USB Ports Die - Need Help

[Glingfram]

I have 2 laptops sharing a printer. On the one laptop, the USB ports occasionally stop working. Unplugging and plugging in the printer again brings up an unknown device.

The symptom can be fixed by removing the power and battery and letting the motherboard's battery die, then booting again. It then reinstalls the printer, and I have to share it again for the other laptop.

I'd like to find out what exactly is causing the issue though. Google has helped me solved the symptom, but I cannot find any route causes.

The laptops are about 6 years old, running Windows 7 and have very little software on them.

Any ideas?

 

[agentrfr]

Sounds like the printer and laptop aren't sharing a common earth... that'll be a difficult problem to fix especially if both your laptop and printer are only powered off of those silly two pin plugs.

 

[Glingfram]

Sounds like the printer and laptop aren't sharing a common earth... that'll be a difficult problem to fix especially if both your laptop and printer are only powered off of those silly two pin plugs.

They both have 3 pin plugs, I could check the earth connections on the plugs to ensure they are properly connected...

 

[sajunky]

They both have 3 pin plugs, [-]I could check[/-] the earth connections on the plugs to ensure they are properly connected...

This is actually critical issue. Prolonged use can permanently damage printer or laptops. Also you didn't mention whether printer and laptops are powered from the same wall socket as they should.

 

[Glingfram]

This is actually critical issue. Prolonged use can permanently damage printer or laptops. Also you didn't mention whether printer and laptops are powered from the same wall socket as they should.

They travel around the country so the wall sockets differ. There are actually eleven laptops on the network, and 5 printers. This issue affects 2 of the laptops and printers, they are used for registering people entering expos around the country.

The printers are always connected to the same laptops.

Really interesting issue. Thanks for your advice!

 

[sajunky]

They travel around the country so the wall sockets differ. There are actually eleven laptops on the network, and 5 printers. This issue affects 2 of the laptops and printers, they are used for registering people entering expos around the country.

Wall sockets differ, but if they you carry their own multi-socket extention cord and use 3-wire device connections, then it shouldn't be a problem, even if a wall a socket doesn't give proper ground connection.

 

[Glingfram]

Yep. Looks like it. I'll continue to trawl the forums... Eish