USB ports killing thumbdrives?

DK1 · 11-20-2006, 07:54 PM

I just installed a new motherboard in my friend's computer last week and, after hooking up the frontside USB ports, we noticed that everything they detected was reported as malfunctioning.

For example, I had put some pictures on my thumbdrive to print on his printer. When I plugged it in, it just came up with the "This device is malfunctioning" message. It does this with anything that I plug in.

The real kicker with this is that after we've plugged anything into those ports, the devices no longer work on anything else that we plug them into.
I've lost two thumbdrives to this computer so far (one while we were testing the ports and another because I forgot about it a few days later).

I haven't had the chance to look at my wiring since then because of homework and such, but I was wondering if it's even possible for me to have hooked up the leds in a way that would cause this to happen, or is it most likely the motherboard itself that's the culprit?

**8210GUY** · 11-20-2006, 08:03 PM

My best guess is the wires are the wrong way round or on the wrong connection, are you sure you haven't connected to the 1394 connection ?
What motherboard is it ? my first suggestion is to check the manual, because there are + and - connections on these wires, best to check they are correctly placed.

Tumbleweed36 · 11-21-2006, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8210GUY

My best guess is the wires are the wrong way round or on the wrong connection, are you sure you haven't connected to the 1394 connection ?

This is excellent advice, because connecting them to a 1394 will achieve just what has happened to you. Check the source of those wires BEFORE you fry anything else.

What motherboard is it ? my first suggestion is to check the manual, because there are + and - connections on these wires, best to check they are correctly placed.

**cjessee** · 11-21-2006, 07:45 AM

It also should be a safety caution as I have seen this done before and the short that was caused by the incorrect wiring resulted in a mainboard fire.

11-20-2006, 07:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
DK1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 5 OS: Windows XP Home	USB ports killing thumbdrives? I just installed a new motherboard in my friend's computer last week and, after hooking up the frontside USB ports, we noticed that everything they detected was reported as malfunctioning. For example, I had put some pictures on my thumbdrive to print on his printer. When I plugged it in, it just came up with the "This device is malfunctioning" message. It does this with anything that I plug in. The real kicker with this is that after we've plugged anything into those ports, the devices no longer work on anything else that we plug them into. I've lost two thumbdrives to this computer so far (one while we were testing the ports and another because I forgot about it a few days later). I haven't had the chance to look at my wiring since then because of homework and such, but I was wondering if it's even possible for me to have hooked up the leds in a way that would cause this to happen, or is it most likely the motherboard itself that's the culprit?

11-20-2006, 08:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
8210GUY TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,558 OS: xp Pro	My best guess is the wires are the wrong way round or on the wrong connection, are you sure you haven't connected to the 1394 connection ? What motherboard is it ? my first suggestion is to check the manual, because there are + and - connections on these wires, best to check they are correctly placed.

11-21-2006, 07:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
cjessee Uh oh. Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 794 OS: Windows NT/2000/XP, Dictaphone, Windows 2003 Server	It also should be a safety caution as I have seen this done before and the short that was caused by the incorrect wiring resulted in a mainboard fire.