"Unknown Device", Windows 7

[PeterF]

Maybe someone over there might acknowledge this here?

Done. (Anyone with a forum account can contribute to the wiki )

I added it to both the troubleshooting section and to the note at the start of the installation instructions where it was pointed out that the drivers needed to be installed manually.

Enjoy the "enforced" relaxation

[exeng]

I can report that this has resolved my need to continually plug and unplug the digispark to get it to work (WIN 8.1) but it seems to only behave properly on a USB 3.0 port. My USB 2.0 ports still result in unknown device. I'll continue to observe that behavior and report back if I find anything interesting. At least now I have a solution. Just use the 3.0 port. Could be a red herring (sp?) but still see an issue on 2.0 ports that interestingly sometimes gets past the device descriptor and fails on set address.

Pete , Thanks for your proactive support.

Erik, (When you are rested) Thanks for finding the driver install video.

I don't use my Digisparks much, but when I do the last thing I need is to fight the update process. I only have 3. One is a time lapse controller for a hacked Sony digital camera, the 2nd a USBTinyISP and the 3rd for play, prototyping and experimentation.

[earckens]

I have to concur with exeng: the solution I mentioned yesterday is not robust. I still have issues with the device not being detected. And still on the same machine (Win7 64bit; while no problems with another Win7 64bit and Win8.1 64 bit), trying to use my fix, no avail 

[earckens]

Update: after another sleepless night with again problems of "Unknown Device"  (see previous post) I just got it working again; it has -in my case-, - I think - something to do with the driver version and install sequence.

Somehow the sequence of loading drivers, and which ones, seem to affect the results here. Also, it seems important to load them after removing the libusb and unknown devices TOGETHER with their respective drivers; and only then reinstalling them (before attempting to connect the digistump).

1. I have 64 bit installers dpinst-amd64.exe for drivers in my Arduino\drivers (C-drive) folder, version 2.1.0.0 dated 21/09/2016
2. then in Arduino\drivers\Digistump Drivers (from Digi wiki, downloaded last week): DPinst64.exe version 2.1.0.0 dated 08/04/2016 (I think 8th of april)
3. in Arduino\drivers\usbtinyisp_libusb_1.2.6.0 I have an installer_x64.exe (27/08/2015) as well as a folder amd64 and a folder ia64, both with libusb0.dll libusb0.sys both dated 27/08/2016.

Now, where is the catch? 

[PeterF]

With driver issues generally, I'd always recommend removing ("uninstall") (and also ticking the delete option if given) the driver, especially any hidden instances and then working back up. Fixes any annoying issues with half-installed and mis-matched driver/file versions, etc. One thing to be aware of if you don't already know is that driver installs (on windows at least) are associated with the USB port the device was detected in. Hence if you move your digispark to another port, it will have to go through the whole driver install and detection process. This is most noticeable with USB-to-serial adapters - the COM port changes depending on which USB socket you have the daft thing plugged into! :-/

DPInst is only a helper program - it's the Driver Package Installer provided as part of the Windows Driver developers kit - and AFAIK primarily just puts the files in the right place so the built-in driver autodetection in windows will find the driver files when it looks for them for a new unknown device. By rights you should be able to shove the digispark into a new computer, let the bootloader time out (the five second wait), go to the device manage, turn on the hidden devices, and then update the unknown device which you know to be the digispark by pointing it to the driver folder.

[earckens]

With driver issues generally, I'd always recommend removing ("uninstall") (and also ticking the delete option if given) the driver, especially any hidden instances and then working back up. Fixes any annoying issues with half-installed and mis-matched driver/file versions, etc. One thing to be aware of if you don't already know is that driver installs (on windows at least) are associated with the USB port the device was detected in. Hence if you move your digispark to another port, it will have to go through the whole driver install and detection process. This is most noticeable with USB-to-serial adapters - the COM port changes depending on which USB socket you have the daft thing plugged into! :-/

DPInst is only a helper program - it's the Driver Package Installer provided as part of the Windows Driver developers kit - and AFAIK primarily just puts the files in the right place so the built-in driver autodetection in windows will find the driver files when it looks for them for a new unknown device. By rights you should be able to shove the digispark into a new computer, let the bootloader time out (the five second wait), go to the device manage, turn on the hidden devices, and then update the unknown device which you know to be the digispark by pointing it to the driver folder.

