Will XP report which ports are USB 2

[Metspitzer]

I bought a PCI card with 4-USB 2 ports. It has a chip that says USB
2.0

When I try to plug in my WD Passport I get a message similar to "This
device will perform better if you plug it into a USB 2 port.

 

[Paul]

Look at USB controllers in in Device manager. Your new USB
card will be listed there, most likely as a Via controller. If there
is no reference to "enhanced" the card is not being seen as
USB2 by XP. Is "enhanced" referenced anywhere in the list
of motherboard USB controllers?

One thing you could try is to install the drivers for your new
card. This should not be required if your XP has at least SP2
installed, but won't hurt.

For some sample pictures of what Ian is referring to, see this page.

http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm

*******

There is also the program UVCView, for looking at plugged in USB
devices, but it isn't a user friendly application. If you want
a copy, click one of the archived links here, to download it.
Microsoft used to offer this for download, but has since removed
it from their site. I think this displays anything plugged in
directly to the computer, but if you have a chain of USB hubs,
it won't show what is on them.

http://web.archive.org/*/http://dow...f-a31d-436b-9281-92cdfeae4b45/UVCView.x86.exe

The output of that program, looks roughly like the following
picture. The item highlighted in dark blue, is running at
USB2 rates (because it is under the USB 2.0 section), so
whatever is on Port 3 is USB2. I think one of the fields
in the detailed section on the right, allows a person to
confirm that fact.

http://www.die.de/blog/content/binary/usbview.png

You don't have to use UVCView, but it is available if
you need it.

Paul

 

[Metspitzer]

For some sample pictures of what Ian is referring to, see this page.

http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm

*******

There is also the program UVCView, for looking at plugged in USB
devices, but it isn't a user friendly application. If you want
a copy, click one of the archived links here, to download it.
Microsoft used to offer this for download, but has since removed
it from their site. I think this displays anything plugged in
directly to the computer, but if you have a chain of USB hubs,
it won't show what is on them.

http://web.archive.org/*/http://dow...f-a31d-436b-9281-92cdfeae4b45/UVCView.x86.exe

The output of that program, looks roughly like the following
picture. The item highlighted in dark blue, is running at
USB2 rates (because it is under the USB 2.0 section), so
whatever is on Port 3 is USB2. I think one of the fields
in the detailed section on the right, allows a person to
confirm that fact.

http://www.die.de/blog/content/binary/usbview.png

You don't have to use UVCView, but it is available if
you need it.

Paul

Thanks everyone

Device manager shows USB 2, but I don't think I am getting the speed I
should.
Here is a screenshot of my USB devices.
http://i26.tinypic.com/2zpsgur.jpg

I can't make much out of what USB is what, but the machine has two
built in USB ports. The PCI card has four external and one internal
USB (2) slots

I didn't mention that the card in question is at least 3 years old,
and the computer I am using it in is even older.

My passbook is on loan at the moment, but I will give it a few more
tests when I get it back.

 

[Paul]

Thanks everyone

Device manager shows USB 2, but I don't think I am getting the speed I
should.
Here is a screenshot of my USB devices.
http://i26.tinypic.com/2zpsgur.jpg

I can't make much out of what USB is what, but the machine has two
built in USB ports. The PCI card has four external and one internal
USB (2) slots

I didn't mention that the card in question is at least 3 years old,
and the computer I am using it in is even older.

My passbook is on loan at the moment, but I will give it a few more
tests when I get it back.

So in that picture, I see what looks like a VIA motherboard USB set
of entries. Like something from perhaps a VT8237 or similar. I
don't think I'm seeing the PCI card. Can you identify two sets
of entries, one for the VIA Southbridge, and one set for the
PCI USB2 card ?

I'm typing this on a VIA chipset board, with a VT8237S Southbridge.
This is my set of USB entries, with currently no USB devices
plugged in.

USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

That is enough device entries, to run up to eight ports.
The Enhanced is shared over eight ports. The Rev 5 handle
two ports each. A port chooses to use the Enhanced or
the Rev 5, as determined by negotiation at detection time.

If I were to add a PCI USB2 card, then I'd see another
Enhanced entry and a bunch more of the USB 1.1 type entries.

Paul

 

[Metspitzer]

So in that picture, I see what looks like a VIA motherboard USB set
of entries. Like something from perhaps a VT8237 or similar. I
don't think I'm seeing the PCI card. Can you identify two sets
of entries, one for the VIA Southbridge, and one set for the
PCI USB2 card ?

I'm typing this on a VIA chipset board, with a VT8237S Southbridge.
This is my set of USB entries, with currently no USB devices
plugged in.

USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

That is enough device entries, to run up to eight ports.
The Enhanced is shared over eight ports. The Rev 5 handle
two ports each. A port chooses to use the Enhanced or
the Rev 5, as determined by negotiation at detection time.

If I were to add a PCI USB2 card, then I'd see another
Enhanced entry and a bunch more of the USB 1.1 type entries.

Paul

I have no idea how to sort out the devices any better without taking
the card out and checking the Device manager without them.

The mobo is a KT7A Raid.

The machine I am using it in is the clunker, old parts machine anyway.
The machine was happy to have USB 2, as one of it's main functions is
to run the network printer, but it has been printing using USB 1 for
over a year.

It really doesn't matter. But having USB 2 would come in handy as I
have a couple of USB portable drives.

 

[Peter]

I have no idea how to sort out the devices any better without taking
the card out and checking the Device manager without them.

In Device Manager choose 'view by connection'
If you then open up the PCI bus you should see the USB ports listed. If
you continue to click on the pluses then anything that is currently
plugged into those ports will show up, listed against the particular
port that it is plugged into. That way you can discover which ports are
supposedly USB2.

 

[Peter]

In Device Manager choose 'view by connection'
If you then open up the PCI bus you should see the USB ports listed. If
you continue to click on the pluses then anything that is currently
plugged into those ports will show up, listed against the particular
port that it is plugged into. That way you can discover which ports are
supposedly USB2.

Whoops! Think I jumped the gun there. Although it you can see that a
device is connected this way, it doesn't necessarily help you with
whether that port supports USB2.

There are utilities that can do this, I'm sure. Here's a couple of
links to get you started.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
www.download32.com/usb-monitor--device-monitoring-studio--i11109.html

 

[NT]

Whoops! Think I jumped the gun there.  Although it you can see that a
device is connected this way, it doesn't necessarily help you with
whether that port supports USB2.

There are utilities that can do this, I'm sure.  Here's a couple of
links to get you started.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_de...onitor--device-monitoring-studio--i11109.html

windows device manager lists USB 1 devices as usb, and usb2 devices
get 2 entries, one usb and one enhanced entry also under usb.

Sometimes usb 2 failure is solved by simply removing the device in
device manager and rebooting


NT