Six unused USB 2 enhanced ports but where are they?

[Plado]

A while ago I bought a four USB2 sockets and two Firewire socket as extra USB ports and it had to be fitted to a spare slot on the motherboard and mounted in the chassis in the normal way. So I did this in my Windows XP Home 2002 SP2 computer.

All the existing USB 1 ports were already used up with Scanner; Mouse; Printer etc so I soon found uses for the new ports but I was amazed to find that when I plug anything into the new ports, the task bar warns me I can make the device perform faster if I plug it into a USB 2 port. Well I thought I just had! Anyhow for a list of available ports it says to click here, which I do and it then tells me that I have USB Enhanced 6 ports UNUSED? Well I think I must be missing something because there are only three of the original old USB 1 ports still available to plug things into. So where is it hiding these enhanced 6 ports - I'm hanged if I can find them!

Does it need something configuring or is my motherboard not equipped to handle USB 2?
Thanks
Plado

[pip22]

"Enhanced" USB ports are by definition USB 2.0 ports so Windows definitely knows you have them on that new card you recently fitted. The card probably has two internal USB 2.0 ports on the card face as well as the four external ones on the backplate, hence the "six" that Windows refers to. It's not unusual to have one or two fitted internally (mine has one) but I've never seen the sense in it myself.

As to why you are being told by Windows that the port you are using is not USB 2.0 when it evidently acknowledges they do exist I am baffled. Have you tried one of the other ports on the card, even one of the internal ones, just to eliminate the rare probability that one port is not working properly?

It's not case of your mobo not being compatible. A USB 2.0 card incorporates it's own hub and controllers, so does not rely on existing USB components in your PC. The fact that Windows recognises that you do have enhanced ports yet, in effect, contradicts itself is very puzzling. Anyone??

[Plado]

Thank you very much for this appraisal.
It's the best response I've had from any forum but someone said are you sure your motherboard has the latest drivers? Well from what you say I think that probably isn't going to be the issue. I don't think you can get any more drivers for my ancient motherboard and do you know I have no idea what motherboard it is. It was fitted in 2002 and the booklet I have says it's an AS Rock P4145 GV but I'm sure that isn't what it was called when it was built. Perhaps I'm looking at a different book for one of my more recent computers.
I wouldn't know where to begin to update its drivers.

I can't follow how the USB hub can have internal sockets.
How would you attach anything to them if the socket is inside the tower? I'm rather loathe to undo the tower again and disturb all the connections. But if you think an internal socket exists on the card itself then I'm willing to attach an extension cable to it and see if I can bring that outside the case, but I don't see where it could come out. That has completely thrown me as I don't think I'm understanding entirely what you're meaning but it is the only plan of attack anyone has come up with beyond mucking about with drivers and trying to unplug all the other USBs which I shouldn't have to do.

I think I need some clarification on this, and thanks for your attention so far.
Plado

[F A B Scott]

Maybe you need to enable USB2 in your BIOS.

Sometimes the internal USB connections are for you to join up 2 front ports [for example]

[Plado]

Ah this looks like you could be on to something.
It's the most likely solution yet.
You wouldn't like to tell me where in the BIOS the USB enablement is would you?
I can do minimal things in the BIOS without getting the system in a mess but I don't believe I have ever seen the USB section or noticed it before.
Thanks
Plado

[F A B Scott]

May be under Integrated Peripherals.
Mind you, I think some don't have any option in the BIOS - so it's just a possibility.
Good luck.

[pip22]

Hi Plado Sorry I haven't replied since my first post, been busy. FAB Scott raised some very valid points.

There's only one other possibility that comes to mind, depending on whether SP2 was added as an update or not. If the new card was fitted before installing the SP2 update, it could be a driver issue, as explained here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=873169 Quite whether this would cause USB2 ports to perform like USB1.1 ports is not made clear, but it has to be worth a try.