USB Drama

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Dell Inspiron 570, Windows 7 64 bit (my parents' machine) ...


4 rear USB ports

• 1 connected to wireless mouse
• 1 connected to keyboard
• 1 connected to printer
• 1 unused

2 front USB ports

• used as necessary for flash drives, etc.

Issue: 2 TB Western Digital Elements external hard drive when connected to rear USB port is not detected by Windows. No yellow exclamation point in Device Manager or anything like that, just not detected. Drive's power indicator light is on. Same external hard drive when connected to front USB ports works just fine. (Also tested with a different manufacturer 500 GB hard drive; same results.)

Hard drive has its own AC power adapter, so power shouldn't be an issue. (?)

I would prefer that the cable be plugged into the rear of the PC and not the front, as I'd like to leave the front ports available for flash drives and the cable is ugly sticking out of the front.

Any ideas? I can find no sensible related info on teh interwebs, just the usual unrelated info. (Google query: "Windows 7 rear USB ports not working." Google search results: "Windows XP front USB ports now working - SOLVED!")

 

Does everything else work in that port? Could be because all four use the same channel like a squid which there isn't really a workaround for.

 

The mouse, keyboard, and printer all work fine plugged into the rear together, yes. I guess I haven't tested the 4th USB port back there with one of those devices ... maybe I should try that. ty.

 

Perhaps these folks know: http://community.wdc.com/t5/My-Pass...drive-not-recognized-in-my-computer/td-p/3225

 

Okay, I managed to wake the system up to the fact of the drive's existence in the rear by plugging the mouse into the forth USB port, plugging the drive into the mouse's old port, and rebooting.

Thanks for the suggestions ... 8 you are a dear.

 

No problem, finicky USB drives have been one of the few hardware things I've managed to deal with properly

 

Get a USB PCIe or PCI connector. The specific USB on the back of the machine maybe isn't working and is dead.

 

Thanks, but it's all working now. I'll keep that in mind though.

 

You mean a simple solution?

Glad it works, but it leaves a foul taste. It should have been complicated. Oh well better luck next time.

 

I agree - I'm suspicious that it didn't involve registry hacks, system restore points, OS reinstallation, and motherboard replacement. Something's not right.

 

It sounds like your system was clearly infected with a virus during this process, and the virus makes it only "appear" that everything is working fine, when in fact, those devices that seem to be working so well are actually sending private information about the people you care about to various criminal organizations.

Now focus, because what comes next needs to be done quickly. You MUST, within 10 seconds of reading this post, grab your workstation and throw it through the nearest window. If you wait any longer than 10 seconds, the bad guys will almost certainly know that you're onto them, and let's just say you don't want that.

I'm sorry I had to be the one to break this to you. Please act FAST!

 

Done!

Now what?

______________________
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Blackberry

 

Now you need to get a new PC, silly. But don't you feel better?

---------- Added 1 hours, 12 minutes and 25 seconds later... ----------

By the way, I'm sure Tal would appreciate it if you purchased that new PC on NewEgg through this site!

No need to thank me Tal!

/evil

 

A quick and dirty way to check if it's hardware-related is to boot a Linux distro and see if it behaves the same way. Just about any major distro has a live CD (see distrowatch.com).

 

The best distro for live booting is Knoppix. Has been for a while.

 

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but sometimes my USB ports stop working and after I restart the laptop they work again.

I know that sounds simple, and I am not patronizing you by suggesting something simple, it's just worked for me.

 

You guys do realize that Gaear's issue was resolved several days ago, right?

(Well, that is, it was working until he decided to toss his PC out a window, like a deranged maniac. I guess this is what too much ToEE modding will do to a person. Cryin' shame, it is)

 

It doesn't matter if the problem is fixed, we're still going to help him! This is 'Merica for Crise sake! Git ir done, no man left behind, and all that jazz.

 

lol, I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read "Got 'er did."

Thanks anyway. I will file all these suggestions away for safe-keeping, to be consulted later when the problem inevitably recurs.