External drives not installing or working properly on USB

[Simon]

I have a graphics workstation based around an Intel D975XBX2 motherboard with
quad core processor and 3GB RAM. USB host controllers are Intel 82801G (ICH7
Family). Only one of the five host controllers is connected to the 6 external
ports. This is listed as a USB2 enhanced host controller.

I am experiencing problems with a Sandisk ImageMate 12 in 1 card reader
modelSDDR-89 V4 and a Western Digital 2TB external mirror raid drive, both
USB2 peripherals.

Both were bought at the same time and shortly after I had installed XP SP3.
Plug and play installation of the WD drive went through most of the automated
process before indicating that the drevice had not installed correctly. No
external drive was recognised. The computer froze completely while trying to
install the Sandisk card reader.

I scanned the system and identified some old drivers. All relevant hardware
and XP drivers were checked and updated where necessary. BIOS was also out of
date so this was also brought up to date. No change.

All the USB controllers were removed via the device manager and the system
allowed to reinstall them - no change.

The USB root hub has been checked. 8 ports are available in total of which 6
are actually physically available. An External hub is connected to one port
and supports the keyboard and mouse. This draws 500mA. A second port connects
to a printer switch and draws from 2 to 10mA in operation. Each port is rated
at 500mA and there is no indication that too much is being drawn on any
particular port.

The operating system was rolled back to SP2 and the checks above repeated.
Now the Sandisk drive installs but it can take up to 5 minutes for the
operating system to recognise the four additional 'drives'. It then tries to
autoplay, even with no card in the reader. This does not cancel and can go on
for another 5 minutes.

The WD drive still does not install.

I have the same problems on a laptop, also running XP. I got the WD drive to
come up on this machine once when rolled back to SP2 but it disappeared after
rebooting and has never been seen again. This machine also uses Intel host
controllers but a slightly older chipset.

All the external hardware works fine under Vista (and fast too). Microsoft
say it's a hardware problem.

I am out of ideas.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I have a graphics workstation based around an Intel D975XBX2 motherboard
with
quad core processor and 3GB RAM. USB host controllers are Intel 82801G
(ICH7
Family). Only one of the five host controllers is connected to the 6
external
ports. This is listed as a USB2 enhanced host controller.

This is not correct. As you have 5 host ports, you have 8 physical USB
ports (and as you note 6 are brought to the outside world). 4 of the host
ports are OHCI host ports and provide the slow and fast communication to 2
each (making 8 in all) of the physical ports (what most people call USB1).
The remaining host is a EHCI host providing high speed communication to all
8 physical ports (usually refered to as USB2). There are very good
technical reasons for this apparently cockermainy arrangement.

All your other symptoms sound suspiciously like the OHCI ports on either the
host or peripheral having some problem. What is not clear is: do they not
work on any port on the PC? When you say yhey work under Vista, is this on
the same or a different PC?

You seem to be suggesting that your problems appeared after upgrading the
SP3. I assume that you don't have the ability to restore a backup of the
SP2 system before you upgraded to SP3 (very bad and unwise move) otherwise
you would have restored it. This may sound a bit drastic, but if you have
an old or another hard disk, are you able to rebuild a windows SP2
installation, and does it work with USB? This last bit would confirm
whether the hardware was OK and if the support software drivers have become
damaged.

 

[Simon]

Well, thanks for clarifying the setup of the USB host controllers. I am sure
that there is a good reason for running it this way but it is not terribly
transparent to a rank amateur like me.

I can't be absolutely certain if SP3 is the problem or not since this was
upgraded prior to trying to set up the external drives (a couple of weeks
earlier). I have rolled the system back to SP2 successfully on both the
affected machines using an existing good backup made before the upgrade. The
Sandisk card reader now works but very slowly and the WD drive not at all.
This is the case for both XP machines.

Vista is running on another machine and when I checked it all the external
hardware was working perfectly.

I think that this means one of the following.

1. There is a compatibility problem with the Intel hardware at some level
(which is the Microsoft position) and the solution lies at the Intel driver
level. I have contacted Intel but no reply.

2. There is a hardware problem with the USB system on the work station in
particular. This is still a possibility since there have been minor glitches
with the USB system before but these disappearred when I disabled the
automatic power management. None of the other tests I have done suggested
that there was a problem. The only other thing I have noted was an early
problem with a Belkin 4 x 1 USB switch which could not be made to work at all
on the workstation. The USB steadfastly refused to recognise the device. I
also got a power warning when it was connected to the laptop.

2. XP has not rolled back properly.

3. The XP installation on both machines has some problem. This is unlikely
since I recently completely rebuilt the system on the laptop.

4. There is a fundamental problem with both the external units. This is
unlikely or they wouldn't work on Vista.

On the advice of WD I have sent the 2TB mirror drive back for them to
perform some tests, just in case there is some problem. I have contacted
Intel but so far have had no response. Microsoft do not believe that there is
an XP problem.

Unless there is a flash of inspiration the only thing I can think of doing
is completely rebuilding these machines from the ground up to ensure that the
drivers are absolutely right.

