"Unknown device" for TrackIR in Windows 7 - Solution

[djtaylor]

I'm sure i'm not the only one with this issue but I have solved it in my case and share it below.

I had a working TrackIR (bought a couple of years ago), using it with Windows 7, then came to try it a few weeks ago and it wasn't working, device driver wouldn't load.

I uninstalled the software, downloaded the latest, 5.4.2 and re-installed.

Plugged in the TrackIR and three beeps from Windows, driver failed to load with the message that it couldn't find the file specified.

The clue was in the msi install log file:-

DIFXAPP: INFO: Installing INF file 'D:\naturalpoint\npusbio_x64\npusbio_x64.inf' (Plug and Play).
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:00:537]: Closing MSIHANDLE (587) of type 790531 for thread 13964
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:01:138]: Creating MSIHANDLE (588) of type 790531 for thread 13964
DIFXAPP: INFO: Could not open file C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\npusbio_x64.inf_amd64_neutral_78724b6c57b3760d\npusbio_x64.inf. (Error code 0x3: The system cannot find the path specified.)
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:01:139]: Closing MSIHANDLE (588) of type 790531 for thread 13964
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:01:141]: Creating MSIHANDLE (589) of type 790531 for thread 13964
DIFXAPP: ERROR: PnP Install failed. (Error code 0x3EE: The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.)
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:01:141]: Closing MSIHANDLE (589) of type 790531 for thread 13964
MSI (s) (00!8C) [21:55:01:141]: Creating MSIHANDLE (590) of type 790531 for thread 13964
DIFXAPP: INFO: Attempting to rollback ...

So after attempting to install files to D:\naturalpoint\npusbio_x64\npusbio_x64.inf' (Plug and Play), it then began a rollback. The D:\naturalpoint was my chosen path as part of the debug process, the default path would be c:\program files (x86)\naturalpoint\ and when I then tried there, I watched the process create the folder, install files and then immediately roll back as shown in the log.

This explained the reason why the driver wasn't found but how to solve?

Part of the frustration was that there's a single .exe containing both the driver and the client. Watching install folders saw the .exe containing the driver .msi get extracted and then when the driver .exe ran, the .msi was extracted.

At the end of faffing about, all I wanted was the driver, .sys, the .inf and the .cat file.

BIG REQUEST TO NATRUALPOINT - Please don't wrap an install like this! It's an absolute pain in the ass to get out the components that are needed as single parts. It's MUCH easier when trying to upgrade a driver to have the actual driver parts and not have them wrapped up in an msi then inside an exe, inside another exe.

When I had finally got the component driver parts, I tried in device manager to install the driver and got a driver error 52 which points to unsigned driver issue.

Easy solution here, Control Panel, System and Security, Hardware, Device Installation Settings and change from "Yes, do this automatically" to "No, let me choose what to do". I had also disabled driver signing requirement but only when I did the above did the driver get installed.

The hassle here was because of the way the driver is wrapped, ALL the useful error messages for debugging are obfuscated and only when I'd got the raw driver to play with was I able to quickly get a solution by acting on the lower level driver install messages.

[MikeWitham]

djtaylor,

It sounds like you'd be surprised how little this has ever come up. Though I have noted your concern, and would like to see a seperate driver available on our site. It may take some time to convince others here. I will forward your request along and nudge them a bit myself as well.

Regards,

[marvel_master]

Hello,

i have had the same problem in the past. My solution was the following on my windows 7 64 bit system.

1. Uninstall Trackir software
2. Reboot computer
3. Unzip the USB_Drivers_x64_trackir.zip in a folder of your choice. In example. C:\trackirusb64bit
4. Plugin your trackir
5. open device manager. Search unknown device with hardware id : VID_131D&PID_0159
6. select there manual driver install and select the drivers from your unziped folder.
7. Reinstall TrackIR Software 5.4.2

Maybe it will work at your computer.

Regards