HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower PC USB 3 ports - anything strange about them?

[bobmdi]

Is there anything known to be strange about the USB 3 ports on the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower PC?  My understanding is that Windows 7 has no native support for USB 3, so there are presumably addition drivers in there somewhere.

The ports them selves seem to work just fine. However when I plus in a 4 port hub strange things happen. I have two different USB 3 port hubs. One is a iDSONiX 4-port USB Hub. The other is a ORICO-AH 4 port USB 3 Hub.

When I plug in the iDSINiX, it looks for a driver, can't find one and so ends up as an "Other" device in device manager, with a yellow warning icon. It seems to think the "other device is a USB 3.2 hub), I have two of these, and a very similar looking SmartQ 4 port hub and all of them do the same things.  The Device ID is USB\VID_0BDA&PID_0411&REV_0101. This is supposed to be a USB 3.0 hub, not USB 3,2.

The iDSINiX work find on my Windows 11 PC. It installs as a Generic USB SuperSpeed Hub and uses the Microsoft driver. I beliew that "SuperSpeed" suggest that it is 3.0 as advertised (and not 3.2 as the Win 7 machine seems to think it is). Obviously on the Win 7 PC, nothing plugged into it shows up.  All three work fine when plugged into one of the USB 2 ports on the ProDesk, but of course only connect as USB 2.0 ports.

The ORICO-AH behavior is slightly different. When plugged in it appears to install without complaint, and shows up as a "Generic USB hub) in device manager using a Microsoft driver. I didn't think there was a microsoft driver for USB 3 in windows 7..?   However further testing suggests that this 4 port device may actually be a port extender for USB3.0 and the bub ports are actually USB 2.0, which would explain why it installed using the Microsoft driver! The device ID seems to identify it as USB 2.0, which explains why it installs OK!

I had previously had trouble trying to get  a VisionTex USB 3.9 2-port PCIe expansion card to work.  Their drivers didn't work but I I finally found a driver for the Renesas chip set for windows 7 that seemed to be compatible and the ports were active. All seemed OK on a thumb drive but when I attached a external USB hard drive,  the MBR on a hard drive I was corrupted and it took be quite a while to recover it. Needless to say  I didn't try it a second time and the PCIe board was removed from the machine and I won't be putting it back in! 

Under device manager/USB controllers there is an Intel USB 3.0 Root Hub listed which uses the Intel driver which presumably runs the 2 USB 3 which are present on the ProDesk 400.

I have a similar HP 6200 Microtower PC which had no native USB 3 ports. I added a VisionTek PCIe to it with no problems at all and I added a 4 port USB hub without any issues. That one has the Renesas USB 3.0 host and root hub controllers and drivers.

It sort of seems like the USB 3 ports and driver which came with the ProDesk 400 may be messing with any attempts I made to add more ports, either via the PCIe bus, or even via a 4-port hub attached to them.

I had previously reinstalled/updated the intel chipset drivers on this pc  (sp71260.exe)

Anyone have any ideas as to what might be going on? Could the Win 7 Pc think the bug is USB 3.2 and so be looking for a 3.2 driver, even though it's actually 3.0 and Intel 3.0 drivers are on the machine? I assume USB 3.0 and 3.2 drivers may be different? While it's not 3,2, if the PC thinks it is, maybe it's looking for a 3.2 driver.

There seems to be no way to expand the number of USB 3 ports on the PC without running into all sorts of problems from MBR corruption to the BSOD appearing. As far as I can tell the PC is virus/malware free (scanned with BirDefender and Malwarebytes, both of which said the PC was clean).  I guess I could try yet another USB 3.0 hub and see if that one is any different.  Everything is made in China and it's hard to tell the good ones from the "bad". Price may or may not be an indicator!

[NonSequitur777]

@bobmdi,

Wow! -This is quite the USB 3.0 troubleshooting saga! Based on everything mentioned, I suspect the issues arise from a combination of Windows 7’s lack of native USB 3.0 support, potential incompatibility between the Intel USB 3.0 controller and certain hubs, and possible firmware/driver mismatches.

So, after reviewing HP's support forums, it appears that USB 3.0 connectivity issues are a recurring topic among users of the HP ProDesk 400 G1 series. These issues range from ports not recognizing USB 3.0 devices to hubs operating only at USB 2.0 speeds.

Key Observations from the Forums:

1. USB 3.0 Ports Recognizing Only USB 2.0 Devices:

   • Some users have reported that their front USB 3.0 ports fail to recognize USB 3.0 devices but work fine with USB 2.0 peripherals.

2. USB 3.0 Ports Operating at USB 2.0 Speeds:

   • Instances where USB 3.0 ports function only at USB 2.0 speeds have been noted, even after cleaning ports and verifying device compatibility.

3. Power Management and BIOS Settings:

   • Adjusting power management settings and enabling certain BIOS features, such as AMT (Active Management Technology), have resolved USB recognition issues for some users.

Recommendations:

• Update BIOS and Chipset Drivers:

  • Ensure that your system's BIOS and chipset drivers are up to date, as updates can address compatibility and performance issues.

• Adjust Power Management Settings:

  • Navigate to Device Manager, expand "Universal Serial Bus controllers," and for each USB Root Hub:
    • Right-click and select "Properties."
    • Under the "Power Management" tab, uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

• Enable AMT in BIOS:

  • Access the BIOS setup during startup.
  • Go to the "Advanced" section and locate "Management Operations."
  • Enable AMT, save changes, and restart the computer.

• Consider Using Powered USB Hubs:

  • If you're experiencing power-related issues with USB devices, using a powered USB hub can provide consistent power delivery and improve device stability.

By implementing these steps, you may enhance the functionality and reliability of your USB 3.0 ports on the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower PC.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777