Any other ideas?

 

[smlunatick]

Well, thanks for clarifying the setup of the USB host controllers. I am sure
that there is a good reason for running it this way but it is not terribly
transparent to a rank amateur like me.

I can't be absolutely certain if SP3 is the problem or not since this was
upgraded prior to trying to set up the external drives (a couple of weeks
earlier). I have rolled the system back to SP2 successfully on both the
affected machines using an existing good backup made before the upgrade. The
Sandisk card reader now works but very slowly and the WD drive not at all..
This is the case for both XP machines.

Vista is running on another machine and when I checked it all the external
hardware was working perfectly.

I think that this means one of the following.

1. There is a compatibility problem with the Intel hardware at some level
(which is the Microsoft position) and the solution lies at the Intel driver
level. I have contacted Intel but no reply.

2. There is a hardware problem with the USB system on the work station in
particular. This is still a possibility since there have been minor glitches
with the USB system before but these disappearred when I disabled the
automatic power management. None of the other tests I have done suggested
that there was a problem. The only other thing I have noted was an early
problem with a Belkin 4 x 1 USB switch which could not be made to work atall
on the workstation. The USB steadfastly refused to recognise the device. I
also got a power warning when it was connected to the laptop.

2. XP has not rolled back properly.

3. The XP installation on both machines has some problem. This is unlikely
since I recently completely rebuilt the system on the laptop.

4. There is a fundamental problem with both the external units. This is
unlikely or they wouldn't work on Vista.

On the advice of WD I have sent the 2TB mirror drive back for them to
perform some tests, just in case there is some problem. I have contacted
Intel but so far have had no response. Microsoft do not believe that there is
an XP problem.

Unless there is a flash of inspiration the only thing I can think of doing
is completely rebuilding these machines from the ground up to ensure thatthe
drivers are absolutely right.

Any other ideas?

I am using another model of Intel motherboard and SP3. The problem is
not with either XP, SP3 or the hardware. You seem to have a conflict
with some settings. Locate USBDLM and you should find another web
page to help in fixing "most" USB external drive problems.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Well, thanks for clarifying the setup of the USB host controllers. I am
sure
that there is a good reason for running it this way but it is not terribly
transparent to a rank amateur like me.

Oh it catches many people,

I can't be absolutely certain if SP3 is the problem or not since this was
upgraded prior to trying to set up the external drives (a couple of weeks
earlier). I have rolled the system back to SP2 successfully on both the
affected machines using an existing good backup made before the upgrade.
The
Sandisk card reader now works but very slowly and the WD drive not at all.
This is the case for both XP machines.

Vista is running on another machine and when I checked it all the external
hardware was working perfectly.

OK. That means that there are still problems on the first machine. What is
puzzling is that you said that it doesn't work properly on another XP PC.
Did before? Tne one thing you could try doing is a repair install of XP
(not a full install). And for Pete's sake back the disc up before you do it
(in fact back it before you do anything). That way you can always return to
the position you were in if anthing goes wrong.

I think that this means one of the following.

1. There is a compatibility problem with the Intel hardware at some level
(which is the Microsoft position) and the solution lies at the Intel
driver
level. I have contacted Intel but no reply.

Since I have to assume that it worked OK before you installed SP3, it seems
unlikely to be the hardware. It may be that something that SP3 did has not
undone properly when you removed it.

2. There is a hardware problem with the USB system on the work station in
particular. This is still a possibility since there have been minor
glitches
with the USB system before but these disappearred when I disabled the
automatic power management. None of the other tests I have done suggested
that there was a problem. The only other thing I have noted was an early
problem with a Belkin 4 x 1 USB switch which could not be made to work at
all
on the workstation. The USB steadfastly refused to recognise the device. I
also got a power warning when it was connected to the laptop.

That sounds like it could be a faulty hub. I've got one of those, but mine
can be fixed by a bit of percussive maintenance*. However, having said
that, did you check whether the hub had installed as an unkown device?

* Percussive maintenance: Whacking 7 bells out of it until it works.

2. XP has not rolled back properly.

This is my number one suspect. That it worked before you applied SP3 is
strong evidence.

3. The XP installation on both machines has some problem. This is unlikely
since I recently completely rebuilt the system on the laptop.

That's the bit that puzzles me.

4. There is a fundamental problem with both the external units. This is
unlikely or they wouldn't work on Vista.

That is a perfectly reasonable conclusion.

On the advice of WD I have sent the 2TB mirror drive back for them to
perform some tests, just in case there is some problem. I have contacted
Intel but so far have had no response. Microsoft do not believe that there
is
an XP problem.

Microsoft rarely do.

Unless there is a flash of inspiration the only thing I can think of doing
is completely rebuilding these machines from the ground up to ensure that
the
drivers are absolutely right.

If there is no problem with the hardware, that should certainly solve the
problem. However, it is a drastic step, but there does become a point where
the gains outweigh the loses. Are you able follow my suggestion of
performing the rebuild on another disk drive? That at least would tell you
if you are barking up the right tree.