Why are often front USB slots inactive?

It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.

When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
everything works fine.

Why ?

Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?

J.

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage Jason Stacy <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote:
> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.

> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
> everything works fine.

> Why ?

> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?

You should not. I can only conclude that this is some
stupidity with the Windows driver.

Arno

In article <47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net>, Jason Stacy wrote:
> Why ?

Bad wiring. (The rear USB jacks are soldered direct to the motherboard.
The fronts are connected with skinny, cheap wires and connectors.)

--
Roger Blake
(Subtract 10s for email.)

"Roger Blake" <rogblake10@iname10.com> wrote in message
news:slrnfrdjdl.rha.rogblake10@moog.netaxs.com...
> In article <47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net>, Jason
> Stacy wrote:
>> Why ?
>
> Bad wiring. (The rear USB jacks are soldered direct to the motherboard.
> The fronts are connected with skinny, cheap wires and connectors.)
>

Roger, this is an interesting issue, and I'm very curious. Do you know if
replacing (upgrading) the wires that go to the header connectors will fix
the problem? Does length play a role, or maybe just shielding?

Will slow USB devices work OK, say 1.1, and fast 2.0 devices fail as Stacy
described?

Thanks...

-John O
(posting from ms.pub.winxp.hardware)

"Jason Stacy" <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote in message
news:47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.
>
> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
> everything works fine.
>
> Why ?
>
> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?
>
> J.
>


Open the case up and have a look,
the front ports may not even be connected...

Have also seen only 1 USB port of 2 working on a USB front panel interface
on some. There are many USB interface pinouts on different motherboards.
They are not the same.

On some, yes, there may be a jumper requirement to enable.

--
Dave
"Jason Stacy" <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote in message
news:47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.
>
> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
> everything works fine.
>
> Why ?
>
> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?
>
> J.
>

"Jason Stacy" <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote in message
news:47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.
>
> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
> everything works fine.
>
> Why ?
>
> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?
>
> J.


Jason:
We have found that in virtually every case where the front panel USB port(s)
did not work correctly but there was no problem with the rear (integrated
motherboard USB ports), the problem was that the cable wires leading to the
USB connector ("header") on the motherboard from the front panel USB port(s)
were incorrectly hooked up. Simply stated, the USB wires of the cable were
not associated with the correct pin(s) on the motherboard's USB connector.
If that be the case it's generally a simple matter to correct the situation.
Hopefully you have your motherboard's user guide/manual and the correct
orientation of the front panel USB cable wires will be shown.

In a very few cases the problem was either a defective front-panel USB port
(extremely rare in our experience) or a defective USB connector on the
motherboard. We have even come across cases where the USB cable wires were
incorrectly connected to some other connector on the motherboard (e.g., an
audio connector) instead of the USB connector.
Anna

> "Jason Stacy" <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote in message
> news:47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
>> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
>> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
>> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.
>>
>> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
>> everything works fine.
>>
>> Why ?
>>
>> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?
>>
>> J.



"Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
news:e8hhW9KcIHA.4016@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Jason:
> We have found that in virtually every case where the front panel USB
> port(s) did not work correctly but there was no problem with the rear
> (integrated motherboard USB ports), the problem was that the cable wires
> leading to the USB connector ("header") on the motherboard from the front
> panel USB port(s) were incorrectly hooked up. Simply stated, the USB wires
> of the cable were not associated with the correct pin(s) on the
> motherboard's USB connector. If that be the case it's generally a simple
> matter to correct the situation. Hopefully you have your motherboard's
> user guide/manual and the correct orientation of the front panel USB cable
> wires will be shown.
>
> In a very few cases the problem was either a defective front-panel USB
> port (extremely rare in our experience) or a defective USB connector on
> the motherboard. We have even come across cases where the USB cable wires
> were incorrectly connected to some other connector on the motherboard
> (e.g., an audio connector) instead of the USB connector.
> Anna

Jason:
I forgot to add (as I believe another responder to your query did) that
another frequent occurrence of this problem is because the builder/installer
of the desktop PC simply neglected to connect the USB cable from the
front-panel USB ports to the USB connector on the motherboard. A most common
scenario.
Anna

"Jason Stacy" <jjstacy@yahoo.net> wrote in message
news:47b6a42b$0$23001$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
> It occured several times that I plugged in an USB stick
> into one of the USB slots at the front side of various desktop computers.
> WinXP told me "USB device not correctly installed" or something similar.
>
> When I plug in the same USB stick on the USB slots at the back side
> everything works fine.
>
> Why ?
>
> Do I have to enable front side USB slots explicitly ?
>
> J.

You didn't say whether the front usb slots ever worked. If they have not
then it's possible that the either are not connected to the motherboard or
the connector is loose, open the case and follow the wires to where they
plug into the motherboard and check.

On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:19:30 -0500, "Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote:

>the problem was that the cable wires leading to the
>USB connector ("header") on the motherboard from the front panel USB port(s)
>were incorrectly hooked up.

Well, I only build my own computers, and my experience is only two. With
regard to the front USB ports, both worked fine initially. One of them stopped
working after about six months. I think the problem is the cable itself, based
on its appearance, although I obviously can't rule out the front (in this case
actually top) USB circuit board until I replace stuff.

Obviously if it worked at one time, it cannot have been hooked up incorrectly.

I can also exclude the MB as I hooked up another pair of ports (these mount in
a 3.5" slot) to the same connectors on the MB.

I've got a spare cable and circuit board, but it's a PITA to get to it so I
haven't actually done the replacement yet.
--ron