Need to add USB 2.0 support?

[LS_Dragons]

Below is a quick overview on adding USB 2.0 support to your Windows XP (and Win2K) installation. This is from the Windows Client Update newsletter:

"If you're one of many users who have complained about USB 2.0 support in Windows XP and Windows 2000, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that both OSs fully support USB 2.0. The bad news is that neither OS offers native support; adding the support can be a little complicated.

USB 2.0 hardware is fully compatible with USB 1.x devices, so if your computer has USB 2.0 hardware, you have no good reason not to upgrade your drivers to support USB 2.0. The only downside to using USB 1.0 devices with a USB 2.0 controller is that all the devices in the chain will run at the lowest common speed, which means you'll slow any USB 2.0 device on that channel. Fortunately, most computers have at least two USB channels (Intel motherboards can support as many as six), and the channels operate independently in terms of bus speed.

I've heard complaints from XP users who have USB 2.0 hardware and USB 2.0 devices, but while installing the devices they receive error messages from the OS reporting that the USB 2.0 device has been plugged into a non-Hi-Speed port. Users see this error message because XP as shipped doesn't include USB 2.0 support. You can easily add USB 2.0 support to XP by downloading and installing Service Pack 1 (SP1). Or, you can go to the Windows Update Web site

( http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com )and download the Microsoft USB

2.0 driver.

If you have Win2K, you need to download the USB 2.0 driver to add USB 2.0 support. Go to the Windows Update site and download Microsoft USB Driver Version 5.1.2600.0. With either OS, if you've installed a third-party USB driver, you might need to uninstall it so that Windows Update can direct you to the correct Microsoft driver.

The Win2K driver supports only the following USB 2.0 controllers:

- NEC (NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller B0 and NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller B1, PCI\VEN_1033&DEV_00E0&REV_01 and

PCI\VEN_1033&DEV_00E0&REV_02)

- Intel (Intel PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller,

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24CD)

- VIA (VIA PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller,

PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_3104)

The first release of the XP USB 2.0 driver is even more limited, supporting only the previously mentioned NEC controller, according to Microsoft's USB 2.0 and Windows Web site ( http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/bus/usb/usb...n=en-us&gssnb=1

).

You can find details about Win2K support for USB 2.0 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;q319973

And you can find details about XP support for USB 2.0 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;q312370

Win2K natively supports USB 2.0's competitor, IEEE 1394 (FireWire). But because most PC motherboards now include USB 2.0 hardware, FireWire's days might be numbered in the consumer market. Even Sony, which branded FireWire under its I-Link name, now puts USB 2.0 connectors on its digital video cameras."

[zipp51]

All good info for pc builders.Thanks LS,much appreciated.