USB problems and upgrade ideas

[RGMyles10]

I’m using the HP Desktop Envy 850-070na (Energy Star) and have never had any problems until now. 

if I try and copy something from the comp to a USB stick using any of the top surface USB ports the screen goes fuzzy, the computer shuts down and restarts… anyone any ideas? I’ve used 6/7 different USB sticks, all the different usb ports and tried to copy different software, word docs, emails etc but same every time. 

tried updating the bios…. No change 

I would also like to give the computer a serious upgrade and wondered if anyone had any ideas where to start. 

many thanks again folks. 

[NonSequitur777]

@RGMyles10,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Thank you for reaching out to us. Based on the symptoms—screen going fuzzy, system shutting down and restarting when copying to USB drives -here are likely causes and troubleshooting steps tailored for the HP ENVY 850-070na (Energy Star) for your HP ENVY Phoenix Desktop - 850-070na (N1Y25EA :

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Probable Causes:

1. Power delivery or short-circuit issue in front/top USB ports
   → A fault in the USB headers or power surge detection may cause system instability.

2. PSU degradation or borderline failure
   → Copying files to USB drives draws a small amount of extra power. A failing PSU might trigger protection circuitry.

3. Motherboard fault (esp. USB controller/chipset)
   → If it only happens during data transfer and not idle USB connection, it's likely controller-related.

4. Windows USB driver corruption or chipset driver issues
   → Can cause USB-related crashes or erratic hardware behavior.

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Suggested Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Eliminate USB Hardware Conflict:

• Unplug all other USB devices except mouse/keyboard.

• Try using the rear USB ports only.

• If the issue does not occur with rear ports → likely a hardware fault in the front USB module or the internal USB header connection.

 

2. Power Supply Test (Advanced):

• If possible, monitor system voltages with HWMonitor or BIOS (look for 5V/12V rails).

• If voltages dip during file transfers, it may indicate a weak or failing PSU (common in aging systems).

 

3. Chipset & USB Driver Update:

• Go to the HP support page for the HP ENVY 850-070na and:

  • Reinstall the Intel Chipset driver and USB 3.0 driver (Intel or Renesas).

  • Check Device Manager for any yellow exclamation marks under "Universal Serial Bus controllers".

 

4. Windows Event Viewer:

• Open Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System:

  • Look for Critical or Kernel-Power errors when the system crashes.

  • Also check for “USB” or “nvlddmkm” (GPU) related warnings.

 

5. Boot into Safe Mode:

• Boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

• Try copying to a USB stick from there.

• If it doesn’t crash, the issue could be related to a third-party driver or security software conflict.

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Optional Advanced Checks:

Internal USB Header Reseating:

• Open the case and reseat the front panel USB header cable from the motherboard.

• Look for any pin damage or scorch marks on the connector.

 

Replace PSU (if hardware issue suspected):

• If the PSU is original (~2015 model), it may be aging. Replacing with a quality 500–600-watt PSU might help if power instability is the culprit.

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Recommendation:

If all else fails:

• Disable the top USB ports in BIOS (if possible) or avoid them and rely on rear ports.

• A USB 3.0 expansion PCIe card can be added if all internal USB ports are compromised.

Upgrading:

In terms of upgrading, the very best compatible processor for your PC would be the fabled "Devil's Canyon" i7-4790K (4-Cores, 8-Threads, 4.00 GHz up to 4.40 GHz, 88-watt TDP). The higher TDP should not be an issue as your CPU heatsink (p/n: 644724-001 "Heatsink - 95W, Kidd") is rated up to 95-watt.

Change your primary (boot) drive to a SATA SSD such as a Samsung 870 Evo.

Max out your RAM with 4x8GB DDR3 1600 MHz UDIMM RAM, such as:

Samsung M378B1G73DB0-CK0
Samsung M378B1G73EB0-YK0
Hynix HMT41GU6BFR8C-PB

Given your 500-watt power supply, add a graphics card such as an RTX 3060 or an RTX 2060 Super. Or upgrade your power supply and choose a higher-end card.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777