Hacking EFA-Linker 256 driver problem

[Vintrastorm]

Hey.
I just dug up my EFA-Linker 256mbit card. I tested it in my GBA and it still worked.

However, when I tried to install the drivers etc. from EFA version 2.62 (it was the earliest version I found) on my winxp xp2 partition but all I got was an error message that said "the file doesn't contain any drivers for your hardware" or something like that.


(Yes, I followed the instructions that came with the rar file. i.e. connect and do a manual driver install. I also tried efalcc102 and efasimple.)





Do anyone have a older version of EFA? Like EFA 2.3 or something? I read somewhere that it might work.

Any tips, anyone?

/ Jonis

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

You have to charge it or replace the battery with a non-rechargable first. At a minimun of 4 hours of charging before the comp actually will detect it correctly.

 

[Vintrastorm]

You have to charge it or replace the battery with a non-rechargable first. At a minimun of 4 hours of charging before the comp actually will detect it correctly.

I've charged it for more than 4 hours now, I'm probably up at 6-8 hours. I still can't get it to work in winxp. I still get the "Doesn't contain any drivers for your hardware" error. It works on my gameboy and I can still play the games that were on it. But installing it on the PC isn't working.

What is this battery, and what does it do?
Any tips, anyone? I still have hopes that an earlier version of EFA drivers will work. Namely the 6.3.

 

[Psyfira]

Did you try the "don't search, I will choose the driver" option and point it directly at the .inf file in the drivers folder?

 

[Vintrastorm]

Did you try the "don't search, I will choose the driver" option and point it directly at the .inf file in the drivers folder?

Yup. That's how I did. The "usual" I will choose driver, and then I navigate to the EFA_Driver folder containing efaw.inf.


Since my card is already working, maybe I have to format it somehow? I just noticed that I have Efa v. 2.61 on the card.

Could it be some sort of wicked problem because my hardware is to new or something? (I'm just taking a shot in the dark here. I own a 2008 late macbook pro 15")

 

[Vintrastorm]

bumpety bump

Still not getting it to work.

 

[Vintrastorm]

Still not getting it to work.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

You sure you don't have one of those nvidia motherboards?

 

[Vintrastorm]

You sure you don't have one of those nvidia motherboards?

I don't know about the motherboard, or how I can find info about it on the mac. I've searched for a while on google but came up with nothinh.



I do however have a GeForce 8600M GT graphic card.

It says:


GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3212
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-Bit Color
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Built-In: Yes
Display Connector:
Status: No Display Connected

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I said motherboard NOT video card, the usb controller is on the motherboard usally in the form of the chipset. And why are you trying to use your mac, there are no drivers for use with a mac.

 

[Vintrastorm]

I said motherboard NOT video card, the usb controller is on the motherboard usally in the form of the chipset. And why are you trying to use your mac, there are no drivers for use with a mac.

Yes you did, but as I mentioned I couldn't, and still cannot, find any info about the motherboard. Googling the terms "macbook" "pro" "motherboard" "specs" mostly show info about how to replace it. Info about the video card was the only thing I found that mentioned Nvidia.


I have bootcamped the mac and installed WinXP Sp2 on my other partition, so I'm basically running winxp on the mac.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Most macbooks have rebranded asus motherboards depending on when you got it and what version it is.

You can look in the device manager, under Universal Serial Bus Controllers and it will say what type you got, intel via nvidia etc.

If you can't pick it up on the usb port, it is most likely an incompatible usb controller. One way around this is to use a usb hub with external power. If your EFA Linker is older than 3 years, your probably going to have to replace the battery on the flashcart as well. Check the voltage on the battery before replacing it.

 

[raulpica]

Chipset has totally nothing to do with this. It would still find the driver, but it'd give issues when using the software. I know first-hand, as I had an incompatible chipset.

I suspect that you have a EFA Simple.

Try with this: http://filetrip.net/f1875-EFA-Linker-Simple-Client-1-0.html
and report back.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I haven't even gotten to driver issues yet with this guy yet. But at the rate he complains about not detecting it, it probably doesn't even mater if he has a legit EFA or a EFA Simple.

 

[raulpica]

Actually, if Windows is complaining about "the file doesn't contain any drivers for your hardware", it should be at least detected, otherwise I'm not sure on what Windows would be comparing the HWID, and it should just proceed to install it.

@OP Is the hardware detected in your device manager?

Oh well, as soon as he'll reply we'll know.

 

[Vintrastorm]

I connect the card to my laptop.

1.
usb device not recognized


2.
I get the unknown device properties and select the driver tab

3.
I chose to update driver

4.
I come to the hardware update wizard
I choose not to connect to win update and then I choose to install "from a list of specific location"

Then I click the "don't search, I will choose" option and click at the "Have disk" option. I browse to efaw.ini.

"the specified location does not conatin information about your hardware."

I've tried both efalcc102 and EFAsimple with the same result.




-------

My EFA card is older than 3 years. I'm pretty sure I bought it around the summer of 2005.


I opened it and the closest thing to a battery was a round flat metal object with a yellow edge or border. It was pinched between two "metal staves" that where bendable. I tried lightly to get it out but I felt that I had to use more force than I felt comfortable with.


--------

About the usb connection, maybe my laptop doesn't put out enough power to load the battery or something like that? And It needs to have a certain powerlevel to be detected correctly?

My friend has a computer with win7, is there any way that I could install drivers etcetera on his computer?




/ Jonis

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Drivers are for XP only. If your doing it in windows 7, he will have to do it with XP mode.


Anything older than 3 years old will most likely have a dead battery, your gonna have to replace it.





If you don't want to mess with it, I'll buy it off you for 20 bucks as is.

 

[Vintrastorm]

Drivers are for XP only. If your doing it in windows 7, he will have to do it with XP mode.


Anything older than 3 years old will most likely have a dead battery, your gonna have to replace it.





If you don't want to mess with it, I'll buy it off you for 20 bucks as is.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna see if I can find a replacement battery, it's just that I've never seen a battery like that before, and wasn't sure if it really was the battery, and how to safest remove it without damaging anything.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

you need to know how to solder.

 

[raulpica]

XP Mode won't read the card correctly, but the software will connect fine to it.

The EFA should draw something like ~3V at 500mAh. Every USB port out there can do that.

Please double click on the "Unknown device" in your Device Manager and do this: http://blogs.6bit.com/josh/wp-content/uplo...-properties.png

Post all the infos it gives. Kthx.