USB storage causes computer to fail to boot

[KublaiKhan]

I have an EVGA motherboard, and it has always has some trouble with USB devices being connected to one of the front USB 2.0 slots. If a USB stick is in the front left slot, the computer would hang during boot. If I forgot, I had to remove the drive and hit the reset button. Not too major an issue.

Past couple days, an 4GB USB hard drive wasn't being recognized when I'd start up. I'd have to disconnect it, reconnect it, or move the jack to another input before the computer would see it.

Yesterday, the computer stopped booting if the drive was connected at all, in the back, where it had been connected forever without issue.

Now, I seem to have a computer that will occasionally not boot if any USB storage device (flash or hard drive) is connected to ANY port. That's just lame!

Another thing is that Windows isn't recognizing my USB 3.0 ports as USB 3.0. It recognizes external USB 3.0 devices, but warns they would be faster if connected to 3.0 ports (when they ARE connected to 3.0 ports!). My motherboard came with USB 3.0 drivers that seem to have not worked.

I have no idea how to "fix" bad USB drivers, especially when they used to work!

• Intel Core i7-950
• EVGA GTX 780 3GB
• CORSAIR Vengeance 12GB CAS 9 (triple clannel DDR3)
• EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR LGA 1366 SLI3
• Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium

 

[Peter Martin]

You need to install the usb 3.0 drivers no doubt. Maybe a repair windows if that doesn’t work I would reinstall windows clean

 

[KublaiKhan]

Those USB drivers came from the EVGA web site, but maybe Windows has been made incompatible?

I'd hate to do a reinstall just because of this....

 

[Peter Martin]

under device manager, what does it say about usb 3.0, it should list the maker of the Host Controller, like ASMedia, in which case you get those drivers, like my AMD systems

 

[KublaiKhan]

Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller (eight different entries)
Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host COntroller
Renesas Electonics USB 3.0 Root Hub
USB Root Hub (Eight entries)

 

[Peter Martin]

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/65855/Intel-USB-3-0-eXtensible-Host-Controller-Driver

Download those

 

[KublaiKhan]

That Intel driver will not work on my system.

 

[KublaiKhan]

However, I did notice something when getting that Intel driver: a warning not to install it from any USB device. I'm fairly certain I installed my drivers from a USB hard drive during my last Windows 7 installation. I copied the manufacturer's USB 3.0 drivers to my desktop and ran them again. I'll wait a few days to see if the boot problems cease.

 

[Peter Martin]

cool. i hope you fixed it.

 

[KublaiKhan]

It's been a few days, now, and I believe the problem has been revealed. I installed the manufacturer's (Renesas Electronics) USB drivers from a USB device (an external hard drive, specifically).

DON'T DO THAT!

Install USB drivers from a non-USB internal drive.

 

[KublaiKhan]

Or not.

Windows 7 is back to warning the USB hard drive is not connected to a USB 3.0 port. It is connected to a USB 3.0 port, but Windows is not recognizing the port correctly.

With everything I've gone through over the years, I'd say the moral of the story is to never buy an EVGA motherboard. They make decent video cards, and that's it.

 

[Peter Martin]

wait, there's more..... you could do this!!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1535382098&sr=8-5&keywords=usb+card+pci&dpID=51ZO%252B9g92HL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and skip buying a mobo for now.