I have just reformatted an older AMD-K62 PC and installed Windows XP SP2. There are 2 built in USB ports on the system, but after plugging in a USB printer (Lexmark All-in-One), nothing happens. When looking in Device Manager, there are no USB ports listed. I looked on the motherboard for the manufacturer but not listed (in any real accessible spot anyway). What is my best way to get this printer working? Is there a web site out there with a utility to tell me what motherboard it is? Is that the route I should take, downloading the motherboard USB drivers from the web? Is buying a USB PCI card easier? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated so I can get this thing up and running asap. Thx..
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Motherboard/USB
- Thread starter mlack
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did you enable usb in the bios?
get everest ( it should tell you what mobo you have
get everest ( it should tell you what mobo you have
- Thread starter
- #3
A K6-2 mobo... the USB chip on it may just not work under XP. This is one possibility. After you've checked for the mobo brand (you can also open the case and look at the mobo... 
) and try to get the user's manual from the web site. it wouldn't hurt. Anyway, find if there is a way to disable it or enable it, or you may have problems installing a new USB adapter card in your system. Because USB controllers use more than one interrupt line, you may run out of IRQs.
) and try to get the user's manual from the web site. it wouldn't hurt. Anyway, find if there is a way to disable it or enable it, or you may have problems installing a new USB adapter card in your system. Because USB controllers use more than one interrupt line, you may run out of IRQs.- Thread starter
- #5
I enabled the USB controller in the BIOS and when booting it locks up while loading the desktop. I disbaled it again and it boots into windows fine. I do have 1 PCI slot available. Any ideas? A USB PCI card maybe? I really need to get this USB printer up and runnning. It is for a business and comes with a long history thx
thxOne last thing that you can try before buying a PCI USB card. Go into your BIOS, and if you do not use the serial and parallel ports, disable them. Normally you can do that from the BIOS menus. This shall enable more interrupt lines, and maybe free one for your USB controller. Then retry enabling your onboard USB.
If you get a PCI USB adapter card, do not get one that has five ports, but one with two ports. Why? Because the one with 5 ports will request three interrupt lines to your system, and this may likely cause other conflicts with other system resources. A card with two ports will need one or two interrupts, so it is safer for your mobo. The serial and parallel port trick may be neede here too.
The newer mobos have a IOAPIC mode, where more interrupt lines can be used, but not your K6 mobo.
If you get a PCI USB adapter card, do not get one that has five ports, but one with two ports. Why? Because the one with 5 ports will request three interrupt lines to your system, and this may likely cause other conflicts with other system resources. A card with two ports will need one or two interrupts, so it is safer for your mobo. The serial and parallel port trick may be neede here too.
The newer mobos have a IOAPIC mode, where more interrupt lines can be used, but not your K6 mobo.
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