Thumb drive reboots computer from front USB port?

z33tec

February 5, 2011 3:53:49 PM

Weird issue here. I have 2 front USB ports on a new computer I just built for my parents. If I plug in a USB wired mouse that I have, both ports work completely fine.

If I try to plug in a Memorex USB thumb drive that I have, it will instantly shut down the computer. I don't even get a chance to plug it in. I just put the thumb drive NEAR the port and it shuts down. It almost seems like some sort of static or short issue with the port or USB drive.

The USB thumb drive works fine in the rear USB ports. It also works fine on the front port of another computer that I have, so I know the thumb drive works.

I thought that maybe I had accidentally had the positive/negative pins flipped when connecting the front ports to the motherboard, but if that was the case, the mouse shouldn't work in those ports either (I would assume?)

Since it shuts down instantly, before I even get to plug it in, I think that would rule out any driver/BIOS issues or needing to update anything. Seems like a pure hardware issue at this point.

Thanks in advance for any assistance! :love:

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z33tec

February 5, 2011 4:00:24 PM

Ok... so... after posting this, I tried another identical thumb drive and it worked. Hmm... tried the one that was causing this issue before, just out of curiousity... worked fine this time...

I guess my question has been updated to.. What would cause this to happen periodically?

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z33tec

February 5, 2011 4:37:11 PM

I believe I have found the problem in a Newegg review for the case I am using:

"There is one serious flaw in the front USB printed circuit board design (behind the front panel) in that both USB COM connections are connected with a copper trace on the PCB.
This creates a current "loop" as soon as one plugs in a USB stick, resulting in an instant crash of any Win 2K, XP or later OS. All our 6 PC's with an ASUS AMD based MB had
the same problem. Solution, remove the USB PCB assembly from behind the front panel and carefully cut the COM copper trace between both USB input connectors.
After that modification, inserting and removing an USB stick works fine."

This is the case I am using:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

This is the motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The comment above explains exactly what is happening to me. I don't even know what a "copper trace" is so I doubt I will be attempting the modification that they posted in their review. I guess I might just be stuck without using the front panel USB ports unless anyone has any other ideas.

=\

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blondon

November 7, 2011 4:48:49 PM

I have the same problem with 3 machines. 2 with ECS motherboards and one with and Asus. All are AMD motherboards. Two of the cases are HAF's and one is a SilverStone. It doesn't happen consistently, but it happens enough to be a real problem.

It happens with headphones, usb devices of any kind...anything that is going in the front panel.

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g-unit1111

Homebuilt system Master

November 7, 2011 8:09:38 PM

z33tec said:

Ok... so... after posting this, I tried another identical thumb drive and it worked. Hmm... tried the one that was causing this issue before, just out of curiousity... worked fine this time...

I guess my question has been updated to.. What would cause this to happen periodically?

Do you have USB drive set higher than anything else in the boot priority section of your BIOS? If so try setting the primary HD first, then optical, then whatever else you have installed in your system.

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