XP Freezing with USB device

Published on March 23, 2005 By Island Dog In Personal Computing

I just bought a wireless usb adapter for my desktop. When I plug it into the usb port XP instantly freezes. All the other usb devices like my camera, thumb drive, etc., work just fine.

Anybody have any ideas?

Comments

Double Zero

on Mar 23, 2005

Hey there Island..I do have a couple suggestions..nothing guaranteed..
First, make sure your up to date with all your windows updates..
Next, see if there is a flash available for the BIOS on your MoBo, sometimes a simple upgrade of the BIOS resolves alot of issues..

When plugging the USB Hub in..do it when the machine is completely shut down..then boot to windows and see if the OS still freezes..sometimes swapping USB devices and or hubs while windows is running will cause all those wonderful MS Glitches that keep us all coming back for more..LoL..

As I said, nothing I have offered here is guaranteed to work, but they are things to try if you havent done so yet..

Good luck,
Zero.

enigmagnetic

on Mar 23, 2005

Do you have sp2? Is the device powered solely by the computer? Sp2 has a flaw in it that causes usb devices that require 500 milliamps of power to be underpowered which can cause xp to freeze if it is trying to access this device which it cannot read properly.

Double Zero

on Mar 23, 2005

I just wanted to add some important info on flashing BIOS in case you have never done it before..

A Bad flash can totally lunch your Motherboard make absolutely sure you are installing the correct updates..

Sometimes there is an option to "Back-up your current BIOS..Most definitely do this!

Read and understand the instructions for your particular flash proceedure..they do vary somewhat..if possible..print the instructions so you have them handy during the proceedure..

If something should go wrong, all is not lost, it can be fixed, but usually you have to send the MoBo in to the manufacturer for "Re-Flashing" and there will be some down-time.

I dont know if you have ever done it..::laughs:: I remember the first time I did it..I was pretty nervous..now it isnt any big deal..but I cant stress enough the importance of following the instructions to the very letter..

There is no "Restore" point with the BIOS..no "Last known good Configuration"..LoL..when it's screwed, it's screwed..

If you knew all of this already though..sorry for wastin your time..LoL,
I just wanted you to be aware of everything going into it..

Zero.

Island Dog

on Mar 23, 2005

Thanks for the responses. Everything, including the bios is up to date.

I remember I had this problem last year when I bought my iPod, and then I realized something. The two devices that freeze XP are 2.0 devices, the others that work fine are not. It still is weird because my mobo is usb 2.0. I have searched google for hours and found people with similar problems, but no resolution. So I went back to newegg and bought a pci usb 2.0 card. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Double Zero

on Mar 23, 2005

Well Hopefully you'll find a fix Island..Sorry I couldnt be of more help..

Take Care,
Zero.

Chris TH

on Mar 23, 2005

The two devices that freeze XP are 2.0 devices, the others that work fine are not. It still is weird because my mobo is usb 2.0.

Have you got the latest system drivers for your MoBo?

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central

Island Dog

on Mar 24, 2005

Yes, I have the latest drivers and updates for everything.

Thanks everybody for the help. I really appreciate it.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!