USB 2.0? How to know?

[BBS]

Hi eberybody!

Compaq 6010GC with P58650K9VNE045 motherboard, 845G chipset, P4 1.6GHz, XP Home. When I checked with Compaq (HP) tech-support I was told that this machine supports USB 2.0. But I did not find any indication of USB 2.0 in the device manager as I have noticed in other machines. Is there any simple way to check the version of the USB port?

[iisbob]

Sisoft Sandra (http://www.sisoftware.net) is an excellant tool for gaining info on your system.

Download and install it-then goto Ports and choose your USB hubs-it'll give you the version there.

[Budfred]

Or, plug in a USB 2 device and run it. If it moves turtle slow, it is USB 1.1, if it moves like a rabbit, it is USB 2.....:)

[Paul Komski]

I think you just need to install SP1 for WinXP to support USB2.

[Paul Komski]

Bin thinking about this question a bit more - and its a good question. I have tried both SisoftSandra and also HHD USB Monitor (30day trial) (http://www.hhdsoftware.com/usbmon.html). Both of these are good at identifying which USB version the attached peripherals are but not so good (or else I just cant interpret the data) at identifying whether the mobo itself has a USB 2.0 Enhanced Controller or not.

Looking up the PC or motherboard's specs seems to be the way many people get this data - and yet there must be some way of getting it from software since the Windows Update site can determine whether or not you have the drivers for such USB 2.0 installed or not - if you are using WinXP that is.

Just as an example. When I clean install XP onto a M7VIK and run the Mobo Utilities all goes straightforwardly until the USB2.0 drivers are chosen. These are installed for all other windows but there is some copyright nonsense that means that such third-party drivers cant be installed under WinXP and one is directed to the Windows Update Site to obtain the drivers.

If at this stage one looks at the Device Manager all one sees are 3 USB Host Controllers and 3 USB Hubs (one back panel and two front panel). After installing SP1 and viewing Device Manager again, the USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller has been added!! That at least is the way I got my own USB 2.0 enabled under WinXP and was the reason for my earlier suggestion, which assumed that Compaq support had not been lying to you.

If anyone knows how to interpret the data in SisoftSandra or HHD USB Monitor such that one can identify a USB2.0 system (PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE DRIVERS) - or by any other means - that would be useful to know.

[Paul Komski]

The definitive answer would seem to lie HERE (http://www.everythingusb.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=793)

One needs to definitely see the Enhanced Controller in Device Manager. If the correct USB2 drivers had not been installed - then this could appear as an "Unknown USB Device".

So it would appear that if there are no unknown devices and only ordinary host controllers there is no USB 2.0 on the system.

[BBS]

Thanks Paul for your effort to clarify the matter. The PC on question is thousands of kilometers away from me and therefore I can not check anything right now. Yes, I have noticed USB 2.0 in the device mangaer of another PC while Compaq has no version mentioned there.

Strange thing is that this 845G chipset supports USB 2.0 according to the Intel website. As the PC was introduced in the market around one and half years ago, could it be possible that driver was not supporting USB 2.0 then? May be SP1 will solve the problem as suggested by Paul?

Thanks iisbob for suggesting Sisoft Sandra. I had almost forgotten this software which was installed in my notebook long ago. I formatted the HDD because of some problem and then I did not reinstall it. I will try this SW when I have access to the Copmaq on question.

[Paul Komski]

The PC on question is thousands of kilometers away from me and therefore I can not check anything right now

Weeellll - there's always Netmeeting or XP's Remote Desktop Manager! ;)

[BBS]

Paul, thanks again for the suggestion. Though I had noticed the Remote Desktop Manager in the XP I have never used it. May be I should try.