Installing VisionTek USB 3.0 expansion board in HP prodesk 400. Doesn't find provided Drivers

[bobmdi]

I'm trying to install extra USB 3.0 ports on my HP ProDesk 400.  I have the VisionTek 3.0 2-port PCIe expansion card. Since Windows 7 doesn't have drivers for this card, VisionTek have a link which downloads a driver package which when run creates a subdirector in the Programs(x64) cirectort for Renesas Electronics with a further subdirectory  USB 3.0 host controller driver.

The problem is that the hardware cant find the driver for it.  I've installed and removed the card, installed uninstalled and reinstalled the driver package,  rebooted the PC multiple times. tried the card in different PCIe slots to no avail.  I've manually pointed the device (via device manager) to the USB host Controller driver directory (including subdirectories) and tried to install the driver. No luck. Just comes back with "Windows was unable to find a driver for your device".

Under "other devices" in the device manager is "Universal Serial Bus (USB) controller" with the yellow warning icon and no driver found in the properties. It's supposed to show up as "Renesas USB 3.0 eXtensible host controller" under USB controllers.

I contacted VisionTek and they made a number of suggestions involving removing the board, reinstalling drivers, rebooting etc. but like I said, none of this changes anything. I'm still waiting on further suggestions from them.

I have previously installed a VisionTek USB 3.0 card in another Windows 7 pro 64-bit machine with no problems. That one had no native USB 3.0 ports to start with.  The same installation process with what I can only assume were the same drivers (which are in the same location) seemed to work OK.

I can't find any specific drivers for the HP ProDesk 400.  There is one (for windows 7) on the Dell website (https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=61x2w), but I don't know if that driver would be compatible with the HP I have. I don't know much about the specifics of drivers. I assume the drivers are associated with some Renesas device on the VisionTek board 

Anyone have any ideas what might be doing on? Could the existing USB ports be interfering? I suppose the board could be defective, but presumably that wouldn't affect it finding the drivers, it just might not work one the drivers were recognized.

[NonSequitur777]

@bobmdi,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

This could very well qualify as a classic "legacy system meets modern hardware" puzzle -let’s see if we can pinpoint the issue!

 

Key Considerations:

1. Driver Compatibility:

   • Since Windows 7 lacks built-in USB 3.0 support, the driver package is critical. The error you're encountering ("Windows was unable to find a driver for your device") suggests that either:
     • The driver package isn’t fully compatible with your specific hardware setup.
     • The driver package isn’t installing properly.

   If the Dell Renesas driver appears similar to the VisionTek board’s driver, it’s worth a cautious try. Before installing, create a System Restore Point to ensure you can undo any unexpected changes.

2. Driver Installation Order:

   • Install the driver package before inserting the VisionTek card into the PCIe slot.
   • After installation, reboot and then install the card.

3. BIOS and Motherboard Compatibility:

   • Ensure your ProDesk 400 G1 has the latest BIOS version. Older BIOS versions may struggle with modern PCIe cards:

1. Disabling Potential Conflicts:

   • The built-in USB controllers shouldn’t interfere, but you could temporarily disable them in the BIOS to see if it resolves the conflict.

2. Test in Another System:

   • If possible, try the VisionTek card in another Windows 7 PC to confirm whether the issue is with the card or the ProDesk.

3. Force the Driver Installation:

   • In Device Manager, right-click the yellow warning icon for the USB controller, select Update Driver Software, choose Browse My Computer for Driver Software, and navigate directly to the driver folder.
   • If this still fails, use Have Disk and manually point to the INF file in the Renesas driver folder.

4. Card Defect Possibility:

   • While rare, defective cards can cause this behavior. Testing in another PC will help rule this out.

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Hopefully, one of these steps helps resolve the issue. Let me know how it goes -good luck!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777