Subj : Re: USB 3 Issue? To : Barry Martin From : Ky Moffet Date : Fri Feb 28 2020 00:05:00 BARRY MARTIN wrote: > Hi Ky! > > KM> Huh. > So I taught you something for a change! :) It can happen, despite myself. > > KM> Speaking of USB, whatever you have is contagious -- USB quit > KM> entirely on this box (last week it was one of the NICs, so it's > KM> probably defective southbridge). > > That's not good! ...First thing I thought of was Linux/Ubuntu doens't > play nice with the IOMMU setting in the BIOS: during _installation_ > needs to be toggled. You're way past installation so probably (almost > definitely!) a false lead but figured I'd mention something anyway. WTF is IOMMU ?? Tho this is WinXP; its twin had PCLinuxOS on it, on a removable drive, but since PCLOS is now on one of the Dells, that'un will be used to swap out this'un so I can rebuild it with the New! Improved!! guts. > "Enquiring minds wanna know" so I did a quick Google search ("+12v rail > low voltage"). One reply suggested cleaning and reseating the mother- > borad and PSU connectors and if that didn't fix replace the PSU. When I get it apart, I'll stick the PSU on the tester that reads voltage; seems to be very accurate. I don't think anything this mainboard says can be trusted at this point. > Further: "ATX spec allows for a 5% deviation above and below 12v. That > is, if the voltage reading is about 12.6 or 11.4 volts, the PSU is not > functioning properly." That more for whoever else is reading this. > Also tends to verify for you a failing PSU, replacement of which would > be required for the new assignment. Would be nice if took care of the > USB issue too! Probably won't, since the USB part has been goofy to absent since before I got it: When I was gifted the pair I was told one had a failed southbridge, but the giver says he mighta stuck that tag on the wrong one. Well, I think we know that now! :) > KM> Regardless... Something Went Wrong! > > I tend to concur! D'oh!! ("Something Went Wrong!" is the standard Mac error message. Very helpful, in Apple's usual way.) > > KM> Note to self: beat Barry with a stick until he learns better. > > Note to self: Ky's into kinky stuff! Get address. > KM> 666 Devil Road... > > And the town; think it's Wyoming. Maybe Montana. ...I may have to give > in and do a Google Maps search: is there a 666 Devil Rd., in Hell, MI?! If not, there should be! > KM> reminds me, need to peel some stuff out of one of the > KM> resurrectees for its former owner. Not that I need a dedicated > KM> Vista machine but it's already set up and runs very well, so > KM> leaving well enough alone. > > Nice 'gift with purchase' bonus! Haha, yes. Thus have I acquired two copies of Vista, tho the one on the faster machine ran like crap and was ejected for Win7, which runs better there. Someone please explain to me why two identical Vistas, neither with any OEM crapware, have their hardware performance backwards! > > For personal use I've been purchasing USB 3's at 16 GB, in 'small bulk' > > for discount prices, when on sale. Last were Kingston DataTravellers > > and no failure -- knock on wood! (Ha-ha: the computer desk is wood!) > KM> Kingston not my fave brand of anything. Most Failed RAM award. > KM> Like 90% of the failed RAM I've seen (not much, but mostly > KM> theirs). > You're worrying me! I've used their SSDs as boot devices/boot and data > on some of the computers around here: thinking the basic technologies > between a USB thumbdrive and solid state drive are the same. For scratch use I don't really care, but if I want to keep the data.... > > ..Do have several SanDisk Ultras (USB 3.0, 16 GB). Hmm: Lexmark > > Jumpdrive, USB 2.0, 128 MB. Seriously! It has a configuration file on > > it and yes it does load slow! > KM> I hope you mean 128GB and Lexar :) > > Correction: it is Lexar, but no, it is 128 MB: Model JDSP128-04-500A. Really? Holy crap. I still have a Cruzer of that era somewhere, but gods know which box it's in cuz it's nowhere to be found. In its day USB was still so hit or miss that I never got in the habit of using it. Niftiest flash drive: one in the shape of a padlock from Symantec (and it's all metal, so it's as heavy as a real lock). You push in the hasp to expose the USB connector. I don't know what I did to earn it, but one day it arrived in the mail. Musta been conference fodder I'd long since forgotten about. So went looking on eBay to see if it has any particular collector value (didn't find any samples) but discovered this actual combination lock flash drive: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Storage/USB-Drives/flash-padlock-3-config/p/CMFPLA3B-16GB (Which on ebay is listed at much higher prices, wtf.) > > > > > Will continue to ground-before-insert just as a good practice. > > > KM> If only because *I* don't like getting zapped. :) > > > So we have found out you're not into that cheap a thrill!! > > KM> I am no fun at an electrocution. :P > > That comes as no shock! > KM> I prefer dynamic to static. > AC? DC is more fun! Surely you can sing better than that. > KM> of the box (was a gift and from the clearance bin, but new) and > KM> some of the USB ports never worked. Now they ALL don't work. > KM> Power good, but no data. > LIS up there towards the top, the on-line stuff is suggesting a faulty > PSU -- easy enough to replace, and if it is failing should be replaced > for the motherboard's new function anyway. ...Assumed you've rebooted. And