The Windows (7) Arduino package (1.0.6) is downloaded and unzipped, but following the installation steps is difficult. The Windows device manager doesn't appear to see the Uno board, although the power light is lit. NO port assignment list appears under "other devices" (in Windows Device Driver) and, so far, I find NO Arduino device references anywhere (in Windows) including the word search utility on the "Start" menu or "hidden devices" on the Device Manager list. Thus I cant initiate an install genie from the windows end.
In the Arduno app, the "tools/serial port" menu item is not highlighted and there is no submenu for selecting or identifying a specific port. Some installation procedure pages, and I have found several, have suggested that a USB driver must be installed before the "genie" for the complete installation will appear, but the installation process description is incomplete. One directive told me to "open" arduino.inf from the main Arduino menu, but that is only a text file. There appears to be no installation genie for a separate USB driver. Yes I see the FTDI USB Drivers sub-directory, but what to do with it is not explained.
I have tried the Uno in two separate Win 7 boxes with the same result. Without genies or port assignment capability, I am stuck. Do I have to install a USB driver to get to the installation genie, and if so, how? Why doesn't Windows "see" the Uno?
You need to create a COM port in order to communicate with your Arduino board.
Therefore you need to install the FTDI USB driver.
You have to open the hardware wizard to install the COM port.
Push start and type in the searchbox hdwwiz Click on hdwwiz.exe and the wizard will open.
Choose 'Install hardware I select from a list'
In the list below select Ports (COM&LPT)
In the next screen you should be able to select Arduino in the left box.
In the right box you should be able to select your type of Arduino.
Then click the 'Have Disk' button and point to the FTDI USB driver folder.
Confirm and windows should install the driver.
Then installations is complete and you should be able to select an COM port in the Arduino menu.
"The Uno differs from all preceding boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB-to-serial driver chip. Instead, it features the Atmega16U2 (Atmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed as a USB-to-serial converter."
EDIT: Have you tried the "Windows Installer" download?
I was able to follow the steps from Bluecake, but "pointing to" the FTDI USB driver folder, as he suggested, didn't trigger a download. Nor did browsing any of the subdirectories inside of it seem to keep the genie going. Traveling backwards in the process, as he outlined it, I skipped the "have disk" step and simply let the genie download from the Arduono Uno menu item (the right side list), and I got a "Arduino Uno software download, but it won't work (code 10)" message ("this device cannot start") when it was finished. As of now, the Windows device manager (suddenly) "sees" Arduono Uno on COM3, but it has an error flag that mentions code 10.
In Arduino, the Arduono 1.0.6/tools/serial_port menu item remains dark and will not give me options. 1.0.6/tools/serial_monitor menu item shows a window with Uno on COM1, but also gives a "COM1 not found" error message. I assume that COM1 is a default, since I wasn't prompted to make an assignment or, on a continuing basis, allowed to make a reassignment. Perhaps per dlloyd, I am trying to install the wrong driver? I installed using the hdwwyz command and I have tried restarting and repluging the board, which is correctly designated in "tools".
Several times I have uinstalled the IDE including the directory, the zipfiles and even the shortcut. I then redownloaded and reinstalled everything and followed the getting started proceedure to the letter. Each time, Windows assigns a higher COM# to the port assignment. We're up to COM 5 now. Each time the error message says (code 10) downloaded but not working.
In Arduino, the tools/serial port menu refuses to "see" the port assignment if there is one. The serial monitor menu selection tells me that Arduno Uno is on COM1 and "can't find COM1".
Success! And, I take back all the terrible thoughts I had thought about my UNO. This is what I did:
1)Went to device manager/ports in Windows 7 and deleted the bad port driver, which was COM4 with a #10 error code ("device can't start"). I'm calling it bad, because Windows did and because Arduino couldn't see it.
2)Went to "install new hardware" in Windows and selected "LPT or COM" and "browse for drivers" and it found ardiuno with a list of board drivers.....i picked the Uno and it downloaded and named itself COM5 with the same old error flag.
3)Fired up Ardiuno and it still didn't "see" a port at Tools/serial Port.
Decided to plug the board into the computer again (it was on its way to the trash can) and that act initiated a convulsion that fed back all the way to Windows where a brand new Uno port appeared named COM6 and there was no error message. It acted like plug & play.
Went to Arduino/tools/serial port and found a COM6 listing which I clicked. The board came to life.
Was the USB cable plugged in during your previous your previous installation attempts? I'm just thinking this may have been the issue - it appears that the software may need to be installed first, then plug in the USB cable to let Windows recognize and set up the com port.
I honestly don't know if the port driver installation was corrupted somehow, because I tried several recommendations and procedures. The processes that had me searching for file names in weird windows directories was a potential problem, because I was never sure which file was a driver, or the right driver. Using the installation genie from "install hardware" reduced the process to list clicking without file names or directory hierarchies to worry about. The act of connecting the board, and this was about the 5th attempt, broke the log jam. I had "device driver" and ardiuno both open, and I was able to see the process as it ran back into windows.
I don't think Arduino can "see" the port without the board connected, but I can't say my port installation was not at fault as well.