I upgraded my Laptop to Windows 7 and after installing ALL my applications I was just about to hit the road when I remembered that I didn’t install my trusted E220 modem that I have used for the past 4 years.
So I connected the E220 card to my USB and it was recognised by Windows 7 – so far so good.
It then added the USB Mass Storage and a CD Rom.
But then it stopped !
hugh ???
luckily I had the MTN E220 software copied onto my computer so i tried to install it manually but it failed.
I spent the next 2 days searching the web for a solution – I downloaded a gazillion apps which are suppose to fix it but none did.
The problem is that Windows 7 doesn’t recognise the device as a modem – therefore the MTN software doesn’t work.
I spent the next day searching the web again for Modem drivers – but again no luck.
Eventually =- EUREKA !
With the help of various websites/ forums and trial-and-error, I have put the following steps to get Windows 7 to recognise the E220 as a modem :
- Connect the E220 – Windows 7 will only recognize a new USB Mass Storage Device and a CD drive (which btw you cannot access).
Open the Device Manager - You will see the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” Section and under that USB Mass Storage Device
- Find the one that is related to the E220 (I kept the device manager open, disconnected the E220 and saw the Mass Storage disappear. I connected it again and saw it reappear – so I knew which one to play with)
- Right click on the Mass Storage Device and select “Update Driver Software”
- Select “Browse my Computer”
- Select the “Let me pick” section at the bottom
- Untick the “Show compatible devices” option
- Select “(Generic USB Host Controller)” in the Manufacturer Tab (near the top of the list)
- Select “USB Composite Device” in the Model Tab (on the right side)
- Click on NEXT to finish installation
- Windows 7 will add another USB Mass Storage Device
- Disconnect and reconnect your E220 to reinitialise the E220 software
- It will then pick up the E220 as a modem !
- At this stage install the software which you can download from the MTN or Vodacom website.
hopefully this can save you lots of time and frustration !
You help me so much! Thank you for that!
By: Yudi Bagus on June 23, 2010
at 11:01 am
Thanks a lot
By: Hari on August 17, 2010
at 6:54 pm
I have also searced the web for a solution to this problem for the past 2 days without luck. You are a genius.
By: Ross on September 2, 2010
at 2:52 am
Hey man, you’re a legend, thanks for posting this, have been hunting around for ages to find this.
By: Jon on November 30, 2010
at 10:58 am
Excellent. This worked. Thanks for posting this solution
By: Stuart on January 6, 2011
at 2:12 pm
Brilliant – Thanks
By: rd on February 16, 2011
at 12:04 pm
Brilliant, thanks bud
By: bruce on April 12, 2011
at 9:09 pm
Glad I could help !
p.s if anyone wants to click on the Facebook or Tweet or Vote button to help share the info – I reallwouldn’tnt mind !!!
By: thetechieguy on April 12, 2011
at 9:14 pm
Well done!!!!!
Thanks for the help.
Awesome stuff, much appreciated…:)
By: Alan Kalan on May 1, 2011
at 3:10 pm
I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABY!
By: Ricardo on June 1, 2011
at 10:11 am
I would like to add my vote of thanks as I was also struggling with the same issue after a fresh installation of Windows 7.
By: Terry on June 24, 2011
at 12:12 pm
TAKE MY WIFE MATE!
By: K on August 26, 2011
at 5:17 pm
Thanks man, you saved my day!
By: maze on October 3, 2011
at 1:28 pm
You!!!!! You wonderful creature!!
Ty from the bottom of my heart.
Why arent you the ceo of huawei corp??
Ohh then you would have made a modem that would have worked from the first place!
Many thnx again.
By: jed on October 6, 2011
at 12:37 am
kudos man! That was a brilliant work. Keep it up!
By: Brown on October 16, 2011
at 7:25 pm
Thanks man! That was a brilliantwork. Keep it up!
By: Brown on October 16, 2011
at 7:48 pm
Awesome solution man!! Was a great help I can believe the thing doesn’t even work like this in the first place!! haha
By: Sampa David Sampa on December 1, 2011
at 1:44 am
brilliant!!
By: ravihara on December 8, 2011
at 8:57 am
Wow it really worked, can’t believe it youre a genious man!
Thanks a million…. kudos
By: ojoo on January 2, 2012
at 7:53 pm
seriously awesome, thanks so much for posting this solution, worked a treat. Very much appreciated.
By: Bryce on January 2, 2012
at 9:56 pm
Great! Got it to work now. Big thanks!
By: Jompa on January 26, 2012
at 9:08 pm
Much appreciated – worked as described!
By: John M on March 12, 2012
at 9:37 am
which software do you download from vodacom??
By: Sachin on March 26, 2012
at 9:20 pm
Not sure what you mean, but here is the link for their Broadband software: https://help.vodacom.co.za/portal/engine?handler=script&script=template&view=html&context=template&name=main_software_downloads&type=Broadband&softdown=Software
By: thetechieguy on March 26, 2012
at 9:29 pm
I tried the same technique for my huawei modem. 3 days of searching all over the internet and doing all sorts of recommended things. This is the only thing that worked.
By: drpn on May 2, 2012
at 2:28 pm
Liron, I had spent a lot of time trying to put this modem to work that I had given up. But now it works like a charm!! Thank you.
By: Adriano on July 17, 2012
at 7:20 pm
Way cool Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By: Carina on July 20, 2012
at 8:45 pm
thanks a lot!
it works!
By: Andrii on September 10, 2012
at 8:32 am
This absolutely works! Thank you
By: kalengi on October 4, 2012
at 3:15 am
Thanks a lot thetechieguy , this helped solve my issue too! God Bless U!
By: Mital on October 13, 2012
at 6:14 pm
Thanks for sharing this information, I have been trying for the past few days to work. Quite relived now.
Thanks again
By: Aqua on October 17, 2012
at 4:23 pm
THanks so much for this!!!….still having a problem, says my data card is invalid
PLEASE HELP!
By: Candice on October 17, 2012
at 5:24 pm
Best and most useful article ever – have been battling with this for ages. I am now going to go and show our IT support how it’s done now
By: Kathy on November 28, 2012
at 7:34 am
Great, thanks a lot
By: likhodeev on December 10, 2012
at 8:33 pm
Thank You, works great.
Greetings from Sweden
By: Martintin Löfgren on December 11, 2012
at 10:18 am
[...] Huawei E220 – how to get it to work on Windows 7 (35 COMMENTS) [...]
By: TheTechieGuy: 2012 year in blogging « The Techie Guy – Liron Segev on January 1, 2013
at 12:10 pm
You are an absolute genius. I have been struggling with this for 2 weeks now. Huawei themselves didnt know what to do and Telkom…well lets not go there!
Thanks for this post, my problem is solved!
By: Richard on February 12, 2013
at 11:24 pm
Thank you very much.
By: micro on April 8, 2013
at 10:23 pm
thanks a lot!
By: Jack on April 29, 2013
at 10:50 pm