Jag Chan wrote:
> My nephew bought a used computer with Windows XP installed.
>
> But when he tried to use pen drive it wouldn't work.
>
> He received a message that USB port not detected.
>
> He tried all the USB port available in the machine.
>
> Help in this reegard will be of great help'
>
> Thanks.
It helps if you can copy the *exact* text of the error message.
*******
To check the USB controllers in the computer, look in Device
Manager. You can get there via
Start : Run : devmgmt.msc
This article shows what types of entries should be present.
http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm
There is an example here, of a computer with on-board USB ports,
as well as a separate PCI USB2 card installed in a PCI slot on
the motherboard.
http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checki5.jpg
These entries are for Intel USB 1.1 - there are four entries
capable of controlling up to eight USB ports.
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller- 24Dx
The "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host controller", would be
for the onboard ports, and handles USB2 speed operation.
The three NEC entries, include two Open Host Controller entries
(for controlling up to four ports at USB 1.1 speeds). And
a NEC Enhanced Host Controller entry, controlling those same
four ports, when they're running at USB 2.0 speeds.
In any case, that amounts to "detecting USB".
*******
The plugged in device, will result in separate entries in Device
Manager. Storage devices would be USB Mass Storage class.
For any plugged in hardware, Windows prefers to use Plug and Play
logic. The newly plugged in device, presents VEN/DEV/SUBSYS info,
which are three sets of numbers to identify the device.
For USB devices, you can use this utility, to see that information
as it comes from the USB device. First, execute UVCView.x86.exe
and there will be a window displaying the USB controller entries.
When a USB device is plugged in, it should show up in the Window.
Clicking on the entry on the left, should show a whole bunch of
information on the right. If some endpoints form properly, as
seen on the right, then the device may be detected.
ftp://ftp.efo.ru/pub/ftdichip/Utilities/UVCView.x86.exe
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/USB_IDs/UVCView.x86.exe
File size is 167,232 bytes.
MD5sum is 93244d84d79314898e62d21cecc4ca5e
This is a picture of what the UVCView info looks like.
http://www.die.de/blog/content/binary/usbview.png
Some information on the parameters seen in UVCView.
http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb5.htm
You can see the results of Windows attempts to install
the newly detected device, by looking in the
C
WINDOWS\setupapi.log
file. The entries at the end, should show what happened. You
could have a look in there, and see what the system response
was.
There is one motherboard chip, which is notorious for failure.
The Intel ICH5/ICH5R Southbridge, has USB1.1/USB2 capable ports
on it. That chip can fail with something resembling a latchup
failure, leading in extreme cases, to a burn mark on the chip.
When there is a less severe failure (same failure mechanism),
the Device Manager entries are all there, but the physical layer
is damaged, and a plugged in USB peripheral, cannot "reach" the
motherboard logic. In that failure case, there is no response
at all, in any manner, when a USB device is plugged in.
Purchasing a PCI USB2 plug-in card, can be used to replace the
ports, without having to replace the motherboard. (And if you
own a motherboard with ICH5/ICH5R, you can also use such a
card, to avoid ever plugging devices into those motherboard
ports. The failure mechanism seems to be related to electrostatic
discharge into the ports.)
(A burned ICH5 - this computer will no longer boot. Less spectacular
failures show no burn mark, but all the USB ports are dead. The
part number printed on top of this chip is 82801EB or 82801ER.
There is normally no heatsink on top of it, so the part number
can easily be read, with the right light source pointed at it.
Intel has not admitted to a design fault.)
http://onfinite.com/libraries/179057/2ea.jpg
In any case, start with Device Manager, and see if you have
USB 1.1 controller or USB 2.0 controller entries. The activities
on the ports, can be displayed with UVCView, that is, if the
ports are electrically functional. If you have a burned ICH5 or
ICH5R chip, there would be no response at all, when a USB
device is plugged in.
In many cases, the problem is some information stored in the
registry. This procedure can be used, if the problem is
some kind of confusion with the records that the OS is keeping.
Many USB devices have electronic serial numbers, which allows
the OS to detect when a device is plugged into a different port.
Sometimes, the info associated with a particular entry is
damaged, and subsequent insertions of the device no longer
work right. You can try this procedure, to attempt to fix
such a problem. (There is a script to do this as well, but
being a powerful script, I tend to consider this manual method
to be a bit safer. At least, as long as you're only attacking
USB entries.) The OS will "rediscover" the USB controllers
on the next reboot, and refresh all the entries of this
type in Device Manager.
http://www.usbman.com/Guides/Cleanup Device Manager Safe Mode.htm
Paul
