Flaky USB Port

Question

I have a Dell Latitude C400 laptop running Windows XP SP2. One of the pieces
of software I have requires a USB dongle to license protect. I have only one
USB port on my laptop and for a while would just switch the dongle and my
printer cable to this port. Then the dongle stopped working - I was advised
to get a USB hub which I plugged into my one USB port and connected both my
printer and my USB dongle. But going portable is a problem - the USB hub
draws down the battery power very quickly. So I got a USB hub that plugs into
the CardBus slot - I figured I would use that to connect to my printer and
use the lone USB port for my dongle. I could then go portable - wouldn't need
the printer! BUT the dongle now is not recognized in the lone USB port!!!!!!
However it IS recognized in my CardBus USB hub AND if I put my old USB hub
into my lone USB port, the dongle is recognized in any of the ports on the
USB hub. But it is not recognized in the USB port on the side of the
laptop!!!!

Anyone have any ideas???

dbuk · Answer

Sounds like port mapping and conflicts, the USB identities might get juggled when you add or remove the hubs (just like drive letters for removable disks can be a bit unpredictable).  Maybe the protected software has a problem with some drivers or settings.  Maybe the software is smart enough to think you're trying to crack the dongle because port identity has changed.... your guess is as good as mine.   Your report suggests the motherboard USB is working correctly (OK with the hub).  You could try reinstalling both USB drivers and the protected software, but if it was my machine I'd simply take the line of least resistance and put the dongle on the cardbus port.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

Flaky USB Port

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