Not only should you exclusively use the initial USB port, I found out that I also used that port for a wireless Logitech keyboard; as soon as I plug that unit in another USB port I do again get "Unknown Device"!

When I remove the Logitech USB unit from its non-familiar port, then reinstall the Dgistump Bootloader from the menu "Reinstall older hardware" (right-click on the top of all devices in device manager), choose the libusb-win32 Usb Devices and there the Digistump Bootloader, install: and hop, the device reappears in the device listing.

Next, restart Arduino, get a little program to download to the digistump, insert the sucker, and bingo! Download proceeds.

I repeated this last step at least ten times, each time removing the digistump from the usb port and reinserting when Arduino asks for it: each time it works.

Lessons:
1. use a dedicated USB for digistump only, do never plug any device that was in that usb port elsewhere in another usb port, never
2. only insert the digistump in its dedicated USB socket when asked for it, remove straight after download
3. before first use: clean ALL old, unknown etc devices together with their drivers
4. right after "point 3." install sequence I used with succes: (post 12:04 of today): 1, 3 and 2 (PeterF you may disagree but this worked for me time and again the last couple of miserable days 
5. watch the video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmDBvgrYGZs
6. prepare for sleepless nights and for a partner who thinks you are becoming insane

Actually the right order for the above should be 6, 5, 3, 4, 1, 2 

Now I deserve a few days off and a beer first of all 

[earckens]

Addendum to my last post: it is very important that there are no outstanding issues in your device manager. Before plugging in anything run a "check for new devices"; if you get any exclamation mark or yellow sign: fix that first!
I just found out that what played me up the last few days was a missing driver for an Intel USB 3.0 main hub, the bugger was marked as "Unknown Device" 
To find that out you need to go to device details, hardware id, copy that and Google. Then find the drivers and install.

Maybe worth making a note in Digi Wiki; sorry PeterF I have to find out how to do that but now my candle is burnt..

[exeng]

Update on my observations... Powered up the PC this morning  with  the  digispark still plugged into the  working port. Later  decided to upload a new  sketch  and  got device unknown.  Arrrgh...Unplugged the digispark and removed unknown  device  in the device  manager. Reset the PC  and all is well again. Somehow  having the digispark connected at PC power on  caused an issue.

[earckens]

Update on my observations... Powered up the PC this morning  with  the  digispark still plugged into the  working port. Later  decided to upload a new  sketch  and  got device unknown.  Arrrgh...Unplugged the digispark and removed unknown  device  in the device  manager. Reset the PC  and all is well again. Somehow  having the digispark connected at PC power on  caused an issue.

Remove the Digispark and renew your device manager: is all ok, no yellow exclamations?

[exeng]

Basically removing the physical digispark device,  uninstalling the unknown  device and restarting the  PC got it back to its previously working state. Away now but will see if repeatable when I return.

[PeterF]

@earckens : No disagreements from me - it if works for you, it works for you! :-P I would suggest that it was more likely just a matter of installing the latest of the correct driver, but your mileage may vary, depending on how your system is set up. And if you already have driver issue... they obviously need to be fixed before pointing the finger at anything else... especially when it is the USB controller driver which funnily enough needs to be working before the USB ports work (100%) properly :-P As far as using one dedicated port, that is the easiest solution. You could also simply just plug it into each port in turn, and install the driver for each device instance, hence it then shouldn't matter which of those ports you plug it into at a later date.

@exeng : stupid question - you unplugged & replugged the digispark when instructed to after having it initially plugged in when you powered up the computer? A digispark not working when a computer is powered up is normal as it gets it's clock from the USB clock. I found that out the hard way when I wanted to do one of these usb volume knobs - if I left the digispark plugged in and powered the computer back up it wouldn't talk to the computer - I had to reset it before it would work. Other than that, that is really peculiar. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I have almost always used the 'digispark programming tool' when working with the digisparks - it basically just allows you to cut the power with a switch do you don't have to constantly unplug and re-plug the digispark... but I wonder if it also means there is a cleaner switch on and off happening. Regardless, I'd be curious to know what happens if you just removed the unknown device in device manager, and then unplugged & replugged the digispark if it happens again.

