I'm sorry about making an addition to the thousands of 'my calc doesn't connect to my computer halp' threads on the internet, but TI's customer service is markedly bad, and no solutions are generally given in those threads, as they all end up being 'oops, I fixed it', 'oh, I needed to install TI-Connect', or just 'So what have you tried so far?' with no answer and thread death.

I tried months ago to connect my TI-84+CSE to my computer, and months before that to connect my TI-84+SE to my computer, giving up each of those times.

Yesterday, I bought a TI-84+CE and immediately tried connecting it to my computer. I updated TI-Connect, took the cable from the box and plugged it into the computer, and plugged it into the calculator. To my delight, it began to charge. I then searched for the calculator in TI-Connect and the search failed.

I went into device manager and found nothing related to TI. It is connected by USB (naturally, because the I/O port is gone now), and the sum total of my USB entries in device manager is:

'Generic USB Hub
Generic USB Hub
Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1E2D
Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1E26
USB Composite Device
USB Composite Device
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub'

I have tried in all of my USB ports.

I uninstalled and reinstalled TI-connect with no effect. There are no drivers to update in device manager because there is no visible device.

I have never found an online thread where the computer doesn't recognise the device whatsoever. It always ends in 'Oh, yeah, I found [something with the name Texas Instruments in it] in device manager and updated that. Works now' or just no answers and thread death.

tl;dr
I've tried every USB port. This is a brand new calculator and cord. The connection is probably solid because it's charging. It is not visible in device manager. It is not visible in TI-Connect. It is not visible in any other connection software I have tried.


Information about computer and calculator half of which is probably not important but I don't want to waste people's time asking and answering:
Running Windows 8.1 on a laptop.
As I said, a TI-84+CE
Calculator running OS 5.0.1.0012.

--

Any help would be appreciated. I tried to answer every possible question, but naturally I missed some.
You're going to kick yourself when I tell you the solution:
Push the USB cable in further.
I know, you think it's all the way in, but trust me, you didn't push it hard enough. I've seen four separate instances of this happening, including on my own TI-84+CE when it was brand-new.

Edit: Just to be sure, you have TI Connect CE installed, not just TI Connect, right? The fact that the calculator doesn't show up at all in your device list indicates that this is probably not the issue, but you won't be able to transfer Apps to the TI-84+CE with TI Connect.
KermMartian wrote:
You're going to kick yourself when I tell you the solution:
Push the USB cable in further.
I know, you think it's all the way in, but trust me, you didn't push it hard enough. I've seen four separate instances of this happening, including on my own TI-84+CE when it was brand-new.


Should I stop before or after I break my USB port?

-Edit-
For the love of god, you meant the calculator. Thought you were talking about the computer.
It found it. I literally kicked myself.

KermMartian wrote:
Edit: Just to be sure, you have TI Connect CE installed, not just TI Connect, right? The fact that the calculator doesn't show up at all in your device list indicates that this is probably not the issue, but you won't be able to transfer Apps to the TI-84+CE with TI Connect.


Thank you for telling me that exists, and I'll get it, but I'm sure that isn't the problem, as you said.
KermMartian wrote:
You're going to kick yourself when I tell you the solution:
Push the USB cable in further.
I know, you think it's all the way in, but trust me, you didn't push it hard enough. I've seen four separate instances of this happening, including on my own TI-84+CE when it was brand-new.

Edit: Just to be sure, you have TI Connect CE installed, not just TI Connect, right? The fact that the calculator doesn't show up at all in your device list indicates that this is probably not the issue, but you won't be able to transfer Apps to the TI-84+CE with TI Connect.

Kerm's answer actualy makes sense. It might be becouse the cable is low quality, and the central pins (data pins) are a few mm behind the outer pins (the power pins). Very Happy But I would still be surprised if it worked. Razz
Edit: hmm Kerm meant the calculator side pins Razz not the computer side. But, on the topic of pins can someone tell me why there is a fifth pin on the calculator side? (At least on the 83/84+). USB has four anyway.
My first attempt would be rebooting the PC. If that doesn't help I would try exchanging the equipment piecewise if possible: First I would try to use another PC, preferable with another OS. If that still doesn't work the thing must be either with the cable or with the calculator. I don't know what cable you need to use for TI-84+ CE's but for example silverlink cables get recognised even if there is no calculator with it. If anything fails (including resetting the calculator completely) your last option would be returning it to TI.
c4ooo wrote:
But I would still be surprised if it worked. Razz


Evidently it will. I've never gotten a TI product to get this far before. I'm hoping TI-Connect didn't just install an improper driver for the calculator though since I didn't have the right program.
Update
----------------------------------

It's connected. Thank you, KermMartian.
KermMartian wrote:
You're going to kick yourself when I tell you the solution:
Push the USB cable in further.
I know, you think it's all the way in, but trust me, you didn't push it hard enough. I've seen four separate instances of this happening, including on my own TI-84+CE when it was brand-new.

Edit: Just to be sure, you have TI Connect CE installed, not just TI Connect, right? The fact that the calculator doesn't show up at all in your device list indicates that this is probably not the issue, but you won't be able to transfer Apps to the TI-84+CE with TI Connect.


I remember after hours of trying solutions stumbling upon this post about a year back with no prevail, I just gave up, but now I need to use TI Connect CE again and literally can't find out what I'm doing wrong.

Drivers are good, USB ports are working, etc, I've used two different calculaters including one brand new one with brand new cords, I even switched the batteries for both I am going crazy.
You switched batteries, as in the internal batteries?

Also did you see the comment about pushing the cable in all the way on the calculator?

When the CE first came out lot's of people, including myself had this issue and it was because although you can push the cable in and the calc charges, it isn't "all the way in" unless you use extra force to click it in (the calculator side) the last few mm until it is absolutely flush with the case.
The battery switching thing was just a last resort i didn’t really expect it to work, and yes the cable pushing in thing was the no prevail attempt i referred to.
I tried the cable but that didn't work. I ended up checking my device manager. I scrolled down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and in this section I saw my TI device - I can't recall exactly what it said but I right clicked where it said TI and then clicked update driver. Once I did that the name changed to TI Graphing Calculator. I returned to the TI Connect CE software and I was now able to see my calculator listed in the left panel. I was able to update my calculator's software after that.

I hope this is of some help to someone.
  
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