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Time: 00:59 - Sep 20, 2006     Asked by: PeterNZ      Status: Answered      Points: 150   

USB Problems

Hi people,

I have a problem with USB ports of my PC. They behave in a very bad manner! The problem is intermittend and follows no specific pattern. The thing is that from time to time they lose the connected device. For example I have my PocketPC plugged in for 2 weeks and suddenly it says "USB Devive Not Recognized". So I change the port and one of them works most of the times. Until the next time. It doesn't matter what device it is. In saying this, the USB printer never seems to make any problems! The problem occurs on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista Beta2. So the OS doesn't seem to be a factor. Sometimes the USB ports in the back of the computer do work, sometimes the ones in the back on the bottom. The most problems are caused by the two front sockets. They don't seem to work most of the time.

So if I for example want to download my digi camera pictures or want to use my card reader, I have to go on a search for a USB port which accepts it! Very annoying.

The USB ports are USB 2.0 enabled (doesn't make a difference if I disable this) and are set to full speed in the BIOS. I already tried to change the settings with no difference. The PC is a Intel P4 3 Ghz

The system information shows 5 Intel 82801EB USB Universal Host Controllers and the 8 USB Root Hubs.

I will give the first person who gives me information which make the USB hubs work 150 points!!! Please feel free to ask any questions.

Cheers

Peter

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Honestly, I think you have a hardware problem. Probably lack of power / low voltage on the USB outlets.
Does your printer, which works well, have it's own power source? And what about the other devices?
Since the USB ports in many cases also provides power for the connected devices, this problem is likely to occur, if they are not powerful enough.
The quality / length of the cables also matter here. A long or low quality cable will consume more power, thus leaving less for the connected device. I have an extension USB cable to make it easier for me to reach and plug things in - BUT it is also much more unreliable, in about the same way, you describe.

I don't think I can make your USB ports work, but perhaps you just have to change your power supply?

Expert:

jgivoni

Date:

Sep 20, 2006

Time:

18:40

 

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Hi jgivioni, thank you for your reply!

If I think about the devices I can say:

Digital camera - own power supply - has problems
card reader - no power supply - has problems
Pockect PC -In cradle - I guess is using power from cradle - has problems
wireless USB plug in - no power supply - has problems
web cam - no power supply - has problems
printer - own power supply - no problems at all!

What I also tried is to unplug all USB devices and then try only one device. No change!

With power supply you mean the main power supply for the PC?

Cheers

Peter

Expert:

PeterNZ

Date:

Sep 20, 2006

Time:

22:05

 

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I have to agree it sounds like a power problem, having seen a similar problem myself.

What hardware do you actually have in your computer? number of HDD's, CD/DVD drives, fans, flashing lights etc etc

Although it may seem like some items have their own power, they may still draw power from the USB port.

One thing to try is to disconnect as much as you can manage without from the power inside your computer (so if you have extra fans (Dont unplug your CPU fan), extra CD/DVD drives etc disconnect them) Also disconnect any of the USB ports that you can), basically try to reduce the amount of power your computer is using and see if that solves the problem.

Is this a brand name computer, or is it custom built by someone (or even you)?

Expert:

m.j.little

Date:

Oct 04, 2006

Time:

08:57

 

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Peter,
> With power supply you mean the main power supply for the PC?
Yes, that one. I am no expert in hardware, so I don't wanna mislead you though. But I remember a while back it suddenly became important to look at the WATTS for the main power supply when you buy a new computer - which I had never considered before. It used to be the GHz and GB that mattered :-)

Jakob

Expert:

jgivoni

Date:

Oct 08, 2006

Time:

23:27

 

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Power supplies have become increasingly important. It used to be that you could get by with a 200W supply, but that's no longer the case. Spend $30 and get a minimum 350 W supply; they're easy to install. As with disk space and RAM, more is better. Check also the capabilities of the motherboard, as some can't handle more than two USB ports. Solid mb and power, you should be good to go. I built this system around 8 months ago, starting with an ASUS motherboard and a honkin' power supply. It handles 1/2 terrabyte of hd storage in both SATA and EIDE formats with 6 USB2 ports, a dvd burner, 2 cd burners, and a mutimedia card interface with no problems.

Expert:

pachyman

Date:

Jan 19, 2007

Time:

15:28

 

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You might also try updating the drivers. Go to "device manager" <right click> on the USB host controller and choose "update driver" try letting it search the internet or go directly to the PC manufacturers site, Intel site or MS site and look for an updated driver. You can also check for new drivers for the equipment you're connecting. It's likely that only the printer installed it's own driver while the other devices used generic drivers provided by Windows.

Expert:

jimr

Date:

Jan 20, 2007

Time:

05:41

 

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PeterNZ, please close this question and distribute the points.
If you didn't get a solution to your problem or you found it yourself, please leave a comment here to let the experts know.
Thanks,
Quomon Admin

Expert:

admin

Date:

Jun 25, 2007

Time:

05:43

 

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Sorry, forgot completely about it! SInce I do not have the time and don't want to spend the money on an "old" PC I will close the question. Thank you for your answers! I will keep the things inmind you have said when I buy another PC next time

Cheers

Peter

Expert:

PeterNZ

Date:

Jun 26, 2007

Time:

15:39

 

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Question Answered

This question has been answered, and points have been rewarded to the following experts:

jgivoni: 45
m.j.little: 35
pachyman: 35
jimr: 35

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