as I respond up above (we are nothing if not redundant!) PSU gets tested too, when all apart. But board was already suspect, just had the wrong suspect in custody. > > Giant game of Hide and Seek with the merchandise! > KM> WHO MOVED MY STUFF?? > It's kind of funny (IMO): some people are rather grouchy during the > transitioning. OK, yeah: it's sometimes noisy and inconvenient. Then > there are others who look around and over the inconveniences and look > forward to the new-and-improved store that's coming. And my "hide and > go seek" comment (said in a fun way) seems to get the grumps out of it. Haha, I'll use that on my fave people at Walmart next time they move everything. > KM> I got a rather pricey copper heatsink for Bullet for next time I > KM> have it all apart... southbridge has an aluminum heatsink and a > KM> fan blowing square on it, but it's not enough. Durn thing can hit > KM> a sustained 220F under load. Boils eggs AND fries bacon! > Ky's Grill and Computer Repair! Needed a small-footprint heatsink for an AMD hotplate that I didn't have the right size ready to hand... so used the above copper heatsink. CPU stayed tolerable but HOLY CRAP did this thing get hot. Yeah, it transmits heat just fine!! And I remember why I don't like AMD... damn things cook themselves in no time flat. Was going through the pile of old motherboards ejecting those that have gone NFG in storage (since I finally rediscovered the boxes they were in) and found a couple trays of CPUs... seem to be a lot of variations among the AMDs, as they're not nearly as socket-agnostic as Intels. And about half the AMDs were dead, but none of the Intels were. Once I get 'em all tested and matched to one another, those AMD boards might depart to eBay, not like I'm short and vintage gaming boards are all the rage lately. > KM> Close :) Micro-Star International. Not that any of the P60 era > KM> were much good that I saw, but their were exceptionally cranky > KM> and primitive, like uppity 386s. But by the P3 era they were > KM> really nice. > > I was trying to remember why "MSI" sounded familiar -- thinking I had > something of theirs but not recalling what. Maybe motherboard but > didn't sound right. Have or at least had a video card "MSI HD5450" - > file dated from 2011. Then also a MSI-branded video card with dual DVI. Yeah, they have vidcards now too (NVidia chips, IIRC), I have a couple of 'em I picked up because they were reasonably modern yet fanless. > > Right. Here the computer I use for recording TV (MythTV Backend) can > > use 32 GB but it seems to be happy with half that -- I don't think I've > > seen it use more than 30-40% of that. > KM> Yeah, only reason I've been doing the whole max-out 32GB on these > KM> Dells is because, well, future-proofing. And one being a > KM> Hackintosh, if I get around to Catalina will need ALL of it. > KM> (14GB just to admire its navel.) > It's not idling, it's pontificating! I was surprised both of LOL! That sounds right. And I found a board I could transplant the Giant Server to (same CPUs and RAM and it has onboard SAS) that is functionally identical to the innards in a Mac Pro... > my systems were happy with 'just' the 16GB. This one I sometimes do > some intensive stuff, or to least to my brain seems like it. I don't > think I've ever used more than 6 GB of RAM but not going to remove any. I try to max 'em out once the price comes down from bleeding edge, because then it's done, as futureproofing. > The Backend for the MythTV system originally had 32 GB installed, found > one stick was bad so pulled the pair and RMA'd. It worked fine with the > remaining pair so when received the replacements decided to leave them > for another computer. (RAM usage comments based on System Monitor > observations.) Falling under Good Enough For Purpose. > KM> Otherwise, probably only time I've used enough to notice is when > KM> two VMs going at once. Why I'd do that escapes me. > > Because it's easier that starting up and shutting down the first one! That might be it! Silly VM tricks: PCLOS will not speak consistently to the Windows network. However, XP in a VM works fine with the network. So when I need to move files, I fire up the XP VM and use it to copy stuff across the network. Very silly, but works without causing baldness. > > This system has 32 GB installed 'cause I'm a little demanding at times. > > I've not seen it use more than 25% - right now 6.4 GiB. > KM> Nice thing about plenty of RAM being I can give as much as > KM> necessary to a VM and not be at all cramped. > I'll have to watch what happens when I play with multiple VMs. Right > now just use the one for XP. Do have a test Linux which I rarely use: I only have VMs for XP and for PCLOS/TDE, tho I might have to build one for Fedora/KDE so I can have my deprecated font manager back. I'm sure the only reason the TDE VM exists is so I can update it occasionally, and admire Trinity's beauty and elegance, cuz I haven't used it for anything! > want it for trial/testing out ==> for example eventually will move the > X10 home automation (primarily turning on/off lighting) from XP to Being a troglodyte, I still use my finger on the switch. I remember when you installed the X10 -- I got one of the freebies they were handing out at the time, but never used it. > .. And as the cream sauce said to the asparagus -- Happy Hollandaise! That's my tagline! þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .