USB port problems !

SlowInternet

SlowInternet

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The wife's PC is starting to give problems. Everything was working fine untill yesterday. The kid wanted to print something for a school project but everytime the printer was switched on the PC will freeze. At first I thought it was the printer, I replaced the usb cable but it was the same result.Everything was fine until the printer was switched on.

I re-installed the drivers but no luck. I then attached a USB Hub and plugged the printer cable into the hub and then everything was working. I tried a USB stick and it also freezes the PC...I tried all the usb ports with the same result. Everything is working fine when plugged in at the hub but not when plugged in direct into the USB ports on the PC.

So why all of a sudden out of the blue is this happening ??? No new hardware or anything else was installed on the PC. Using Win 7 on the PC.

Any ideas ??
 
Might been a recent windows update that may have caused this, reinstall your USB drivers by going to the device manager then under Universal Serial Bus Controllers right click and uninstall all of them, after you have done so restart.
 
NomNom said:
Might been a recent windows update that may have caused this, reinstall your USB drivers by going to the device manager then under Universal Serial Bus Controllers right click and uninstall all of them, after you have done so restart.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply...I have tried this but it hasn't solved my problem. The printer and usb stick will only work when plugged into USB hub. The moment I plug them directly into the usb ports the PC will freeze.
 
SlowInternet said:
Thanks for the reply...I have tried this but it hasn't solved my problem. The printer and usb stick will only work when plugged into USB hub. The moment I plug them directly into the usb ports the PC will freeze.
Click to expand...

Define freeze. Does your PC freeze to the point where you have to reset or power off/on?
Or does it unfreeze again when you remove the USB device?

If it "unfreezes" when you remove the USB Device, the fault is definitely software related.

If it stays frozen even after you remove the USB device, it may still be software related,
but can also be a hardware fault in your USB controller.
 
Totempole said:
Define freeze. Does your PC freeze to the point where you have to reset or power off/on?
Or does it unfreeze again when you remove the USB device?

If it "unfreezes" when you remove the USB Device, the fault is definitely software related.

If it stays frozen even after you remove the USB device, it may still be software related,
but can also be a hardware fault in your USB controller.
Click to expand...

It freezes and then I have to reset or power off/on. It doesn't "unfreeze" if I remove the USB device. It just started yesterday all of a sudden. The weird thing is if I plug a USB hub into the same usb port of the PC and then plug the printer or usb stick into the hub, everything is fine and working.
 
This a common problem that can be software or harware related. You can try booting from a Linux LiveCD to eliminate software failure. If the system still freezes, problem is power or 'southbridge' related. I presume you are using a 'powered' hub, which will power the usb device connected, instead of drawing power from the pc. The 5v rails on your PSU may not be failing -or- your motherboard can not supply the required current. Depending on your setup, a failing 'southbridge' controller can also cause the same symptoms. Happy hunting...
 
oldhat said:
I presume you are using a 'powered' hub, which will power the usb device connected, instead of drawing power from the pc. The 5v rails on your PSU may not be failing -or- your motherboard can not supply the required current. Depending on your setup, a failing 'southbridge' controller can also cause the same symptoms. Happy hunting...
Click to expand...
I second to trying linux LiveCD first.
If problem persists, I have different idea, it could be very simple cause, easy to fix. Motherboard should be inspected for failing PolyFuse (protecting motherboard from shorts). This component normally returns to normal state after power cycle, but it can be faulty and fail to return to low resistance or trigger on lower current levels than it should.

It can be tested by loading USB port and meassuring voltage drop with multimeter, I suggest 100% load (0.5A) for at least a minute, then 150% for few second.
 
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