Back Usb Ports Not Working

[meadish_sweetball]

I've started to use a desktop computer to work on since my laptop was stolen.

Now I just discovered that the USB ports on the back do not seem to be working. Only the two USB ports on the front of the computer are functional.

The back USB ports go straight into the motherboard whereas the front ports appear to be connected by a cable attached to connectors at the lower left corner of the motherboard. These connectors are labeled "PANEL" on the motherboard layout.

I have noticed that just to the right of the back USB ports, there are connectors labeled "USBPW12" and "USBPW34". I suspect these connectors should be plugged to the power supply, but none of the available cables seem to fit. Am I missing a cable, or is something else wrong?

Any ideas?

[Tywais]

"USBPW12" and "USBPW34" means USB Ports 1 & 2, 3 & 4 respectively. If it is a 10 pin connector (5x2 pins) that means it can be connected to an external header. My mainboard has 10 USB ports, but the ones directly attached to the mainboard are USB12 & USB34 so it is strange to have headers and a direct USB port. Could you give me the brand name and model number of your mainboard? Easier for me to work it out for you. Also, check your BIOS for options to enable them.

[meadish_sweetball]

Thank you Tywais - helpful and lightning fast replies as always.

The mainboard is an ASUS P5GD2-X . Large picture at: http://www.bgslevi.cz/image/AsusP5GD2X.jpg

Will try to check BIOS and be back shortly. Having checked closer, I think the power connectors I mentioned are actually encased in the 'silver box' (3rd from the left on the picture above)...

EDIT: Oops. That is incorrect... very confused now.

[meadish_sweetball]

I checked BIOS, not really knowing what to look for. Since there was one sub menu under 'Advanced' called USB configuration, I copied down the settings from it:

USB Configuration

Module Version 2.23.2-9.4

USB Devices Enabled:

1 keyboard, 1 mouse

USB Function [Enabled]

Legacy USB support [Auto]

USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]

USB 2.0 Controller Mode [Hi Speed]

...

From the motherboard manual, these are the default settings.

The 'connectors' on the motherboard i mentioned earlier, are apparently 'jumper switches'...? If we use the motherboard picture I linked to above as reference, the 2 leftmost jumper switches are capped whereas the rightmost one is not. If I read the motherboard manual correctly, this means they are now set to the setting +5V. (I have no idea what this signifies.)

In the motherboard manual, it says the following about the USB jumper switches:

2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78)

Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode).

The USBPWR12 and USBPWR34 juers are for the rear USB ports. The USBPWR56 and USBPWR 78 jumper is for the internal USB connectors that you can connect to additional USB ports.

[sketch showing the location of the jumper switches on the mainboard, and next to it, configuration examples:

USBPW12

USBPW34

[.][.]

2[ ][ ]

1[ ][ ]

+5V

3[ ][ ]

2[ ][ ]

[.][.]

+5VSB

(Default)

The Power Supply is a SAN switching power supply

Model: SAN(RS22)420CE/LGA 775

INPUT: AC220V 5 A 50Hz 420W

OUTPUT: +5Vsb-1.5A(wine) +3.3V-14A(orange) +5V-22/35A(red)

+12V-15A(yellow) -5V-0.5A(white) -12V-1.0A(blue)

P.G.(grey)

Issue cable: 5A 220V

Hope some of the above info is helpful. Please let me know what else you need.

[meadish_sweetball]

Screen dump from the Device Manager:

[Tywais]

I only just finished downloading the manual (bit slow on a dialup connection).

Your BIOS settings are fine. The jumpers you mentioned are for using a USB device to wake up the computer from sleep mode and do not effect the normal operation of the USB port. One question I have, your BIOS shows both a mouse and keyboard connected to USB. Which USB ports do you have them plugged into? Also, the mainboard supports 4 fixed ports in the back. Do all 4 not work or only 2?

[meadish_sweetball]

One question I have, your BIOS shows both a mouse and keyboard connected to USB. Which USB ports do you have them plugged into?

The front two USB ports.

Also, the mainboard supports 4 fixed ports in the back. Do all 4 not work or only 2?

