Issues with uno rev 3 [solved]

I picked up a uno earlier toady and when I got it home I installed the IDE and drivers as per the website. it worked fine for all of about 15 minutes then I started getting com port in use errors. I disconnected / reconnected the Uno, but that didn't fix it. I rebooted the PC, but that didn't fix it either. By this point it wasnt even showing up on the com port list but as a unreconised USD device with no drivers installed (and it wont let me install drivers for it)

I have been able to get it to work for a minute or 2 at a time by uninstalling everything (conect the board, un install the drivers, disconnect, uninstall the IDE) then rebooting and reinstalling as per the website. This will work 20% of the time. When I get it to work it will some times let me do 1 upload (if at all) before it gives the comport in use error and starts the hassle all over again.

I am running Windows XP with SP3 installed. There is no firewall or AV running at this time.

Other than the USB cable, what are you connecting to the Arduino?

nothing. I was trying to get a feel for the ide so I was playing with the blink sample code and using the d13 led.

Jedite83:
when I got it home I installed the ... drivers as per the website

This?

That's the one.

An observation that may help...

This...

Jedite83:
then I started getting com port in use errors

...and this...

By this point it wasnt even showing up on the com port list but as a unreconised USD device with no drivers installed (and it wont let me install drivers for it)

...are very likely two unrelated problems.

The first can be caused by a PDA / mobile phone application probing serial ports or an orphaned avrdude instance. The second could be hardware (e.g. defective USB cable) or software (e.g. out-of-date usbser.sys driver).

I swapped out hte USB cable and it seems to have fixed everything.

Excellent. Thank you for the follow-up.