Not Enough Resources for USB 2.0 PCI Card

[don26812]

Hello,

I have a Dell 4100 P III 1 Ghz PC with 512 MB and running Win XP Pro. It came with 2 USB 1.0 ports somehow connected to the MB (not in a PCI slot). I wanted to add USB 2.0 capability, so I bought a PCI card with 4 Ext. and 1 internal port.

The new USB card and ports are recognized and installation is attempted. However they have have the yellow flag with the !-mark and the the following error message is displayed.

"device can not find enough feee resources that it can use (Code 12). If you want to use the device you need to diable one of the other devices"

I have a SCSI board that I no longer need, so I disbled it and even uninstalled the driver. The yellow symbols don't go away, and as soon as I restart the computer or scan for new devices, the SCSI board is detected and the same problem/message is present. I have not actually removed the board yet. Will that help?

How can I gain resources?

TIA

Don26912

 

[kiddpete]

Sounds like it needs interrupts. How many are available?

 

[micker377]

Definately remove the SCSI card. Even with no drivers, the BIOS is recognizing it on bootup and assigning IRQ's. Also, if you have any un-used serial ports - disable them to see if it helps. Check the yellow marks to see if you can find what IRQ's are being blocked. It's possible that say IRQ 7 has too many things on it, whereas IRQ 5 has some free IRQ's.

 

[garebo]

I think you have to have sp1 installed if you want usb2.0 to work at all.
Also, micker377 suggests disable unused serial ports.
What other pci devices do you have installed on this machine?
Is there any reference in your registry for the scsi device you removed?


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[garebo]

Just curious, is the pci usb2.0 card using the "ALI" chipset?


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[felixc]

Don't forget to disable the "on-board" USB controller from your BIOS. This will free another IRQ line.

In your BIOS, there may be a PnP (Plug and Play) menu, where you can choose to give the IRQ lines of the legacy devices (IRQ 3,4,5,6,7) to the PnP controller. If you don't use these resources, give them to the PnP controller.

 

[don26812]

Thanks to all for your very good and prompt comments.

Win XP is current thru SP 2. I have not, but will remove the SCSI card. I don't have anything connected to the serial port and do not have a modem. I will disable/uninstall the CCOM ports.

Then I'll look closer at the IRQ assignments. It's been many years since I have paid attention to them.

I'll return with more questions or a success report.

Thanks again.

Don26812

 

[don26812]

Hi I'm back with more questions.

First I removed the SCSI card and rebooted. No mention of it under Device Manager, but the same Code 12.

garebo - I don't know what chipset is used in my USB 2 controller. It is a Belkin 5-port moidel.

I also disabled the Com Port COM 1

I did as feixc suggested and turned off the Legacy USB Support in my BIOS. I believe things went from bad to worse. The USB devices still show the same code 12 problem but then I lost the Software Interrupt Controller due to no driver, Code 28, I think. To the best of my knowledge this was never flagged before I changed the BIOS setting.

I then turned the Legacy USB Support back on in the BIOS. Nothing changed - No driver (Code 28) for Software Interrupts (under Other Devices) and still no USB 2 (Code 12).

BTW I tried reinstalling the software interrupt driver driver from the Win XP Pro CD and internet using the HW Install wizard - no luck. I'm not sure if I even have the CDs that came with the PC - it was delivered with Win 98.

My Current PCI IRQ Status

PCI 3 = My NIC Card
PCI 9 = Creative SB Live!
PCI 9 = Intel 82801BA/BAM SMBus Controller - 2443
PCI 10 = 82801BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller -2442
I think this is the USB 1 that is working.
PCI 11 = My Graphics Card

There are 9 different ISA IRQs with no among themselves, but IRQ 9 is also assigned to the MS ACPI-Compliant System.

Also, when I lost the SW Interrupt Controller, I tried to do a saystem restore to yesterday, hoping to get it back, but the message said it could not restore the system.

Right now the Device Manager has a yellow question mark under Other Devices - System Interrupt Controller as explained above.

Under the USB Controllers the Intel 82801BA USB Uni Host Controller - 2442 is Ok as stated above, as is a USB Root Hub entry.

The yellow question marks are by the Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller entry and the Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller entry.

So as you can see I appear to have taken a step backwards.

What now?
TIA

Don

 

[felixc]

When something changes in the IRQ line availability, the OS readjusts itself automatically for it.

If you mouse and keyboard are connected to your USB port, then the USB legacy support must be maintained and the USB controller as well, at least until you get the other one working.

What I was referring to was a PCI or PnP management option in the BIOS menu, in order to free more unused IRQ lines.

The Belkin 5-port uses a NEC 720100 or 720101 USB controller. It needs three IRQ lines if you want it to work. The 3-port version uses two IRQ lines.

From your list you have two devices fighting for IRQ9.

If you have IRQ3 assigned to the NIC, then there is already some legacy that is reassigned to Plug-and-Play.

In your BIOS there must be an option like "Enable IOAPIC mode". (unless Dell cut it off) This is supported by XP, but it does not look enabled in your system. This will add another 8 IRQ lines I think.

