# ALL my USB ports die! HELP!



## addik (Jun 26, 2007)

It started about a week ago, my mouse didn't work, it always had previousely, but it ceased one day. I tried a different, USB mouse, still no working. (its an intellimouse) it lights up on cold boot, but then completely dies at login. when i need it. It seems all my usb ports are bad and had to recently plug in an old ps/2 mouse to post here for your expertise. Even the power that travels with the USB cord is out. I need to print report stuffs, and I can't because my priter is USB! Any idead? Drivers, (hardware looks ok) also, It's gotten UBER slow along with this problem, any help is GREATLY appreciated *hugs*


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## crabby_the_frog (Jun 26, 2007)

Hmmmm....

The usuial suspect is that something internally has come loose.

There's a key command to force reset the USB port upon startup that may help also (but I can't bloody remember it >.< ). I'll get back to you on the command.

But yeah, firstly I'd take a look around the inside and see if the card's damaged in any way or if it's just come loose, or if it's something else.


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## net-cat (Jun 26, 2007)

Check your BIOS to make sure it hasn't been disabled. (This doesn't sound likely, since the power is off.) You'll have to check your system documentation, as it's different for every system.

Then I would say unplug all you USB devices and plug one that you know for a fact works into the back of the computer. If that works, it's a problem with one of your devices.

If not, I'd try disconnecting the front panel USB headers. Inside you case, there are connectors on the motherboard that connect to front panel and any internal card readers. They are usually blue, and usually labeled either F_USB or USBnnn. (Where nnn is 12, 34, 56, etc.) Their pins are laid out something like this:

::::.

If that still doesn't work, you can get a PCI USB 2.0 card and use that, instead. But you might want to consider replacing your motherboard.


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## HaTcH (Jun 26, 2007)

Check the windows device manager to see if there are any 'issues' with your system. Most likely due to a recent software or driver change/update.

Right click on my computer>Properties>Hardware>Device Manager 

See if anything has a red x in it or a yellow exclamation point. (or anything similar.) If so, that might answer your problems.


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## DuncanFox (Jun 26, 2007)

My computer's on-board USB has been flaky almost since I bought it.  It hadn't been that big a deal until I got my new mouse, which would "freeze" for a couple seconds every few minutes.  Really annoying.

Fixed it with a PCI USB card.  They're really easy to install.  Other parts of your motherboard (I'm assuming your USB ports are built into the motherboard?) might follow it, they might not.  If your computer's under warranty, I suggest taking advantage of that fact.


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## Muse (Jun 27, 2007)

User Error, please replace user.  

Na, just kidding.  My advice follows Net-cat's and Hatch's both - Check the bios, and check the device manager in Windows.  If I have to guess (which is the only option, given I can come to your house and abuse your machine in person...) I'd say it's a Windows/drivers issue, since you say they light up/get power on boot, but die when Window's actually takes over.  

But instead of recommending new hardware (and wow, makers of USB cards must _love_ you guys, seriously) I recommend software solutions - reinstall the USB controller software(remove from the device manager, then reboot, provide Windows disk and/or motherboard install/driver disks as necessary), and update any drivers (both the actual device's and Windows).  Run Windows update.  Do all that, whether Windows admits there's a problem or not, assuming the BIOS isn't the issue.  

Then, if none of that seems to fix it, I still wouldn't buy new hardware, I'd try to re-install Windows completely first.  Remember to back important stuff (read: porn) up first, and don't forget to include a backup of bookmarks/favs.  If you're running any Window's OS after '95, that should be a common practice at least every 6 months anyway (because Microsoft products are designed to work and then to stop working, it seems.  I can only guess to try and justify expensive service plans. tech support, and "upgrades"...).  

THEN if that fails, resort to hardware, either new stuff (USB card) or replacement of old (Motherboard).  

I've had plenty of USB trouble, and usually (like every time) it's been software issues, not hardware.

Edit:  Oh, and re-installing windows will likely fix the speed issues too, as computer OSs (Windows, as an example) tend to develpp a sort of software 'engine crud' the builds up and slows it down a lot over time.  Frequent Defrag/scan disk and liberal use of adaware/spybot can help prevent this.


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## DuncanFox (Jun 27, 2007)

Muse said:
			
		

> I'd say it's a Windows/drivers issue, since you say they light up/get power on boot, but die when Window's actually takes over.



It's entirely possible for the power leads to work, but the data connection to fail.  I've been in the industry for several years, and I honestly can't remember the last time I saw drivers -- especially for something as low-level as USB -- just "go bad" without an underlying hardware cause.

It certainly can't hurt to try, of course.  When it comes to computers, nothing really surprises me anymore, because I've seen so many oddball problems.


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## HaTcH (Jun 27, 2007)

Muse said:
			
		

> If you're running any Window's OS after '95, that should be a common practice at least every 6 months anyway (because Microsoft products are designed to work and then to stop working, it seems.  I can only guess to try and justify expensive service plans. tech support, and "upgrades"...).



Oh! You've noticed the Windows Half-life as well?

Dang.. Now it MUST go on the periodic table of software releases.