Will try to connect my camera by USB to them, one by one. Back in a flash.

[meadish_sweetball]

Neither of the 4 USB ports on the back detect the camera - and the camera does not understand it is connected to a USB port either. Normally the camera display will read 'USB' when connected to a USB port and turned on, but in this case it does not, it thinks I am turning it on to take pictures.

[Tywais]

Let's try the simplest mode. Do you have a pocket flash drive? Try that to see if it is recognized - possible problem with the video drivers. So far I don't see anything wrong with the setup. You should hear a beep when it is inserted (assuming speakers connected).

[meadish_sweetball]

No response to the flash drive, and the flash drive lamp does not light upon insertion like it did when connected to the laptop.

You're on dialup? Sorry, I did not realize. Not possible to get ADSL at home?

[Tywais]

You're on dialup? Sorry, I did not realize. Not possible to get ADSL at home?

Being computer/network manager for our lab has some advantages. I have two dialup modems on our server so it doesn't cost me anything to use the Internet from home. I use my office computer, which is connected to a 1Gbps campus backbone for my big needs.

One last possibility is that the power supply can/does not support VSB. Change the jumpers (USBPW12, USBPW34)from the +5VSB position to the +5 position and see how it behaves (move from positions 2,3 to 1,2. It will then be set to the same as your front panel USB connectors. Sounds like power is not being supplied to the ports.

//Sorry for the delay, the dog was getting hungry - hmm, so am I.

[meadish_sweetball]

Thanks again Tywais, will try to move the jumpers and see what happens (no risk of it blowing up on me, I hope?).

As I recall, the USB ports did work when I first got the computer...

[Tywais]

(no risk of it blowing up on me, I hope?).

No, just be sure to remove the power cord from the computer.

As I recall, the USB ports did work when I first got the computer...

Now that's odd, unless the power supply failed for the VSB.

[penguin]

When you looked in Device manager did you check all the properties to see if there were any problems reported, that the drivers were up to date (should be ok but who knows) and that everything is reported as being enabled (no red X in your pic so l guess they must be)?

[astral]

Just because you have sockets does not mean they are connected.

Mind you the back ones are usually integrated with the mb.

[Guest Reimar]

Your MB has a total of 8 USB 2.0 Port: 4 on the back of the MB and 4 for seperate connector while 2 of them normal located on the front of the case. The other 2 are used for Card-Reader or other internal devices.

So, there 4 USB-Contrtoller Chips which are serving 8 ports.

Port 1+2 and 3+4 are set to +5VSB while Port 5+6 and 7+8 are set to +5V.

Set to +5V is to wake up the computer from S1 Sleep Mode by using connected USB Devices, while set to +5VSB to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes but this is with reduced power mode.

The problems can also be from power problems like not grounded or other. It's also possible that some of the capacitors having some problems. If the USB Ports with setting to +5VSB get below 500 mA there would be a problem.

Try to use the 2 Ports on the board you still have free (according to you explanation of used ports) and set the Jumper USBPW12 and USBPW34 to +5V, change jumper von pin 23 to 12 for all of that 4 ports.

If that not works may you need to claim a "new" MB!!

[penguin]

If all else fails, buy a 4 port USB card from any one of those shops that sell all kinds of computer parts in boxes on the floor, 250 baht tops, problem solved.

One other thing l would try is to set BIOS back to it's default settings, maybe something got changed that you forgot about.

[meadish_sweetball]

It turns out the jumper caps were put on the wrong way! Gives me great confidence in the store where they fixed the computer last time.

They should be horizontal, were vertically oriented. I changed their orientation to horizontal, and presto! the ports started working again.

[Tywais]

It turns out the jumper caps were put on the wrong way! Gives me great confidence in the store where they fixed the computer last time.

They should be horizontal, were vertically oriented. I changed their orientation to horizontal, and presto! the ports started working again.

LOL Yeah, those jumpers supply the power source to the USB ports. Explains why it did work then didn't. Glad it got sorted out.

[meadish_sweetball]

Thanks a lot for your patience. So many holes in my computer knowledge... I should take some kind of introductory course to computer building I guess.