Getting started

[jrod11]

When i plug arduino into the usb to down load software i first said installation unsuccessful nothing happens. i tried it again and now nothing happens

[adafruit_support_rick]

Can you be a little more specific?
What kind of system (Windows, Mac) are you using?
What specifically were you installing when you got the message "installation unsuccessful"?

[jrod11]

i just took the arduino uno 3 out of the box and proceeded to plug it into the USB port of my laptop computer which is windows based.

it made the usual bubble sound but then said installation was unsuccessful in the bottom right corner and never began setup

When i tried to plug it again nothing happens at all

the green light on the uno is constant and the yellow light on the uno is continually blinking.

[adafruit_support_rick]

You have to install a driver to use the Arduino with Windows.
Please follow the Adafruit tutorial on getting started with Arduino

[jrod11]

That is were i did start. "UNO Driver Installation (Windows)"

this is what is says to do

"When you plug in the Arduino, you may hear a sound from the computer and a little popup bubble in the bottom right corner of the screen that says Found New Hardware Arduino UNO"

when i do what is stated above, my computer does not find the new hardware like step 1 says that it should

[jrod11]

it must be broken

How do i exchange it?

[adafruit_support_rick]

It is unlikely that the UNO is broken. With the UNO plugged in, check to see if a USB Serial Port appears in the device manager.

make sure the Arduino is plugged in (and the green light is lit). Go to the Device Manager (From the Start Menu, select Settings->Control Panel. Double click on System and select the Hardware tab. Then click on the Device Manager button)

Look for an entry under Ports (COM & LPT) that says USB Serial Port (COM) the COM number may vary but it should be something like COM3 or COM4. The COM stands for "communication", and each one has a unique number, known as the COM Port number. In this case the COM Port number is COM3.

If you don't see the COM port verify the Arduino is plugged in

[jrod11]

were yours says "com" mine says "unknown device". when i click on it it gives me an option to update driver.

should i click on "update driver"?

[adafruit_support_rick]

should i click on "update driver"?

Yes, try that. The Update Driver Wizard will look very much like the Found New Hardware Wizard. You should be able to follow the same instructions in the tutorial

[jrod11]

yeah it seems like it is

do i use "smart modular technologies" as the manufacturer.

what do i use for model "communications port" or "multiport communications port"

[adafruit_support_rick]

Look for the file "'arduino UNO.inf'" in the drivers directory inside of your Arduino install and select that.

[adafruit_support_rick]

I don't have a windows machine set up here right now, so it's a little hard to be specific. Try selecting Com and LPT device type. If it tells you it can't find such a driver, select "Have Disk" and look for the file "'arduino UNO.inf'" in the drivers directory inside of your Arduino install and select that.

[jrod11]

i got it to say com4 but its specified as smart serial port and the device wont start

is this were i should restart my comp?

if so, do i leave the uno connected

[adafruit_support_rick]

try restarting. You want it to say that it's an Arduino UNO, not some other kind of port. If it still doesn't work for you, I'll have to get someone else here to have a look at this thread tomorrow.

[jrod11]

i didn't restart it yet

i thinks its wrong cause i had to specify that other driver

when i did a search windows could not locate the driver though