Has Anything Changed with USB 3.0 and Windows XP

[Monroe]

Over the last two years or so ... I have occasionally searched around for news that USB 3.0 may finally work on an XP computer. I don't "catch" all the news and am just asking to be brought up to date if anything has changed with USB 3.0 and XP.

I have a Thinkpad T41 and T42 and while searching around today ... I came across:

USB 3.0 Driver for Windows 7, Vista and XP - ThinkPad W510, W701, W701ds

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds001501

README for USB3.0 Driver txt
6.970703125 KB

Windows 7 (32-bit)
Windows 7 (64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-Bit)
Windows Vista (64-Bit)
Windows XP (32-bit)

1.0.19.0

Tuesday, June 02, 2015

-------------------------------------

USB3.0 Driver exe
5840.4921875 KB

Windows 7 (32-bit)
Windows 7 (64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-Bit)
Windows Vista (64-Bit)
Windows XP (32-bit)

So I guess my question is ... there are some drivers for USB 3 to work on XP ?

Does anyone know more about XP and USB 3.0 drivers and could I possibly get USB 3.0 to work on my T42 ? ... are there any modified drivers anywhere or a project someone is working on?

Thanks ...

[dencorso]

There are plenty drivers for USB 3.0 that work OK on XP.
But that's the wrong question: there wasn't and there still isn't any driver for *Intel* USB 3.0 on XP.
And since *a lot* of machines are notebooks/netbooks/tablets with Intel chipsets, all one can do is use their ports as USB 2.0.
Nothing changed, AFAIK, I'm sorry o say. But problem is not USB 3.0... problem is Intel dropping XP.

[Monroe]

OK ... I guess I never quite understood the problem with USB 3.0 not working with XP.

So then my question about the above USB 3.0 driver listed for the ThinkPad W510, W701, W701ds computers ... having one of those Thinkpads with XP installed ... there would still be no USB 3.0 working in one of those computers with XP installed ? ... only USB 2.0 ?

It lists both XP 32-bit and XP 64-bit ... I have little knowledge of XP 64-bit but I'm guessing that USB 3.0 also does not work in XP x64 ... only USB 2.0 ?

Supported operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit
- Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP2

...

[jaclaz]

monroe,

a Lenovo T42 has ONLY USB 2.0 ports AFAIK (this is HARDWARE):

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd008824

WHICH model do you have? A T42? then NO driver will EVER exist capable of transforming a USB 2.0 port to a USB 3.0 one.

ANOTHER model?

WHICH one then?

jaclaz
 

[Monroe]

I have both a T41 and T42 from around 2004 time frame. Yes, you are correct that these older ThinkPads only have USB 2.0 ports but I guess I was wondering when I saw the USB 3.0 drivers listed also for XP for those ThinkPads ... I thought maybe something new had been developed to let an older ThinkPad have the speed of USB 3.0.

I remember I was able to buy an USB 2.0 adapter many years ago for an older Toshiba Satellite notebook that only had USB 1.0 or 1.1.

OK ... so nothing has changed with USB 3.0 for older computers such as mine.

thanks ...

[jaclaz]

36 minutes ago, monroe said:

I thought maybe something new had been developed to let an older ThinkPad have the speed of USB 3.0.

Well, it would need some "miracle" or "magic".
 

38 minutes ago, monroe said:

 

I remember I was able to buy an USB 2.0 adapter many years ago for an older Toshiba Satellite notebook that only had USB 1.0 or 1.1.

 

Strange.

Was it maybe a sort of add on card ?

Anyway the USB 1.0/1.1 and 2.0 were much more similar between them (as an example there have been a lot of motherboards that had USB 2.0 ports but had BIOS that only supported 1.0/1.1 speeds, so that DOS would have slow speed whilst a Windows - with the appropriate driver installed - would have faster ones), but USB 3.x is an altogether different "beast".
A USB 3.0 port is normally connected to an internal PCIe bus (because a PCI has simply not enough bandwidth/speed), see as an example:
http://usb3pcicard.com/pci-and-pci-express-pcie-usb-3-0-cards/

jaclaz

 

[Monroe]

Thinking back on the USB 2.0 adapter ... it was a PCMCIA card adapter ... I was on Windows 98SE back then and the adapter card looked like this ... don't think it was this exact one but it was a good name brand.

