ive just bought a usb memory card reader, to read and write my mobile phones memory card, but guess what?! it wont work.

i know that it works on my mums newish xp laptop, the blue light on the reader comes on during boot, and it is recognised as 'removable drive F' in 'my computer', and it can read/write to the card.

on my 3-4 year old xp computer? nothing. not even the blue light during xp boot. even worse, no blue light, only error messages during slackware boot (the reader is supposed to work ok with linux).

if it works on my mothers xp but not mine, that suggests to me its hardware related, so im thinking that theres something wrong with my usb ports in some way, but i cant understand what, because ive got a usb 1/2 pen drive that works fast in all usb ports.

im just wondering wether it could be the card readers usb-to-miniusb connector, that my computer doesnt like?

any ideas? its baffling me

*edit* i apologise, perhaps the hardware forum is the best place for this question.

It may use some proprietary communication method rather than standard usb. Does dmesg show anything useful after plugging it in?

this is what dmesg shows after plugging the card reader in

[HTML]55c55
< Detected 2793.547 MHz processor.
---
> Detected 2793.563 MHz processor.
62c62
< Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 5591.82 BogoMIPS (lpj=11183644)
---
> Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 5591.97 BogoMIPS (lpj=11183958)
79c79
< Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 5586.42 BogoMIPS (lpj=11172844)
---
> Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 5586.38 BogoMIPS (lpj=11172772)
90c90
< Total of 2 processors activated (11178.24 BogoMIPS).
---
> Total of 2 processors activated (11178.36 BogoMIPS).
217,219c217,219
< raid6: int32x1 716 MB/s
< raid6: int32x2 924 MB/s
< raid6: int32x4 770 MB/s
---
> raid6: int32x1 715 MB/s
> raid6: int32x2 919 MB/s
> raid6: int32x4 766 MB/s
221c221
< raid6: mmxx1 2312 MB/s
---
> raid6: mmxx1 2310 MB/s
224,227c224,227
< raid6: sse1x2 2259 MB/s
< raid6: sse2x1 3116 MB/s
< raid6: sse2x2 2927 MB/s
< raid6: using algorithm sse2x1 (3116 MB/s)
---
> raid6: sse1x2 2260 MB/s
> raid6: sse2x1 3114 MB/s
> raid6: sse2x2 2958 MB/s
> raid6: using algorithm sse2x1 (3114 MB/s)
243a244,254
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.7[D] -> GSI 23 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
> PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.7 to 64
> ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: EHCI Host Controller
> ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
> ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: debug port 1
> PCI: cache line size of 128 is not supported by device 0000:00:1d.7
> ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: irq 17, io mem 0xffa80800
> ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: USB 2.0 started, EHCI 1.00, driver 10 Dec 2004
> usb usb1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> hub 1-0:1.0: USB hub found
> hub 1-0:1.0: 8 ports detected
245c256
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
---
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
248,257c259,260
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: irq 17, io base 0x0000ff80
< usb usb1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
< hub 1-0:1.0: USB hub found
< hub 1-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.1[B] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
< PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.1 to 64
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: UHCI Host Controller
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: irq 18, io base 0x0000ff60
---
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: irq 18, io base 0x0000ff80
261,262c264,272
< Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - version 7.0.33-k2-NAPI
< Copyright (c) 1999-2005 Intel Corporation.
---
> Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.1[B] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
> PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.1 to 64
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: UHCI Host Controller
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: irq 19, io base 0x0000ff60
> usb usb3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> hub 3-0:1.0: USB hub found
> hub 3-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
266c276
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.2: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
---
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.2: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 4
268,276d277
< usb usb3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
< hub 3-0:1.0: USB hub found
< hub 3-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
< usb 1-2: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.3[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
< PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.3 to 64
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: UHCI Host Controller
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 4
< uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: irq 17, io base 0x0000ff20
280,290c281,287
< Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
< shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:0c.0[A] -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.7[D] -> GSI 23 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
< PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.7 to 64
< ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: EHCI Host Controller
< ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 5
< ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: debug port 1
< PCI: cache line size of 128 is not supported by device 0000:00:1d.7
< ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: irq 19, io mem 0xffa80800
< ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: USB 2.0 started, EHCI 1.00, driver 10 Dec 2004
---
> Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - version 7.0.33-k2-NAPI
> Copyright (c) 1999-2005 Intel Corporation.
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.3[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
> PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.3 to 64
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: UHCI Host Controller
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 5
> uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: irq 18, io base 0x0000ff20
293,295c290,298
< hub 5-0:1.0: 8 ports detected
< usb 1-2: unable to read config index 0 descriptor/start
< usb 1-2: can't read configurations, error -71
---
> hub 5-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
> usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
> agpgart: Detected an Intel 865 Chipset.
> agpgart: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xd0000000
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:07.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
> Model 100a Rev 00000000 Serial 100a1102
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:0c.0[A] -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
298,308c301,305
< ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:07.0[A] -> <6>agpgart: Detected an Intel 865 Chipset.
< GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
< Model 100a Rev 00000000 Serial 100a1102
< agpgart: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xd0000000
< usb 1-2: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4
< usb 1-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
< input: Logitech USB Receiver as /class/input/input0
< input: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [Logitech USB Receiver] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-2
< input: Logitech USB Receiver as /class/input/input1
< input,hiddev96: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [Logitech USB Receiver] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-2
< input: PC Speaker as /class/input/input2
---
> shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
> usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/all, error -71
> usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
> input: PC Speaker as /class/input/input0
319a317,347
> usb 1-3: device not accepting address 5, error -110
> usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
> usb 1-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
> usb 2-2: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
> usb 2-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> input: Logitech USB Receiver as /class/input/input1
> input: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [Logitech USB Receiver] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-2
> input: Logitech USB Receiver as /class/input/input2
> input,hiddev96: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [Logitech USB Receiver] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-2
> scsi2 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
> usb-storage: device found at 6
> usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
> usbcore: registered new driver usb-storage
> USB Mass Storage support registered.
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
> usb 1-3: device firmware changed
> usb 1-3: USB disconnect, address 6
> usb-storage: device scan complete
> usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> scsi3 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
> usb-storage: device found at 7
> usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
320a349,358
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
> usb 1-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
> usb-storage: device scan complete
[/HTML]

however, the blue light is now on all the time, and doing 'lsusb' i get 'Bus 1 Device 7: ID 0dda:6000 Integrated Circuit Solution, Inc. '

i dont know wether the reader is usable or not. is there a mount command i can try?

Normally your dmesg will show where the device is attached so you can mount (sda sdb etc). This isn't happening in your case. Check dmesg again and see if it attaches it to a device, sometimes it takes a few seconds to work. If it just stops at 'device scan complete' with no further info then there's not much hope of mounting it.

You do have a card or some media in the reader huh?

dive, i checked dmesg again, cant find the reader attached to a device. also i have got a 512mb card in the reader.

I ran into this problem also. Fixing it required compiling the kernel to include USB support. That and a minor edit of /etc/group makes the card reader work great.

The card reader I use is a "Promaster Digital" which plugs into a USB port, has four slots, and reads nine types of cards.

Have you looked into the kernel compile fix already?

Try running these commands as root. I had a similar problem with Slackware 11 and my USB card reader. These commands may help you to see your device so you can manually mount it. Did you add your regular user to plugdev, cdrom, audio, video?

#fdisk -l

#blkid