No USB detection in W2K

[texasized]

I am running W2K. I have a couple of old USB devices such as a printer and scanner. I have recently bought a linksys wireless USB network adapter. I have not had any of these devices connected as I have a small LAN at home and run the printing off of my wifes computer and printer. When I attempted to connect the linksys adapter, I installed the software, successfilly, as instructed, nothing happened. I tried to reboot my maching but the new device was not found. I then tried to add new software and even try to make w2k look in the disk drive for the information. Nothing has worked. I have not tried to reload the os but will do so if necessary.

Is there some button or some setting that I need to change. Is there an on/off setting for plug and play.

Also, the w98se system disk to my wife's computer has been lost or misplaced, hopefully only temporarily. In the event we are unable to find it, how do we go about getting another or where to download with out shelling out big $$$ for an old OS.

Thanks,
Dwayne

 

[BML]

Is USB support enabled in your BIOS?
That seems like it would be the logical answer.
I'm not sure about turning it on and off in the OS.

 

[NogginBoink]

As BML indicated, the most likely problem is that the BIOS has the USB hardware turned off. The BIOS doesn't present the hardware to the OS, so naturally the OS doesn't enumerate the devices and install drivers.

 

[Abzstrak]

also, if its has a via chipset load the 4in1's.... the usb on the via's can be screwy without it.

 

[texasized]

Thanks everyone. I got it working. It was in the BIOS. It was disabled.