Thread: USB problems

Have you tried a reboot?

I'm normally a Mac head but am forced to use a PC here at work. Sometimes the PC here does funny things when USB devices are plugged in....a reboot usually fixes the problem.

Cheers Martin

Some times you need the usb to be plugged in before starting the puter for it to regonise it
Which is what kiwigeo just said
I think theres an auto run thingie you can tick that sloves the problem
or if you get a usb hub with 4 ports or so and leave that plugged into you usb port, those added usb ports should run automatically ....i think

Computer here has a 4 port USB hub which I suspect causes some of my problems. I have a software dongle which often misbehaves when its plugged into the hub but works fine plugged directly into the PC.

Mine went the other way , plugging straight into the usb port on the puter wouldn't get regonised but with the hub it regonises everything
Might be the windoze I'm running as well . Had a lot of grief when I switched to 64 bit windoze 7

Sounds like the mother board is on the way out.
Other symptoms are hard to start on a cold morning.
I bet you have 'fat caps' on the motherboard.

Take the lid off the PC & have a look for bulged capacitors.

Looks like this.
bulged capacitor - Google Search

If they look like that, you need a new motherboard.

One of the biggest problems with USB is that older USB ports often don't supply enough power for the newer devices.

(This can be for a variety of reasons, inc. aging PSUs, not-fully-backwards-compatible, or even just "it's broken.")

If plugging into a mobo port leaves a device unrecognised, but plugging it into an independently powered hub (one that uses a wall-wart) seems to work, well...

...I rest my case.

Portable HDDs are one of my biggest bugbears.

G'day Y'all
We had problems with an old Dell running XP pro trying to get our CNC machine to run or stay running. We put in a 4 port box and that did not work so we put $20 daughter board inside and that solved the problem.
FWIW
Regards
Joe

Thanks guys, ended up restarting with the drive already turned on and plugged in seems to solve the problem.

Whats a SM bus controller, has a nice big fat yellow question mark on it I try reinstalling the drivers but "computer says no" cant find them

You'll have to search for drivers for the motherboard, use the make & model in a google search for drivers.

Its a 6yr old dell so dunno if they are still available, I'll have a look for them when I get home from work...

Hi Cliff,
Hey, they were a great set of Photos.

Don't thank me, thank google.