Downgraded USB-port?

[Whisky]

Hey,

Lately my second (I have only two) usb-port has started acting weirdly, and it seems that it sometimes doesn't transfer the data or gets stuck. If I plug my mouse into it, sometimes the light from the mouse turns entirely off, and then I need to unplug and replug it. Sometimes even that doesn't help, it just whines about not recognizing usb-device and then I must wait couple of minutes before trying again.

Last time when I plugged my phone into it, the windows (xp) popped up a message saying that this device could work faster on a high-speed 2.0 usb-port, even though it is usb 2.0 for pretty damn sure. I haven't seen this message before, though I also haven't had any other device than my mouse in that port after problems started.

So my question is what might cause my usb-port to act like this and how to fix it? I was afraid if the motherboard was drinking it's last ale, but since the another usb-port is just fine I doubt that's the issue.

 

[Slapshot136]

my guess would be that it's gotten a little loose and a contact is bad, is this the most-commonly used USB port? could you live with using a cheap usb splitter?

 

[BANANAMAN]

How old is your computer?

I'm experiencing this on my 4 yr old PC and people say it's because it's so old so i think you need to replace them or get them fixed.

 

[Whisky]

Yeah well, my laptop is around 3-4 years old, so I guess that's the problem then. And I think usb-hub is a viable option, though I don't know how slow the devices will get when too many of them share the same root usb-port.

Mainly I was just worried since when my last laptop started being tricky with the usb-ports, it didn't take long until its motherboard melted.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Slapshot136]

though I don't know how slow the devices will get when too many of them share the same root usb-port.

usb 2.0 is pretty fast actually, 480Mbps, the main problem comes when too many devices try to charge off of it, as it has a .5 amp limit, but for that you can get a powered hub (if you need to charge your phone/ipod while using your portable external hard drive at the same time)