USB 1 only - but "enhanced" in DM

[FijiJohn]

After cleaning various viruses out, I find that the USB ports are only running as USB 1 - but in Device Manager I see "Enhanced" as one of the listings under USB. I vaguely recall hearing abut this kind of problem as caused by a virus but don't know what the fix is. (Motherboard is ECS 661-M7.)

[Sterling_Aug]

http://www.vcn.com/knowledgebase/article.php?id=439

http://www.smartcomputing.com/editor...1r04.asp&guid=

[FijiJohn]

Uhh, as described in the VNC page I definitely see "Enhanced." That is why I concluded it must have USB 2 (plus I happen to have a lot of experience with the SIS 661 FX chipset on other motherboards). The SmartComputing page seems to require a paid subscription, which I lack. When I plug anything with USB 2 into any of the USB ports, it says 'high-speed device in low-speed port' and offers to find the high-speed ports - but when I say go, it comes back, "There are no high-speed ports on this computer." (And FWLIW, USB 2 is turned on in the BIOS.)

Any other tips?

[BipolarBill]

In my experience, this is a Windows bug that rquires either reinstalling or adding a different (NEC) USB adapter (as a workaround).

I know that many of your customers have hacked software due to economic conditions, but SP2 is a requirement for USB 2.0 function. If the customer doesn't have that, it's not worth pursuing.

[FijiJohn]

I know that many of your customers have hacked software due to economic conditions, but SP2 is a requirement for USB 2.0 function. If the customer doesn't have that, it's not worth pursuing.

I tell them that DAILY! And for the better off ones, I try to explain why they CANNOT go on the Internet without SP2 and full security patches (plus AV and AS). I bet I personally own more legit copies of WinXP than the rest of this entire town (~25,000 people). Sigh. But when a guy who makes less than US$100 a month is trying to provide a computer for his kids (who are probably the first in the family to every finish high school) its hard to talk about the evils of piracy. This particular box has SP2 (albeit pirated).

[rockinup1231]

The home edition upgrade of Windows XP goes for $100 at Wal-Mart. Gawd, that is why I am getting a bigger hd to dual-boot linux on my new system I am building.

[Sterling_Aug]

Hey rockin: I doubt Wal-Mart has stores on the island of Fuji in the South Pacific.

Fiji is about 1000 mles West of Australia.

[mireland]

Hey rockin: I doubt Wal-Mart has stores on the island of Fuji in the South Pacific.

Fiji is about 1000 mles West of Australia.

what? Wal mart has taken over that island YET?

[FijiJohn]

Over here a copy of XP Home goes for about US $150. Trying to convince locals to skip eating for a few months so Bill Gates can have a few more dollars is a tough sell.

I wish the XP Starter edition was available in English (the official language) or Fijian but MS won't release an English version for fear of piracy and lost dollars.

[Sterling_Aug]

You really need to push Linux to the locals then.

http://www.ubuntu-linux.org

Ubuntu loads easily on old as well as brand new equipment and it includes Open Office 2.

All this is FREE!

[rockinup1231]

You can order a copy by mail, or copies, free of charge. Or download it.

[rockinup1231]

Hey rockin: I doubt Wal-Mart has stores on the island of Fuji in the South Pacific.

Fiji is about 1000 mles West of Australia.

I know, I was just using the copy at wal-mart as an example.

[BipolarBill]

Back to the subject...

Your user is going to have to reinstall his pirated copy of XP to fix the problem unless he can get an NEC USB card.

[FijiJohn]

[QUOTE=Sterling_Aug]You really need to push Linux to the locals then./QUOTE]

Unfortunately, as much as I like that idea, there are two big problems. First, no one here knows how to solve any problems that arise with Linux. I like Ubuntu myself but barely know how to do anything with it but the basics. I could not problem solve any tricky problem. Second, people here are almost all poorly educated and have never heard of Linux but they have heard of Microsoft Office. The "Computer Studies" at the local secondary schools is a country-wide mandated curriculum (unchanged in more than 10 years) dedicated to MS Office. That's all people know about and that's what they think they need. They are incredibly suspicious when I even suggest that Linux might be a better fit. Given the levels of poverty, even the police come to me and ask for pirated software (both personally and for the police station computers)!!! We just had a coup (that's ANOTHER coup) so there are far bigger concerns for the new 'government' than software piracy. I work full-time just trying to keep local school computers working, trying to find more computers (that are newer than 486s), and training locals to use and repair what they have. I've tried to seed some of the brighter local kids with Linux but none have stuck with it.