[exeng]

OK, the behavior is repeatable and after thinking about it makes some sense.

Again, The starting point is the Digispark is plugged into a working (dedicated) USB port.
On PC power up, the Digispark receives power (enumeration has not started as the PC is still booting). The Digispark runs it's sketch after the 5 second upload window.
The PC finishes boot and enumeration starts but fails because the Digispark is already running it's sketch.
Device Manager shows the Device Unknown instance.

To answer your question Pete. You have to both remove the unknown device in the device manager then restart the PC. It will continue to fail if you just unplug the Digispark and remove the unknown device in the device manager.

Bottom line, it seems, that the USB port must be empty when the PC starts up.

Finally, this configuration was a direct connect to the PC USB using a cable, not a hub. Don't know if connecting to an external USB hub would hold off power until it (the hub) has enumerated.
I have very limited knowledge of how USB ports / hubs behave. I'm just happy that at least now I have drivers installed, a port that works (albeit dedicated) and some knowledge of how to workaround the power on issue. No more multi plug/unplug required to get it to work.

[PeterF]

lol... thanks for that exeng... yeah, these 'lil things are pretty temperamental... but as I remember seeing mentioned somewhere... these devices are being pushed to the limits to be able to do this as opposed to a chip that is dedicated to USB stuff, so some flakiness is to be expected unfortunately.

I only know bits and pieces of the the driver stuff in windows, and that is usually due to having had extended conversations with it in which I wished I drank alcohol! :-/ Suffice to say I usually win... but it's never easy! ;-) As far as far as the hub is concerned, it didn't make a scrap of difference to my usb volume knob project - it was plugged into a hub and would never enumerate properly when the computer powered up. If I could have been bothered, i would have made some fancy self-reboot routine or circuit so it could reboot itself if it had powered on with the computer, but I really couldn't be bothered (or now that I think of it... use two digisparks - one to do the reset... one to do the usb... oh... why do I bother!!)

[earckens]

lol... thanks for the exeng... yeah, these 'lil things are pretty temperamental...

Hi PeterF, no offence but the fact that the Attiny85 is indeed pushed to the limit in the Digispark does not exonerate "us" from providing as detailed as possible an installation procedure, including anything in any system where it can/may be used that may cause it not to function as required.

If I found out after days and nights of searching that the rootcause was drivers for devices already installed had been missing then I would expect any installation manual at least to mention this. Especially since this device is indeed so finicky about these particular issues. I would bet a case of champagne that this is/has been the issue with lots of other frustrated users. If I buy a car I do not need to be told that the tyre pressure needs to be checked and oil levels too at regular intervals, but there are people who need to be told this information.

So if I would add to my list of six essential items (17/11) I would include the following:
7. Verify -in Device Manager- which device is being added when connecting the Digistump: if that device does not get connected with the Digistump Bootloader driver, then remove all drivers that are at that moment a. not connected (famous listing of grayed out devices when showing "hidden devices") b. connected to the device showing up as present as soon as the Digispark is plugged in
8. Remove again (with drivers) (if present) the Digispark Bootloader driver; reinstall the driver, and make sure it is visible, even grayed out, in the Device manager under "libusb-win32 Usb Vevices"; if it is not, use the right-hand click menu appearing when you click on the uppermost device (your pc) and reinstall using the "add older hardware" option.
9. If all else fails, remove the usb cache: search for infcache.1 and remove (look up in Google for a proper procedure).

And I concur with exeng: make sure your digispark is not usb connected when powering up the pc.

Maybe these items, listed in this discussion thread, could be added to the installation procedure manual, probably in Wiki?

The Digispark is a very useful and versatile board, it would be good to keep this for years to come.

Best regards,
Erik

[exeng]

Erik,

And I concur with exeng: make sure your digispark is not usb connected when powering up the pc.

I also discovered that (on WIN 8.1) if the Digispark is connected and running a sketch and the PC goes to or is in sleep, that when is comes back up there is an enumeration that fails. So my evening power down routine is to remove the Digispark and remove all Unknown devices before PC shutdown.