Optus Wireless Broadband problems

[bicko19]

Hi all.

Okay, heres the deal.

Back in February, I bought an Optus Wireless Broadband modem (a Huawei E220) on a 2gb per month plan.

Last month, the modem died on me, the modem would connect to my Aspire 5720Z notebook, and then disconnect, saying it was unavalible. To try and correct the problem, I uninstalled the software, and was unable to reinstall it, receiving an error message each time i tried to install along the lines of:
Optus Wireless Broadband.exe - Bad Image
C:/Program Files/Optus Wireless Broadband/MFC71U.DLL is either not designed to tun on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system admin or software vendor for support.


This was followed by a "OWB has stopped responding" message.

So I contacted Optus, they told me my modem was dead, so I had it sent away and got it back today.

Now when I try to install it, it gets to a certain point in the installation when i get an error message reading:

NtSetP.exe - Bad Image
C:/Program Files/Optus Wireless Broadband/MFC71.DLL (followed by the rest of the previous support message)

After I press OK, another non response message comes up saying NtSetO.exe is failing to respond. Once it is closed, the installation completes but the software won't run (once again reverting to the first error message).

I called Optus again (you think they were get some interesting hold music...) who suggested I tried it on another machine. Tried it on my brothers laptop, and it worked fine. So I was basically given the "we can't help you" by Optus.

Has anyone got any ideas how to fix this? It worked fine the first time i installed it back in Feb.

I've tried uninstalling, cleaning the registry, everything.

I am running Windows Vista Home Premium.

Thanks in advance

[chauffeur2]

Hello bicko, Welcome to TSF!

I am with "The Big O" too, and understand the frustration with their support centre.
That said, lets see if I can help.
Presumably an installation CD came with this Huawei E220 Modem, and you used this CD to reinstall the software.

Does it get recognised when you plug it in initially?

Have you tried to uninstall the software again, and rebooting the computer immediately afterwards?

Just let me know these answers and we'll see what we can do to help.

KInd Regards,

[bicko19]

The software is installed off the modem. Basically, plug in your modem, autorun starts and you install straight off the modem. When you first connect the modem to the computer, it is recognised as a "USB Mass Storage Device".

It gets recognised, and it says it completes installing all the appropriate drivers.

Yes I have tried uninstalling and rebooting, no change.

[chauffeur2]

Sorry for the delay Bicko,

I have been doing some research for you, as I'm a little stumped.
The good news is, that I have found a YouTube Video that explains how to reinstall it on a system with Vista™.
Although the video is aimed at Vodafone, it should not make any difference in this case.
(Click the coloured link, and it will take you to the video.)

Have a look at it and post back with the outcome.

Kind Regards,

[bicko19]

I'll watch it now. You are a champion =)

[chauffeur2]

Let me know the outcome please.

[bicko19]

How do I copy the drivers from the modem to my computer?

On the modem itself when i explore it, it's only got the set ups and such on the device. Where are the drivers?

Thanks.

[chauffeur2]

The Drivers are usually part of the Setup.exe file.

[bicko19]

I tried doing what the video said. It wouldn't work, saying it couldn't install the drivers, even though I had put the specific path.

What did change though, was when I uninstalled and restarted my computer, and whole new menu asking to install the drivers for the modem came up. I too gave it the specific path, but it wouldn't work either? =S

[chauffeur2]

Sorry for the delayed reply Bicko,

Is there any way that you can access the files on this modem without installing them?
If there is, could you please give me a list of what you can see in the folder.

Thanks.

Regards,

[bicko19]

No need to apologise about the delay!

When i explore the modem, the files are:

AutoRun.exe
Another AutoRun file (Setup Information)
DataCard_Setup (Application)
DataCard_Setup64 (Application)
Reset Device (Application)
SysConfig.dat

Then in a folder on the modem named Optus Wireless Broadband there is:
data.bin
Setup (Application).

I'll try and get the list of files that get installed now.

[bicko19]

Here are the files that get installed when I install the software (or try to install the software)







I'll get to the sub folders in a while (sorry about the delay.)

[bicko19]

CONFIG



DRIVERS


WINVISTA DRIVERS FOLDER


PLUGINS


Will you need all the files from all the plugin folders??

Thanks
Matt

[chauffeur2]

G'Day Matt,

The files/folders that you will need to install (or try to) are:
Drivers - WinXP
Optus Wireless Broadband - Application
Auto Run.exe

If at all possible, see if you can copy all the files/folders to a new folder on your PC.
Create a Folder on the Desktop, by Right clicking an empty space on the Desktop > New > Folder, and name it say, "Optus Modem".
Now in the 'view' of the folder/files on the modem, right click > Select All > Copy....go to the newly created folder on the desktop, open it and Right click > Paste...this should now transfer (copy) the contents of the Modem onto your computer via this folder.
Disconnect the Modem and then install the files using the Auto Run .exe file....the object of this excercise is to get the drivers/modem installed on the computer, so that when you restart the machine with the modem connected, Windows will 'discover it' and install it.

Give this a try and post back with the outcome.

Regards,

[bicko19]

It didn't work. I copied all the files, but when I tried to run any of the applications, a DOS box would appear for a split second (what it said, I don't know, it was too quick) and the application would never start.

[chauffeur2]

Sorry bicko,

This has got me totally baffled...I will get one of the Networking Team gurus to have a look at this and see what they can offer for a solution.

Bear with us please.

Kind Regards,

[bicko19]

Thats cool, i really appriciate all the effort.

I'm thinking, would wiping my computer and starting again work?

[chauffeur2]

Hi Bicko,

A colleague of mine has had the thought....

Have you installed any other software/programs/Windows Updates that might have caused this?

[bicko19]

Not that I know of?

Windows updates are frequent, but I can't think of any software i've installed that would mess it up.

The only thing i can think of, there was a sound program which used NSIS as an installer. Now when I try to install optus and other programs, there install icons have been replaced with NSIS ones???

[chauffeur2]

What Anti Virus program and Firewall are you using?