Dynex - 2-Port USB 2.0 PCMCIA Notebook Card

http://www.amazon.com/Dynex-2-Port-PCMCIA-Notebook-Card/dp/B0009FV7J4

I'm sure I had USB 2.0 speed with the older computer but maybe I did not ... it also came with a power adapter. I don't know why I would have bought it if it did not give me faster USB 2.0 speed for the older computer.

...

[jaclaz]

Maybe it was a CardBUS (please read as PCI) and not a PCMCIA (please read as ISA), and yes it is a confusing matter, see (JFYI):
http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/141776-modifying-a-really-old-dell-laptop/
 

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/141776-modifying-a-really-old-dell-laptop/?do=findComment&comment=907932

Anyway, either CardBus or PCMCIA it doesn't matter, it was an added peace of hardware.

jaclaz

 

[sdfox7]

ExpressCards are available that upgrade laptops from USB 2.0 to 3.0.

The ThinkPad T43 in 2005 was the first ThinkPad model to include ExpressCard slot: https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/7479.ws (archived)

[Monroe]

I read all the links and am more confused as to what type of card I was using ... it looked exactly like the one in the link that I posted earlier. I think I may still have it around in a box with a bunch of other old cards.

No matter ... bottom line I guess is that nothing has changed for my type of computer.

sdfox7 ... I remember reading about express cards but I guess my ThinkPad model just missed a chance to use them ...T43 after the model I have ... T42.

I still like these old ThinkPads ... even with a few drawbacks.

...

[jaclaz]

19 hours ago, monroe said:

I read all the links and am more confused as to what type of card I was using ... it looked exactly like the one in the link that I posted earlier. I think I may still have it around in a box with a bunch of other old cards...

No need to be confused  , please read the (from the Amazon link):

Easy plug-and-play installation into any 32-bit PCMCIA Type II slot; hot-swapping capability

as "CardBus" and notice the golden "grounding strip" in the photo.

jaclaz
 

[cdob]

On 5/30/2016 at 8:53 AM, monroe said:

So then my question about the above USB 3.0 driver listed for the ThinkPad W510, W701, W701ds computers ... having one of those Thinkpads with XP installed ... there would still be no USB 3.0 working in one of those computers with XP installed ? ... only USB 2.0 ?

That's an Intel chipset without a USB 3.0 controller.
There is an additional  NEC USB controller. NEC does provide XP 32-bit and XP 64-bit drivers.
USB 3.0 in an of itself works on XP, both XP 32-bit and XP 64-bit.

[Dibya]

8 hours ago, cdob said:

That's an Intel chipset without a USB 3.0 controller.
There is an additional  NEC USB controller. NEC does provide XP 32-bit and XP 64-bit drivers.
USB 3.0 in an of itself works on XP, both XP 32-bit and XP 64-bit.

Same way I use ASmedia card in XP

[BatGS]

Greetings: I have similar situation with a Tough book and a few Dell units (M4400, M4500, (E6500 with a locked 1F5A BIOS)). The E6500 locked BIOS is another topic I may address in the appropriate area.The Dells, without HDDs, being former 64bit units (WinV, Win7 info provided by Dell). I have a few wiped drives and am Rdy 2 load/configure BIOS and OS being desired WinXP Pro. I understand XP64Bit is probably needed. As I have no x64 OS available it would B appreciated of a source and procedure 2 attain USB3 capability. The Toughbook is a functioning machine in use. It has XP-H-SP2 on it. Aside the OS and added RAM it is a stock machine. The only ways I know 2 speed it up is a SSD. However it is an IDE machine. The adapter and SSD is an expensive speed upgrade, probably still not capable of USB3. Hence the idea of loading the Dells.  I am open 2 the option of a Win7 install on 1 of the Dells if it is the only way I can attain USB3 capability. FYI: the only reason I seek USB3 is speed of file transfer 2 a external storage drive.

[legacyfan]

I don't think anything has really changed yet with USB 3.0 on xp ive even tested install 3.0 drivers on my computer with so and all it does is blue screen before I can do anything (we can just keep testing and eventually get it right)