I've just received my Topfield 5800, but am having problems connecting to the PC to install TAPs. The PVR itself works fine with the TV.

I installed the Topfield Applications Setup.exe program on the PC before even receiving the PVR, which is supposed to install the USB driver, but the PC says that the USB device isn't recognized. Windows XP (SP2) then doesn't seem to be able to find a driver for it. Where should I look for it? Or does anyone have another way round this problem please?

And, assuming I do get it fixed, which are the TAPs that are most likely to be useful? For example, I don't much like the EPG, compared to other PVRs I've used. Which ones are recommended?

Have you run Altair.exe? This program can be found in Program Files/Topfield Windows Applications/Altair. The text file Altair.txt explains managing files via USB using this utility.

The XP drivers don't load until they detect the device. I assume you are letting Windows search for the necessary drivers. You could try reinstalling Altair?

I've tried running Altair.exe, but it obviously can't see the Toppy as the USB device isn't recognised. I've also re-installed it seeveral times with no change. I tried letting Windows search for the drivers, and also helped it by pointing it at the TfBulk folder, but it didn't find anything useful there.

Sorry to ask another silly question, but you have got the Toppy switched on and connected to the PC with the USB cable, haven't you?

From memory, when you run the setup program, I think you get a screen where you can 'tick' the components you want to install. The list includes things like Altair, but also has a tick box for the USB drivers. Perhaps these were not ticked when you ran the install? Once the driver is on the PC, it should then load when the Toppy is first connected, it sounds to me like your PC doesn't have a copy of the driver on there.

Yes, the USB driver was among those ticked, and the TfBulk folder was created with three files in it (tfBulk.txt, TfBulk.inf and TfBulk.sys). So were several other folders.

I only get the USB error message when connecting a switched-on Toppy, or switching on the Toppy when it's already connected via USB cable. No error message when no Toppy is connected or it's not turned on. I assume that the USB cable is OK (or the PC wouldn't notice the Toppy being turned on).

Well, that's a poser and no mistake. If I were you I'd pop over to www.toppy.org.uk and ask any one of several oracles.

Thanks, I've now posted the query on www.toppy.org.uk in the new user forum.

As an aside, USB does seem to be one of the flakier elements of modern PC architectures.

It's even flakier on STBs. Why they can't incorporate ethernet is beyond me.

Thanks to a tip on toppy.org.uk, I think I've cracked it, and it was indeed a USB-related problem. I had been trying to connect via a hub off a hub (the PC is too faraway for a direct connection). I've now tried skipping the secondary hub, and go directly to a USB 2.0 hub that's connected to the PC, and it worked. So it looks like the problem was with the subsidiary USB 1.1 hub.

Ah, you didn't mention hubs and subsidiary hubs.... Still, glad you solved it.