Dead MSR in need of replacement

[Lee]

Well, my Bematech MSR appears to have died.  It beeps but imports no data.  I tried re-booting the system but that did not help.  I have scanned the data from a card into Notepad before but that doesn't work either.  I am in the market for a replacement.

In another thread I read "It must read both tracks 1 & 2 (not 3) to be used."

Is this still the case?

Thanks Ronald,
Lee

[Lee]

I forgot to mention that I did try cleaning the read head.

Lacking a proper "kit" I folded a paper plate in half and doused it with isopropyl.  I applied a swiping action perpendicular to the card-swipe direction - parallel to the gap in the read head.

It didn't appear to help.

Perhaps a software re-installation?

If it has, in fact, died - I'll take two.  A replacement and a back-up.

Thanks again.

[ronaldrwl]

It must read tracks 1 & 2 and not 3.  You could try it on a different computer.

[Lee]

Thanks, Ronald.

When I unplugged the USB cable for the MSR I did not hear the audible tones I normally hear when disconnecting a "hot" device, so I plugged it back in... and I DID hear the tones associated with the CONNECTION of a device.  The MSR now works again.

A lesson to all:  rebooting will not resolve a connection problem that requires a disconnection/reconnection of the devices USB cable.