the product Storage, options are available for SAS/SATA Error Injector, SAS/SATA Analyzer/Exerciser and ATA Analyzer. Under the USB solutions product, the company provides options Conquest and Conquest Pro.

The company also offers the EUSB Analyzer as part of its Wireless solutions.

All of thee product solutions offered by Catalyst Enterprises are specifically designed to meet the customer’s particular needs. Its products enable Performance Analysis, Real-time Protocol Error Detection, Triggering methods and Performance Characterization.

Catalyst Enterprises also provides a wide range of online support that facilitates technical and sales inquiry, manual and datasheet downloads and software upgrades and repairs. The online support also provides information to users about the company’s seminars, tradeshows and seminars that are usually held by the company.

While the trainings are primarily found in Santa Clara, California, the seminars are made available through the company’s distributors in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Australia. The company can also extend its accommodation to its customers in the United States and Canada through online shopping.

Brainboxes - Download Device Drivers 

Company Name: Brainboxes

Description:   Brainboxes was founded in 1984 as a privately-held company with its headquarters in Liverpool United Kingdom.  The company is involved in the design and manufacture of add-on cards for computers.  Developments in R&D manufacturing have given Brainboxes a product reputation described as highly configurable, easy to use and extremely dependable. 

The company has the following people as its top executives: Eamonn Walsh (Chairman and Technical Director), Stephan Evans (Managing Director), Patricia Walsh (Financial Director) and Owen Scullion (Sale Manager).

Several recognitions that the company has received include awards like “Best Mobile Computing”, “European Manufacturer of the Year” and “Best Meyerside Export Award”.

In 1994, Brainboxes was a part of the first batch of companies who achieved a global ISO9001 standard in quality management.  The year of 2001 saw Brainboxes move into the ISO9001: 2000 standard, covering all aspects of design and manufacture of Brainboxes products, as well as customer support.

Brainboxes technical expertise and dedication to wireless technology earned them the reputation of being one of the 50 companies around the globe to carry a Bluetooth SIG product, which is the Bluetooth PCMCIA card.   This illustrates the position of the company to be at the development forefront of wireless technology. 

Brainboxes focuses on the production line for Bluetooth technology, RS232 and RS422/485.  Their Bluetooth technology has been used for several wireless applications in the engineering business.  Other industries that use Brainboxes products include medical, banking, marketing and clothing sectors.  In addition the company also designs software drivers.

One of the products of Brainboxes is the Type 1 Compact Flash Card; it allows communication to be possible between a PDA and other devices with Bluetooth.  It has an easily upgradeable firmware while supporting several Bluetooth profiles.  Brainboxes’ Bluetoooth technology is able to operate at a rate of 14 dBm.

Another impressive product of Brainboxes is their RD232 Adapter.  It allows connection of a device that has an RS232 to any bluetooth device.  Communication is made possible between the two devices without having to install additional software. Other items distributed by Brainboxes are Bluetooth Adapters, Bluetooth connectors, PCI Serials, PCMCIA and Express Card serials.

The Brainboxes Express Card was released in June 19, 2008 as the answer to supply the growing requirement for connectivity products that have smaller and thinner designs.

Brainboxes have customers like Motorola, Reuters, IBM, BT and Agilent.  The company has bluetooth software that has been adopted by Microsoft Corporation, which is used to support some of its products.  Fujitsu has also agreed to a partnership in 1997 with Brainboxes to supply their serial cards.