USB ports suddenly stopped working! (please read 3rd post)

Joeslop

I'm posting this in the hope that if you guys can't figure this out, maybe it'll solve itself.

I have an ASUS P5B-Deluxe Mobo along with Windows 7. Things have been going great; however yesterday I got a popup from 7 telling me that my USB HDD was plugged into a USB1 connector instead of USB2. I thought this was odd since it's always been plugged into the ports on top of the case and I've never had a problem. I had a free spot in the back so I plugged it in there and all was well.

Well Winamp seemed to be loading music info slowly from that hard drive today but I didn't really pay it any mind.

Then all of a sudden while I'm playing Dwarf Fortress, Windows 7 tells me a USB device has stopped working properly. Suddenly I can't use my USB Keyboard OR Mouse, and that USB HDD is no longer there either.

I do a quick restart, and the keyboard isn't working in the BIOS either. Fuck me.

I managed to find a PS/2 keyboard lying around (but can't find any of those 8,000 USB -> PS/2 things I have) so I can move around with the keyboard. I check the Device Manager and there is an Unknown Device hanging out under the USB controllers and 7 has no idea what to do with it.

Another odd thing, if I have a flash drive plugged into the top of the case and restart with it in, 7 recognized it just fine and lets me use it. However if I take it out and plug it back in, it never reappears.

Things done to fix:

System Restore to a few days ago - Nothing changed
Uninstall/Disable Unknown device - Nothing
Uninstall USB controllers - BIOS takes a bit longer to start up the USB controllers then says they're A-OK, and are in fact enabled in 7 again but still no go.
Tested both Keyboard and mouse on laptop - Working fine


I have the latest BIOS update as well.

Help me MSTT.

Joeslop

Hey guys, guess what!

Apparently all I needed to do was post this thread, then go get my laundry out of the dryer. I plugged them both in again and Windows 7 is all "Hey your stuff is good to go!"

And it works!

Joeslop

I guess i spoke too soon. all the ports disconnected, then came back. then the keyboard left again and hasnt come back. any ideas what would cause this? it says "usb device not recognized" then tells me itll go faster in a usb2 slot.

EDIT: Well the mouse went out again but the USB hub seems to be working, even though they're all clustered in one little spot of 4, and I've switched them all around. Plugging the mouse and keyboard into the hub and plugging in it's power plug seems to be working at the moment but that's only a stopgap measure..

Stormwatcher

Might be an static build up problem. I can't remember exactly what I did to reset all the USB ports when I had a similar problem with some pen drives and external HDDs.

Also, try to reset the CMOS, either with the appropriate jumper or by removing the little battery. It helped before too

Apogee

If the on-board USB ports aren't working, it's a motherboard problem (although I guess you knew that). I feel dumb asking, but are there any connections that could have come loose? Some USB ports are connected via a cable, into a set of pins on the mobo.

Honestly I'm guessing the motherboard is defective. Worst case scenario, you either sent it in for RMA if it's covered, or buy a PCI slot USB adapter and plug everything into that instead. Hardly a good solution, but cheaper than buying a new mobo.