No USB 2.0 in Windows XP with SP2

[bevills1]

Windows XP Professional with SP2 was installed from CD, and everything is normal except there's no USB 2.0. Another install of same OS without SP2 shows USB 2.0 with no problem indicating this must be problem associated with SP2. Microsoft and Google searches found nothing useful. Is there a way to fix this USB 2.0 problem?

[jimmalenko]

Maybe try your motherboard disc and see if it has USB 2.0 drivers ?

[redwudz]

Look to 'Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager>Universal Serial Bus controllers'. You should see 'Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller besides your standard USB 1 controller. If not, you don't have USB 2.0 installed. That would be unusual as SP1 and SP2 install it automatically. Sometimes the front ports don't have USB 2.0. The regular back ports should, though. SP2 is not likely your problem. Look elsewhere.

[ofbarea]

A few days ago I rebuild my PC and the USB2 was not recognized right away after applying XP SP2.

My USB2 was identified as unrecognized hardware. I just right click on it and chose properties. In there I went to Driver tab and clicked on Update driver. After a few seconds My pc connected to windows update site and it downloaded and installed the driver automatically.

[bevills1]

I see Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller and Standard OpenHCD Host Controllers. Is the Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller the USB 2.0 controller? The motherboard CD does have USB 2.0 drivers. In another Windows 2000 Professional system it shows USB 2.0 controller, and I'm new to Windows XP which is why I'm unfamiliar with Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller meaning USB 2.0 if it means USB 2.0.

[redwudz]

Yes, the 'Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller' is the USB 2.0 controller. If you see that, you should have USB 2.0. If may not be available on all USB ports. Usually the rear ones will have it for sure. The USB driver you see on most motherboard discs is for W98 or others that don't have USB 2.0 native. SP1 and SP2 install the XP USB 2.0 drivers.

If you are still having problems, make sure you are using a USB 2.0 device. I have also seen some members mention a problem with a USB cable that is not rated for USB 2.0, but I've yet to find any USB cables that don't work for USB 2.0, and no USB info sites I have seen seem to be aware of that problem.

You could check Microsoft for USB 2.0 problems or check your motherboard site or look here for a USB problems:

http://www.usbman.com/Troubleshooter%20General.htm

[bevills1]

No problems have been seen, but I just expected to see USB 2.0 Root Hub in Device Manager like I do in Win2k and didn't see it in WinXP. Obviously it's simply a nomenclature difference between Win2k and WinXP. Thanks for the all the info and help.

[redwudz]

I think it depends on the motherboard or MB chipset for what they call it. The computer I am using at the moment says 'USB 2.0 Root Hub' and 'VIA Enhanced Host Controller' with a Asus MB, but my computer at home with a Gigabyte MB has the 'Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller' with a Nvidia chipset and they both have working USB 2.0.

[bevills1]

Do all the USB connections on the computer support USB 2.0, or is there an easy way to tell which is USB 2.0 and which is not if all are not USB 2.0?

[redwudz]

If the motherboard has USB 2.0 all the rear connections should be 2.0. The front ones usually are, but in some cases don't always appear to have the correct wiring for the front USB connections. There may also be some motherboards that have USB 1.1 for the connections on the motherboard to the front connections and still have 2.0 on the rear, but your motherboard manual would tell you that. You would likely only see this in a home built computer, and not often.

The easiest way to tell if the connection is 2.0 is to plug in a USB 2.0 device like a USB 2.0 thumbdrive and see if you get the 'This device can operate faster.....' balloon from Windows that tells you the connection isn't USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is usually on by default in BIOS, if the motherboard supports it. You would still need SP1 or higher to activate it in Windows. There may be independent 2.0 drivers for XP, but the Windows update makes it easy to activate.

If you had a computer with USB 1.1 only, you can add an inexpensive USB 2.0 PCI card, along with the SP1 or 2 updates and have it that way. A combo card with Firewire and USB 2.0 would be even a better combination.