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Does anyone have any recent information regarding the USB issues reported by owners of this board? The issues I've had are similar to many I've read about from other users; I'll summarize them here. My system config is in my signature, and I've attached a .pdf that illustrates my mobo connectivity.
1) USB keyboard unavailability at POST.
After a few days of normal use, including standard system shutdowns/startups, the keyboard will suddenly not be available during boot, and won't become active until Windows loads.
The 1st time this happened, I ran through all the troubleshooting suggestions I could find online: reinstall drivers; reconfigure BIOS (disable xHCI, reflash, etc...); reset CMOS by removing battery; disconnect/reconnect all int/ext USB devices.... Everything except reinstall Windows, because I'm stubborn and don't believe one should have to reinstall an entire O/S to remedy something that shouldn't be an issue to begin with.
I wasn't able to identify a single "trick" that worked, but eventually my keyboard was available again, and things ran well for several more days. Then, after a typical morning power-up, the keyboard was again not available during POST.
In researching the problem, I discovered a forum thread that provided some good information regarding which USB controllers handle the various ports/headers on this board. The info is illustrated in the .pdf file, and I can see where some conflicts could potentially occur. For example, I can understand (sort of) that having a dual-port USB keyboard sharing a hub with an internal card reader/4-port USB hub could pose problems, especially when several devices are connected. However, I don't have anything plugged in to the 4-port hub when the problem occurs.
FWIW, reverting to a PS/2 keyboard is simply an unacceptable workaround, and I was surprised to see this suggested by forum contributors whose reputations indicate they know their stuff and wouldn't settle for a cop-out like that themselves. :-)
2) On/Off Charge 2 just doesn't work as advertised - never has, at least for me.
I wired my rig up with a 5.25" front panel card reader/4-port USB 3.0 hub plugged in to the mobo's On/Off Charge header. When I plug an Apple device into one of the 4 ports, I get the Windows "connect" tone and can access the device via O/S or iTunes. The device will charge while the system is powered on, but not after it goes to sleep or is shut down. Also, the On/Off Charge App never indicates I plugged anything in; i.e., the App GUI just shows "No device" and neither the "Fast Charge" nor the "Fast Charge/No Sync" options are selectable.
After researching number 1) above, I understood that the 2 rear panel "upper" USB ports share a Renesas hub with that header. (My keyboard uses both of those rear panel ports.) I wondered if providing constant power to all the additional front panel ports connected to that header might just not be possible, so I disconnected the 5.25" panel and connected the 3.5" 2-port USB 3.0/2.0 front panel that Gigabyte includes with the mobo.
Again, Windows acknowledged (via "connect" tone) I had plugged something in to one of the ports, and the device showed it was receiving charge. And although the App GUI still showed "No Device," I could now select the "Fast Charge" option. (But not "Fast Charge / No Sync.) I tried with an iPad, and with iPhones 4S and 5, and it always said "No device." And again, the devices would charge while the system was powered on, but not in sleep or power-off. And yes, I've updated to the latest versions of drivers/BIOS/AppCenter/On-Off Charge 2.
Is the front panel Gigabyte supplies with the mobo wired differently than a standard 19-pin USB header cable, to provide the On/Off Charge feature? If it is, there's nothing in the manual, or their marketing, to indicate that On/Off Charge won't work with anything other than their supplied 2-port panel.
Anyone have any thoughts?
I understand these issues may not be entirely with the board, but with Windows 8 and its driver implementation. It's just frustrating when something simple that has worked for decades (keyboard availability at POST) starts failing intermittently, and when something proprietary (On/Off Charge 2) doesn't work as advertised.
Thanks for reading this long-winded first post. Appreciate any input!
- Phil
Mobo USB Config w Periphs.pdf
1) USB keyboard unavailability at POST.
After a few days of normal use, including standard system shutdowns/startups, the keyboard will suddenly not be available during boot, and won't become active until Windows loads.
The 1st time this happened, I ran through all the troubleshooting suggestions I could find online: reinstall drivers; reconfigure BIOS (disable xHCI, reflash, etc...); reset CMOS by removing battery; disconnect/reconnect all int/ext USB devices.... Everything except reinstall Windows, because I'm stubborn and don't believe one should have to reinstall an entire O/S to remedy something that shouldn't be an issue to begin with.
I wasn't able to identify a single "trick" that worked, but eventually my keyboard was available again, and things ran well for several more days. Then, after a typical morning power-up, the keyboard was again not available during POST.
In researching the problem, I discovered a forum thread that provided some good information regarding which USB controllers handle the various ports/headers on this board. The info is illustrated in the .pdf file, and I can see where some conflicts could potentially occur. For example, I can understand (sort of) that having a dual-port USB keyboard sharing a hub with an internal card reader/4-port USB hub could pose problems, especially when several devices are connected. However, I don't have anything plugged in to the 4-port hub when the problem occurs.
FWIW, reverting to a PS/2 keyboard is simply an unacceptable workaround, and I was surprised to see this suggested by forum contributors whose reputations indicate they know their stuff and wouldn't settle for a cop-out like that themselves. :-)
2) On/Off Charge 2 just doesn't work as advertised - never has, at least for me.
I wired my rig up with a 5.25" front panel card reader/4-port USB 3.0 hub plugged in to the mobo's On/Off Charge header. When I plug an Apple device into one of the 4 ports, I get the Windows "connect" tone and can access the device via O/S or iTunes. The device will charge while the system is powered on, but not after it goes to sleep or is shut down. Also, the On/Off Charge App never indicates I plugged anything in; i.e., the App GUI just shows "No device" and neither the "Fast Charge" nor the "Fast Charge/No Sync" options are selectable.
After researching number 1) above, I understood that the 2 rear panel "upper" USB ports share a Renesas hub with that header. (My keyboard uses both of those rear panel ports.) I wondered if providing constant power to all the additional front panel ports connected to that header might just not be possible, so I disconnected the 5.25" panel and connected the 3.5" 2-port USB 3.0/2.0 front panel that Gigabyte includes with the mobo.
Again, Windows acknowledged (via "connect" tone) I had plugged something in to one of the ports, and the device showed it was receiving charge. And although the App GUI still showed "No Device," I could now select the "Fast Charge" option. (But not "Fast Charge / No Sync.) I tried with an iPad, and with iPhones 4S and 5, and it always said "No device." And again, the devices would charge while the system was powered on, but not in sleep or power-off. And yes, I've updated to the latest versions of drivers/BIOS/AppCenter/On-Off Charge 2.
Is the front panel Gigabyte supplies with the mobo wired differently than a standard 19-pin USB header cable, to provide the On/Off Charge feature? If it is, there's nothing in the manual, or their marketing, to indicate that On/Off Charge won't work with anything other than their supplied 2-port panel.
Anyone have any thoughts?
I understand these issues may not be entirely with the board, but with Windows 8 and its driver implementation. It's just frustrating when something simple that has worked for decades (keyboard availability at POST) starts failing intermittently, and when something proprietary (On/Off Charge 2) doesn't work as advertised.
Thanks for reading this long-winded first post. Appreciate any input!
- Phil
Mobo USB Config w Periphs.pdf
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