Comments on: Some days I hate computers! http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2004/10/28/some-days-i-hate-computers/ The Revd Gareth J M Saunders' weblog Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:27:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Nigel http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2004/10/28/some-days-i-hate-computers/#comment-556 Tue, 02 Nov 2004 22:00:33 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2004/10/28/some-days-i-hate-computers/#comment-556 A quick PS to my last missive. I sorted the USB power problem more permanently by buying and inserting a new PCI USB 2.0 5-port add-on card. This supplies the "heavier" (or sould I say "correct") power level some devices need. Plus I get some extra, fast ports. N A quick PS to my last missive.

I sorted the USB power problem more permanently by buying and inserting a new PCI USB 2.0 5-port add-on card. This supplies the “heavier” (or sould I say “correct”) power level some devices need. Plus I get some extra, fast ports. N

]]> by: Nigel http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2004/10/28/some-days-i-hate-computers/#comment-555 Tue, 02 Nov 2004 16:54:18 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2004/10/28/some-days-i-hate-computers/#comment-555 Now then! This just *might* be the old supply voltage problem. I know what you're thinking - "Don't be daft!" - but not all USB ports supply enough power for some devices. To add to this statement it's not always obvious which devices will work. For example my Canon USB LIDE scanner worked fine until I changed to a Gigabyte motherboard. Then it would not load it's driver, would not initialise. Okay, you say, scanners need a lot of power. Next up I had a USB pen drive which did not appear in the drives list once inserted. I fiddled with adding and removing (unnecessary as it happened because XP *does* include drivers, but not recognising the device confuses it)drivers but to no avail. It was the power problem again. The drive letter would intermittently appear and then disappear, accompanied each time by XP's "ting-tong" noise each time. Power again. To test these problems I used a USB 4-port hub - the type that allows an add-on power supply to be used to boost power, which I added. All worked fine! Problem spotted and sorted. So annoying as I thought all USB (1 or 2)specs were meant to be the same! Not so. It was odd seeing my monster desktop unable to power a scanner, but my lowly laptop handling it fine on battery only!! Best o' luck! Now then! This just *might* be the old supply voltage problem. I know what you’re thinking - “Don’t be daft!” - but not all USB ports supply enough power for some devices. To add to this statement it’s not always obvious which devices will work. For example my Canon USB LIDE scanner worked fine until I changed to a Gigabyte motherboard. Then it would not load it’s driver, would not initialise. Okay, you say, scanners need a lot of power. Next up I had a USB pen drive which did not appear in the drives list once inserted. I fiddled with adding and removing (unnecessary as it happened because XP *does* include drivers, but not recognising the device confuses it)drivers but to no avail. It was the power problem again. The drive letter would intermittently appear and then disappear, accompanied each time by XP’s “ting-tong” noise each time. Power again.

To test these problems I used a USB 4-port hub - the type that allows an add-on power supply to be used to boost power, which I added. All worked fine! Problem spotted and sorted.

So annoying as I thought all USB (1 or 2)specs were meant to be the same! Not so.

It was odd seeing my monster desktop unable to power a scanner, but my lowly laptop handling it fine on battery only!!

Best o’ luck!

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