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## Muse (Jun 27, 2007)

DuncanFox said:
			
		

> I honestly can't remember the last time I saw drivers -- especially for something as low-level as USB -- just "go bad" without an underlying hardware cause.



Maybe my experiences are just 'special', since I'd actually say drivers under Windows mysteriously 'going bad' is the rule, rather than the exception.  Happens all the time around here.  Then again, I've been in the computer industry, on and off, for the last 15 years, too, so I've seen lot's of weird stuff.  

Like Windows Scan Disk (under XP - It's been reliable until that point, in my experience) just deleting important system files - or erasing references to them - without putting them back.  The result, of course, was Windows 'rebooting', only obviously failing to initialize, until running the 'repair installation' process replaced the deleted entries/files.  

Happened not once, but twice, on two different machines.  If it can happen to vital system files, it's not that likely drivers would be miraculously exempt.  



			
				HaTcH said:
			
		

> Oh! You've noticed the Windows Half-life as well?
> 
> Dang.. Now it MUST go on the periodic table of software releases.



It was worst with ME, due to a serious memory management issue that just never seemed to get fixed - That OS wouldn't last a week with heavy use before slowing down/blue screening ridiculous amounts.  I actually managed to maintain a tiny bit of faith in MS until that point though, mostly because certain aspects (from a system admin standpoint) on 95/98 and NT were so, so very sweet.  I still miss my old 98 SE build c machine when I think of it.  

So sad they screwed up the NT platform so much with XP, and it's no surprise I'm so - terrified - to even give Vista it's day in court.


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## net-cat (Jun 27, 2007)

DuncanFox said:
			
		

> My computer's on-board USB has been flaky almost since I bought it.  It hadn't been that big a deal until I got my new mouse, which would "freeze" for a couple seconds every few minutes.  Really annoying.


I once had a motherboard that supported USB2.0, but only when you had a USB2.0 hub plugged into it. I never did quite figure that one out.



			
				DuncanFox said:
			
		

> I've been in the industry for several years, and I honestly can't remember the last time I saw drivers -- especially for something as low-level as USB -- just "go bad" without an underlying hardware cause.


I can. Sometimes a Windows update can kill it. For example, upgrading to Sever 2003 SP2 kills the nVidia drivers. (For non-8000 series cards.) Not to mention all the problems XP SP2 caused initally.



			
				Muse said:
			
		

> So sad they screwed up the NT platform so much with XP, and it's no surprise I'm so - terrified - to even give Vista it's day in court.


I can't actually remember where I read this, but I seem to recall that the NT5.2 kernel (Server 2003 and XP x64) was actually forked from the NT5.0 kernel (2000) and not the NT5.1 kernel (XP). The NT6.0 kernel (Vista) was forked from NT5.2.


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## Kougar (Jun 27, 2007)

I gotta agree with Net-cat's and Hatch's posts on suggestions to try. I've had software updates corrupt XP's USB drivers in the past, a quick check under Device Manager would show if this was the case. From there you can uninstall and reinstall the USB drivers with a few clicks and a reboot. Usually when this happens the user will get frequent popup notifications in the systray about being unable to install a device though. If the mouse does not light up when in the BIOS, then I'd suspect a hardware issue.

Net-cat, you are correct regarding Windows Server 2003 from Windows 200, and Vista being based directly from Windows Server 2003. The old Longhorn version was based from XP's NT codebase but they thankfully, if finally, scrapped that to rely on Windows Server 2003's cleaner and more compartmentalized codebase.


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## addik (Jul 3, 2007)

hardware is solid! imma gonna save me files, desert Gates and follow my dream! knoppix 7. :twisted:


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## net-cat (Jul 3, 2007)

If you believe Linux (or any alternate platform) will be a panacea, you're in for a shock.


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## addik (Jul 3, 2007)

i've been running a dual boot of 2 HHDs. one with stock xp sp2 and one with puppy linux, i want knoppix  7. I seem  to understand the GUI of Linux well, programming still confounds me. but if thier putting Knoppix 7 on made-to-order Dell machines, its a good enough OS to put thier (shitty) warranty on, its fine for me.


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## Kougar (Jul 4, 2007)

Actually Dell uses Ubuntu, not Knoppix... I've used some of the live boot CDs from Knoppix and they're fairly useful, but linux isn't for me. To much hassle to run even simplistic programs I get to take for granted on Windows, and ya could forget gaming...  :x


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## net-cat (Jul 4, 2007)

SystemRescueCD FTW. 

Of all the Linux distributions I've used, I like /[kx]?ubuntu/ the best.  It's the most functional distribution I've used, and it lacks the "RTFM or GTFO" attitude I've found to be extremely prevalent in the Linux community. Personally, I use FreeBSD on my server. It does what I need it to do. 

I'm stuck with XP or Vista on my laptop, though. Linux has no handwriting recognition and there doesn't seem to be any serious attempt to develop it.


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## addik (Jul 5, 2007)

SEE how little I care? Its from religiously backing up to DVDs. Imma gonna get my restore on with windows. will my SL profile still work after I re install?


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## addik (Jul 5, 2007)

maybe I should put a pound of Thermite on my case and take it hostage cuz something is eating my cpu cycles 5x normal...hmmm...no virus, trojans, etc.


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