Wusy, or other vets, help on this USB controller problem

[butthead]

Unless your Wusy or someone who considers him or ser self to be on Wusy's technician level, please don't comment with speculations. I need some in depth help here before I tear out my MB. Just trying to get some on topic and accurate information, not trying to be a jerk.

Wusy, or other vets:

MB: ASUS A8N Premium SLI
CASE: ANTEC P160
PROBLEM: Secondary USB controller/on board pin plugs.
Win XP Sp2 etc etc.


Here's the deal. I'm not sure if it related, but you need to know the details.

I do studio photography, and I've been using the USB plug to shoot directly into my computer. I'm using a 6 foot extension with the 2 foot cord that came with the camera.

I started getting "Device Not Found" or "has been disconnected" or "Unknown Device" messages from Windows. I'd have to unplug and replug the cable, which would then load the camera. Sometimes the camera would not shut off after one of these messages unless I actually removed the battery first.

I thought it was a cable lenght problem, but then I started getting problems with my multicard reader and mouse plugged into the Secondary USB bank on the MB--the pin connectors. The Case has those cheesy front bezel connectors (two) which are twisted into one connector that plugs into one of three MB USB pin ports on the MB.

Then, I booted and after the Windows boot message, right before Windows bumps into "Loading your settings," I got a black screen. If I unplugged and replugged any device into the USB ports on the front bezel, which is plugged into one of the USB pin ports on the MB, then windows would finish booting.

In Device manager, it saud UNKNOWN DEVICE in the USB section.

To make a longer story shorter and get to the point where you can help, I diabled the secodary USB controller in the BIOS and Windows boots fine. At this point I think the 2ndary USB controller is fried. A friend told me he didn't think the camera and USB problem was related, but I'm thinking maybe it is, since that is the last thing I did before I started getting any errors or problems.

My question is this: Do you think a battery powered Camera could fry the USB cicuits? And, do you think my logic bares out a controller problem? Last, is there anythinng I can do before I call out a new MB?

Thanks again you guys ROCK HARD. I really respect your knowledsge and appreciate your help.

 

[butthead]

I did more trouble shooting and the tech at multiwave where I bought the MB said he agreed that the MB USB controller went bad for the secondary on board USB pin ports. They sent another MB today.

 

[pat]

Your camera shouldnt, but cable extension might. For any extension of USb cable, a powered hub will help to offload the power load from the USB circuitery. Else, static electricity could have damaged the controller. front USB headers from cheap case are really bad for that.

If your camera has a removable storage card, I would invest in one card reader and use the card directly instead of the USB cable.

not only the transfer will be faster, but safer too. That's the way I do it and I don't have any problem.