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Question

Cannot find hardware device-safe to download free driver?

Oct 19, 2012 6:30AM PDT

Tried to burn photos on CD - error 41, device is loaded but cannot find device driver. possibly caused by hardware removal (new router?). anyway, is it safe to download a free burner? will it work if damage is to registry? safe to try it? have vacation photos ready to burn to CD that are locked into computer. please help. thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
So did you use the Free tool from Microsoft to fix this?
Oct 19, 2012 7:09AM PDT

CODE 41 is a well known plague or issue. There is NO HARDWARE DEVICE or DRIVER MISSING!!!

Please don't infect your machine with those driver finders.

-> Here's the MSFT FIXIT.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

Bob

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Yes, more than once.
Oct 20, 2012 9:06AM PDT

Used Fix it - downloaded, ran, etc. and this is the message: troubleshooter has experienced an unexpected error and cannot continue. Any ideas on how to fix Fix it? this would be funny if it wasn't such a pain......
with some great vacation photos held hostage. Also, will not try to manually go into registry - way over my abilities.Thanks for response.

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Given ONLY the story so far.
Oct 20, 2012 9:29AM PDT
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Half way there
Oct 22, 2012 2:45AM PDT

If you google the troubleshooter message (troubleshooter has experienced an unexpected error...) ou will find it is a mess of problems. No wonder it didn't work and reading the complaints, I'm not going to bother with it.
But- something made me look at Program Access & Defaults and saw that Windows Picture & Fax Viewer was enabled but not default. I checked it as default and - not sure if that was what did it but tried again in My Pictures and Copy to CD was back in the Task menu. Weird - no idea what changed but iIt also reverts out of default after it is used.
I immediately put in a disc and went thru the copy procedure and hoped it was really doing it. Then went to Picasa and did the same on another disc. THEN - the test: did it really record? will it play? Well, it played on another computer so it did record, BUT it doesn't play on mine (or any other disc). So my new problem of the day is googling solutions to Windows Picture & Fax Viewer to get the slideshow.
Right now I am just happy to have my beautiful vacation shots on a disc. Thanks for trying (and the advice not to use driver finders.)

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just one more question about viewing slide shows
Oct 24, 2012 2:49AM PDT

Also, I have run Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware, etc. and things are clean. I also had just run TDS rootkiller before the error with the drive - wonder if it messed with the registry.
Here's my new question: if I download another viewer like Windows Live will there be a conflict with existing Picture & Fax viewer or will it just give me another choice for opening the disk in the task box?
Thank you.

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In this case I'm going with yes.
Oct 24, 2012 3:07AM PDT

I won't vet my answer. So why not backup an image now (I use CLONEZILLA and an external HDD) so you can go back?

You can't imagine the posts about trying to get the existing Picture & Fax viewer working again.
Bob

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Thanks
Oct 24, 2012 4:45AM PDT

I have looked at some posts about trying to fix Pix&Fax. (Microsoft Article 921048 confirms problem is in their product). whew.
It's frustrating - can view slideshows from My Pix and Picasa without a disk, but can only just sometimes view when inserting a disk that was already burned with the same photos in My Pix and Picasa. Picky little viewer!
So burning all photos to disk to have backup. I'm assuming you say OK to download another program that will view slideshows from disks? Any recommendations? There will be no conflict with Pix&Fax? (Read that it's hard to disable p&f). Really do appreciate your advice - thank you.

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I can't know this answer.
Oct 24, 2012 5:41AM PDT

I can only note that folk have lost far too much time over trying to recover the picture and fax viewer which lead me to repeat a CNET Moderator's mantra. But I didn't write verbatim so I'll hope it won't annoy you.

Why can't I know? Because PCs w/ Windows are all over the map. What works on one may not work on the next one.

Oh, that CNET Moderator's mantra? "We only lose what we don't backup."
Bob