USB 2 - "The device can perform faster"

I'm rebuilding my GA-7VAX based system because, as a development PC, I've
installed so much crap over the year that it's taking forever to start-up.

Anyway, basic installation of Windows XP Pro with SP2 carried out with all
USB 2 devices unplugged. I've taken an image of this basic set-up.

I've got all six USB ports available: the two on the motherboard plus the
extra four connected to a four port panel on the back of the PC. When I plug
in my high-speed four port USB hub in, Windows XP reports "The device can
perform faster". When I click the button to display which high speed ports
I've got, it lists all six of the ports described above :-)

The motherboard is USB 2 so what's going on? Why does Windows XP says "The
device can perform faster" and then go on to indicate that the USB ports
I've plugged it into are already high speed...

Got me flummoxed <grin>

BTW - I've not installed any Gigabyte specific drivers yet. Windows XP seems
to support all the devices "out of the box". I only tend to install
motherboard drives if there's a problem. There isn't a USB 2 driver for
Windows XP anyway AFAIK.

Not critical - just annoying...

Thanks, Rob.

> I've got all six USB ports available: the two on the motherboard plus the
> extra four connected to a four port panel on the back of the PC. When I
plug

Hmm, interesting thing here. I've just been looking at the USB devices in
device manager. There are *four* USB root hubs listed:

o USB Root Hub: 2 ports (this one shows the generic hub connected)
o USB Root Hub: 2 ports
o USB Root Hub: 2 ports
o USB Root Hub: 6 ports

Now that last 6 port one is a bit strange. I certainly don't have 12 ports
on the motherboard :-)

I suspect that on the motherboard, there are three USB root hubs which are
somehow connected together onto the last root hub. This gives the 6 ports.

And for some reason, Windows XP thinks the three "real" USB root hubs are
USB 1 whereas the "joined" hub is USB 2. Hence the reason it suggests I plug
it into this joined hub. Of course, I can't because that joined hub doesn't
really exist outside of the motherboard.

Cheers, Rob.

"Rob Nicholson" <rob.nicholson@NOSPAM_informed-direct.com> wrote in message
news:cvqcbc$4ii$1$...
>> I've got all six USB ports available: the two on the motherboard plus the
>> extra four connected to a four port panel on the back of the PC. When I
> plug
>
> Hmm, interesting thing here. I've just been looking at the USB devices in
> device manager. There are *four* USB root hubs listed:
>
> o USB Root Hub: 2 ports (this one shows the generic hub connected)
> o USB Root Hub: 2 ports
> o USB Root Hub: 2 ports
> o USB Root Hub: 6 ports
>
> Now that last 6 port one is a bit strange. I certainly don't have 12 ports
> on the motherboard :-)
>
> I suspect that on the motherboard, there are three USB root hubs which are
> somehow connected together onto the last root hub. This gives the 6 ports.
>
> And for some reason, Windows XP thinks the three "real" USB root hubs are
> USB 1 whereas the "joined" hub is USB 2. Hence the reason it suggests I
> plug
> it into this joined hub. Of course, I can't because that joined hub
> doesn't
> really exist outside of the motherboard.
>
> Cheers, Rob.
>
>
Hi Rob

I'm no expert in this by any means, but I gather that if you don't have a
'USB enhanced host controller' in device manager, then you don't have USB
2.0. Have you checked your BIOS setup? Is the USB 2.0 controller enabled?

PL

Isn't there an option in 7vax bios for usb 1.0 / 2.0 compatability or to
turn on the usb 2? I haven't looked in there recently but I seem to recall
that option. You may need to do the ctrl-f1 for extra options, not sure...

Regards, Bob Troll

>I'm no expert in this by any means, but I gather that if you don't have a
>'USB enhanced host controller' in device manager, then you don't have USB
>2.0. Have you checked your BIOS setup? Is the USB 2.0 controller enabled?

On my K8MXP-9 the motherboard driver has to be installed before USB 2 is
enabled.
--
M Thompson

> I'm no expert in this by any means, but I gather that if you don't have a
> 'USB enhanced host controller' in device manager, then you don't have USB
> 2.0. Have you checked your BIOS setup? Is the USB 2.0 controller
> enabled?

Thanks for the reply - checks out okay. USB Enhanced controller shown in
device manager and USB 2.0 is enabled in the BIOS.

It has been suggested on another group that the high speed hub might not be
compatible with the motherboard.

Cheers, Rob.

> Isn't there an option in 7vax bios for usb 1.0 / 2.0 compatability or to
> turn on the usb 2? I haven't looked in there recently but I seem to recall

There are two switches in the BIOS:

o Enable USB 1.1
o Enable USB 2.0

Both are enabled. If you try to disable USB 1.1, USB 2.0 is also disabled.

More information - in the BIOS start-up screen, four USB root hubs are
listed:

3 x USB 1.1
1 x USB 2.0

At least this corresponds with what Windows XP is reporting in terms of the
number of root hubs except that it is reporting 12 USB interfaces in total.
There certainly *isn't* another six lurking somewhere on the motherboard
that I haven't noticed so those 6 interfaces that Windows XP suggests I use
*must* be the 3 x 2 USB ones, somehow connected through the single USB 2.0
root hub. Does that make any sense?

Cheers, Rob.

For grins you could go to device manager and uninstall "all" of your usb
ports and devices, then without having any usb devices connected, restart
the machine and see if xp reinstalls it all correctly.

The main usb ports on the motherboard (often near the mouse and kb
connections) should be pretty near guaranteed to be usb 2.0 capable. The
same may not necessarily be able to be said for the other ports scattered
around.

Regards, Bob Troll

I discovered that USB messaging is different for Service Pack 1, 2 and 3.
Messaging is misleading for all three service packs, specially when USB devices are not USB2.0 compliant.

XP Service Pack 1 has no USB support, USB drivers have to be installed manually. Migrating from SP1 to SP2 requires already USB devices to be un-installed, else these keep being tagged as USB1.1.

My site runs an article going into the depths of USB 2.0

Cheers!
Laptop Nomad
laptop-junction.com