 

[micker377]

Do you need 5 USB ports? You may have to try a 2 port card. What other cards do you have installed? You could take out everything but the video card, and reboot to clear the IRQ assignments. Shut down and install the USB card. Try this and see if the USB works, this could be a conflict between the card and the computer and you're fighting the wrong problems.

 

[don26812]

Thanks again for the replies.

Frlixc, there is no option anywhere in my biosthat refers to anything like IOAPIC mode. I guess Dell did disable it. ??

Micker377, no I don't need all 5 ports. Two would have worked, but when I bought the card, I thought I might as well get four external for growth or whatever. I did not know I was going to have to deal with resource problems.

My USB 1 is on the MB. Can I turn that off somehow? I've got PCI slots open. I believe I have the my grahics card, sound card, USB 2 card, Nic card, and that's it. I do have to CD burners installed. A zip disk is in the bay but does noy have the power cable or the data cable connected. I disconnected it when I went to SP 2 because it screwed up my drive assignments - apparently a know problem with zip drives.

Tomorrow I will shut down again and try to reinstall the USB card again.

I will then return for Plan B.

Don 26812

 

[bcastner]

I just went through this.

. Many 4-port USB 2.0 PCMCIA adapters are not workable with the Dell BIOS on some Dell notebooks at all; other Dell notebooks are useable if you provide to the PCMCIA adapter its "optional" AC power adapter source.

. All 4-port and 2-port PCMCIA USB adapters can only provide 300ma per port. If you device requires 500ma, be certain the adapter offers an AC/transformer brick to power the hub

 

[micker377]

I don't think that this is a laptop.

 

[don26812]

That is correct. This is a desktop PC. I still have not pulled the cards out and then reinstalled them. I will return one I dom that tomorrow.

Don 26812

 

[garebo]

I know i resolved the irq problem by removing everything and starting over. If you dont want to use the onboard usb1 then of course, as was mentioned, disable it in bios.
I would suggest you first install sound as i have found that sound requires certain irq's and other items will just take any irq and will even share irq's. I find that usb pci cards best install in the first slot right after the agp slot. Then install all the rest.
Far as i know, pci slots usually deliver enough power for usb cards so you dont have to be concerned about the 300 or
500ma situation as these cards dont have any optional ac power supplies. Hate to say this as bcastner really knows his stuff, perhaps he is trying to say something we havent quite digested, i dont know, was gonna ask but i cant contact him direct.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[don26812]

Garebo,

I need to ask a couple of dumb questions here.

1. Are you saying to physically remove all of the PCI boards, install the first PCI board, and then reboot forcing Win XP to install that device again. Shut down and then repeat the process for the next PCI slot?

2. Do I disable the Legacy USB in the BIOS first before starting 1?

3. What is going to eliminate the yellow question mark by my Other Devices - Software Interrupt?

I am really amazed how complicated converting to USB 2 has become. I never realized I was butting up against the resources or at least IRQ limits of my PC.

While I wait for any comments to the above, I will first just remove the USB 2 card and then reinstall it.

Don 26812

 

[garebo]

First, remove the scsi via bios and physical removal.
Then use bios to disable usb1.1
the take out, physically, all except hard drive(s) cdrom, video, ram, keyboard and mouse. that means take out all pci card items, even if it includes sound. I dont know what is built into your mobo, if video or sound or network is built in or not, so we need to know that right now.
Then make sure you have win xp sp1 installed as i dont think usb2.0 will work without xp sp1. Dont need xp sp2 at this point. I think you stated you have sp2, so you are good there.
Then let us know if that yellow exclamation is still there, before you try putting any pci cards back in.
Then put the pci cards back in, one at a time, get them working before you go to the next one.
First pci card to put back in would be the usb 2.0 card and then sound (if not built in), then anything else.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[don26812]

Thanks. But I must push it off one more day.

Don26812

 

[don26812]

Garebo,

I'm about ready to follow your instructions, but I wanted to update myt situation with some new info. I discovered that in my BIOS an Enable P-N-P was turned off, so I turned it on. So now, I have Legacy USB turned off in the BIOS and P-N-P turned on.

When I restart the computer, No Software Interrupt Yellow warning is present. In fact, I can not find Other Devices entry at all.

I currently have the USB 1 controller disabled, but that does not seem to affect the following, since I have tried it both ways.

USB 2 is still not working but now there is a ! by the Entry NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller and the error is Code 10 Device Can't Start.

I will push on with remove/installing boards per your suggestion, but I am interested to hear if this new info changes things. I may not get back to you with results until this evening.

Thanks for all your help.

Don26812

 

[garebo]

I would still try the above, still your best bet i think. With xp sp2 installed i dont understand why you would get that !.
Did you get a cdrom with your system? I dont buy whole systems so i dont know what you get with in these days.
I am wondering if you have a cdrom with drivers and such that you could re-install.
If not, stick with what we were discussing, just hope missing drivers install themselves or that an irq situation is causing this. Cant hurt to give it a try.
My experience with PNP is that some motherboards and bios like it on and some dont, hard to say, but you can turn it off and on and go with whatever works best.
I do believe most of the time PNP is disabled.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips