Usb ports damaging things plugged in?? Is it possible

[N1sh]

I recently have had 2 mice/mouses fail on my pc, i.e they keep connecting and disconnecting and the opitical light switches on and off. (they are both Microsoft basic optical around 5 years old)

Then a friend plugs in his 4 gig flash drive into my usb port then tells me its behaving strangely on his pc.

Just want to find out if it is possible that my usb ports are damaging things plugged in them. And anyway I can check whether they are "normal" or not.

Thanx for any responces.

 

[Big Kriss]

Very much so ! If the 5 volt power is reversed it will cook components. Stuck my 8 G flash drive into an old piece of ****e computer the other day and it burnt components in the drive. It works for like a few seconds then restarts..Found the polarity was connected wrong on the mobo..

 

[gilani777]

Yup, its highly possible and caused a flash drive and wifi usb to break. Also my ipod doesn't connect with any pc because of this, it only charges now..

 

[SYNERGY]

Out've curiosity is it the PC from PC Zone?

 

[N1sh]

Out've curiosity is it the PC from PC Zone?

Yes it was why?

Its a Elitegroup ECS board

 

[SYNERGY]

Return it Goodluck thou.
ECS is a crap brand

 

[N1sh]

Return it Goodluck thou.
ECS is a crap brand

Yeah can see how much fun I'm gonna have with that Just hope my Freeagent portable HDD isn't F**k'd too.

Edit: just outta curiosity did other pc's from them have similar issues?

 

[N1sh]

Is there anyway I can sort it out myself or test it if this is the problem?

 

[Drake2007]

You could physically check the frontpanel usb connections to the mobo are in the right place, other than that I've not come across usb port testing tools as yet, though something like that probably does exist (at a price).

 

[Drake2007]

http://www.passmark.com/products/usb2loopback.htm
Though I'd hate to plug that in your PC just to have it pop the thing.

 

[kayvee]

http://www.passmark.com/products/usb2loopback.htm
Though I'd hate to plug that in your PC just to have it pop the thing.

One would have to assume that it has been designed in such a way as to no matter what the fault is with the USB port nothing would pop it, otherwise it would be like the proverbial wobbly bits on a bull.

 

[N1sh]

I just want to find out if my usb ports are really f**k'd and its not just the mouses, coz when they are connected and if I move the cable thats near the front of the mouse it goes off and on again if I move it in a different direction. PC zone will probably charge me if theres no fault with the mobo so just want to make sure.

 

[Drake2007]

OK so you're not 100% sure it's not the mouse, so eliminate that with another one first.

 

[N1sh]

Yeah only got that doubt when the Pc zone "tech" guys said they'll charge me per hour if my mobo was'nt the problem. My Seagate free agent go and toshiba 2gig flash seem to be working fine so I guess I have to buy a cheap usb mouse to test with.