Question MSI PM8M-V motherboard USB ports

I had an MSI PM8M-V motherboard (Intel CPU, Via P4M800 chipset with
VT-8237R).

I had a problem with this motherboard, the internal USB ports (the 4
ports on the motherboard headers) would only work at USB 1.x speeds,
while the 4 rear ports worked fine in USB 2 mode.

I went round and round with MSI tech support on this one for 2 months,
we even replaced the board, but the replacement board had the same
problem. We ruled out drivers and USB header to socket cables as
possible problems. In the end, both I and MSI tech support gave up: we
could not resolve the problem. I replaced the PM8M-V board with a Mach
Tech motherboard from Tiger Direct that is almost identical to the
PM8M-V, even using the same chips (Via P4M800 and VT-8237R) and it
worked fine, all ports both internal and rear panel worked as USB 2.0
ports. These two motherboards are so similar that I didn't even have to
reinstall windows, just swap the hard drive with Windows already installed.

My question is, does anyone else have a PM8M-V board (or experience with
it), and do you know if you have/had the same issue? Note that the USB
ports did work .... they would only operate as USB 1.x ports, however,
and if you plugged in a USB 2 device you got the "This device can run
faster if ......" popup over the system tray. Also, the measured
transfer speeds really were USB 1.x speeds for those ports, while the
exact same device plugged into a rear USB port worked fine as a USB 2
device at USB 2 speeds.

I'm dealing with EXACTLY the same problem, although you're one up on me since you were actually able to get MSI tech support to respond to you. I've sent a bunch of request to their tech support system, but no reply.

I am having the same issue and MSI tech support did not get back to me too. May I know how you are measuring the USB speeds and how can you determine wether USB2 is required for a device?