USB ports not doing a thing!

[entropynz]

(this is continued from "http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=32&post=277497&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0"

but I thought I might get more response here!)

Well I got the OS running and the video card/motherboard drivers installed.
Problem now is that none of the usb ports at the back seem to work.
I've managed to get around it up till now by using a PS2 mouse, but since there is only 1 PS2 port (shared with the keyboard) it makes things difficult.

In device manager there are 2 ! marks under "Etron USB 3.0 Extensible Root Hub"
The Etron USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller doesn't have the ! marks

Do I need to set something in the bios?

Have I simply forgotten to plug something in the motherboard? (I don't think so because I don't think the back usb ports need anything.)

My USB keyboard, mouse and network adaptor don't work. (No lights show up on them.)

Not sure about this one!

 

[treefrog07]

It sounds like the USB is disabled in the BIOS. If so, enter the BIOS at boot, find the tab or screen with the USB settings and enable them. Then save and exit the BIOS. The computer will restart, let it boot to the OS and try the USB ports again.

 

[andy_in_kenya]

It sounds like the USB is disabled in the BIOS. If so, enter the BIOS at boot, find the tab or screen with the USB settings and enable them. Then save and exit the BIOS. The computer will restart, let it boot to the OS and try the USB ports again.

I agree. Look for a separate entry for USB3.0 ports/chip/function or similar and check if enabled. In most BIOSs it will still be separate from the 'standard' USB settings, since the USB3.0 chips are mostly not yet part of the southbridges but third party add-on components.

 

[entropynz]

It sounds like the USB is disabled in the BIOS. If so, enter the BIOS at boot, find the tab or screen with the USB settings and enable them. Then save and exit the BIOS. The computer will restart, let it boot to the OS and try the USB ports again.

Aha success! Honestly this was the very next thing I was going to check (honest!) I'm not sure how they became disabled because the last thing I remember doing in the BIOS was resetting to safe defaults (or something to those words).

Theoretically, If I had a motherboard with no PS2 port then went into the BIOS and disabled USB then rebooted. How would I get back in since I can't connect a USB keyboard and hit DEL? Would it just be a jumper reset on the motherboard somewhere?

Cheers
Case closed
Entropy

 

[entropynz]

Best answer selected by entropynz.