Constant USB noises

  • Thread starter Thread starter LadyDungeness
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LadyDungeness

My computer is making constant USB noises. THe default plug-in/unplug USB sounds. (Windows XP). THe sounds occur every
few seconds. Each time they do, the USB devices momentarily blink. What is causing my computer to constantly do this?


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
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What is plugged in? Perhaps disconnect one item at a time till the issue
stops, then leave that one unplugged.
 
And if you wiggle the device and the sounds stop or get more erratic, it
sounds like dirty or loose connector contacts might be at play (either a bad
connector at the computer or with the device - easy enough to tell which, by
trying out other devices in the same connector and/or other ports on the
computer with the same device, etc).
 
Hi Bill and Bill,
Thanks for the suggestions. I unplugged the scanner and the noises stopped. This means I need to unplug and plug in
every time I want to use the scanner? That will be inconvenient because of the locations of the USB plugs. Is there another
way?

I'm curious about the cause, too; can this be explained in plain English? Why isn't the computer happy the first time
it finds the scanner?


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
Hi Bill and Bill,
Thanks for the suggestions. I unplugged the scanner and the noises stopped.
This means I need to unplug and plug in every time I want to use the scanner?
That will be inconvenient because of the locations of the USB plugs. Is there another
way?

I'm curious about the cause, too; can this be explained in plain English? Why
isn't the computer happy the first time it finds the scanner?


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
Click to expand...

Have you tried a USB port on the back of the computer, for your scanner ?
I'd move the scanner around, and see if there is a port dependency.

If you have further questions, it might help if you mentioned what USB
devices you had, and whether they're all plugged into the front or the
back of the computer. The best ports, electrically speaking, are the
ones on the back of the computer. They should give the least trouble.

For example, if you had a "USB bean warmer" plugged into the same
stack-of-two USB ports as your scanner, it could be that too much
power is being drawn. Some passive (non-enumerable) USB devices,
used to charge batteries and the like, could be overloading things.

Paul
 
Well, as Paul said, try plugging your scanner into another USB port (maybe
on the back of the computer, or whatever) and see if the problem persists.
Try all the ports. If the problem persists on all the ports (assuming you
have several), then it might be that the USB connector on the scanner cable
itself is intermittent (or its contacts are dirty).

I suppose there is a chance it could instead be a software related issue,
but I'd try this out first, to rule it (the possibility of dirty contacts)
out first.
 
Thanks guys. It was plugged into the back of the computer. I've been enjoying the "silence" but will do some swapping this
weekend to see what happens. I have the following USB devices:

Scanner
Printer
USB hub > mouse & keyboard

I don't know anything about dependencies. But until I unplugged the new printer, I was getting not only the USB noises, but
screen freezes along with them, to the point that I could not work.

I recall IRQ conflicts -- could a USB printer and a nonusb monitor be sharing the same IRQ and have a conflict that way? Why
else would the USB noises be causing screen freezes?

Thanks


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
Thanks guys. It was plugged into the back of the computer. I've been enjoying the "silence" but will do some swapping this
weekend to see what happens. I have the following USB devices:

Scanner
Printer
USB hub > mouse & keyboard

I don't know anything about dependencies. But until I unplugged the new printer, I was getting not only the USB noises, but
screen freezes along with them, to the point that I could not work.

I recall IRQ conflicts -- could a USB printer and a nonusb monitor be sharing the same IRQ and have a conflict that way? Why
else would the USB noises be causing screen freezes?

Thanks


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
Click to expand...

I tried a few searches, and I can match your symptoms (other people suffer
from this as well). But so far, no confirmed solutions, just well meaning
suggestions.

There are apparently, developer programs that can be purchased, that
show each event on the USB bus. But even if you possessed one of those,
it still might not be possible to determine why it happens. So I'm
not going there :-(

If you want to avoid wearing out the USB plug, you can purchase
a "USB switch", which gives you a button to push when you want
to reconfigure things. (You can set up the switch, to connect or
disconnect the printer.) Although some are so cheaply made, that
the button wears out. If you're interested, have a look on Newegg,
and read the reviews, as the reviewers will mention the bad
button(s) if they're present on the model in question.

Some printers contain more than a printer, and include a card
reader (and possibly a hub chip inside the printer, to make
that possible). But that is not an excuse for it not working,
as a user could just as easily assemble those components
individually, on any computer. It should just work.

Paul
 
Wow! Thanks so much for looking around on this issue. I'll look into the switch. I'm hoping not to have to move things
around. Right now, the CPU is on the desktop. Once it goes into the cubbyhole in the desk, it will be very hard to access
any of the ports on the back. So I'm trying to get everything functioning properly beforehand.


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
Wow! Thanks so much for looking around on this issue. I'll look into the switch. I'm hoping not to have to move things
around. Right now, the CPU is on the desktop. Once it goes into the cubbyhole in the desk, it will be very hard to access
any of the ports on the back. So I'm trying to get everything functioning properly beforehand.


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Click to expand...

As an example, this USB switch, allows up to four computers
to share one peripheral. For your situation, only one
computer would be connected. You select "computer 1" when
you wanted to use the printer, and "computer 2, 3, or 4"
when you wanted to stop the annoying USB connect noise.

SIIG JU-SW4112-S2 USB 2.0 Switch 4-to-1 - Retail $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812191012

There is only one review posted there, so it is hard to say
whether the buttons on that one work good or not. Some
other devices like that, the buttons only last for a year
or so of light usage.

Paul
 
THANK YOU!!! to Bill & Paul

It's been working well for a couple of days. I wanted to post back to say Thank You, and let you know what worked.
I switched the USB devices around to different ports. That didn't help. What DID help was turning the scanner OFF, but
leaving it hooked up to the USB port. AND removing the printer from the start-up items. I have them both plugged into a USB
hub, and everything is just fine. No more USB noises.

Again, I appreciate your help.


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
Well good to hear! (Although I'm not sure why the printer was in the
"start-up items menu" in the first place).
 
You know the software they provide -- some kind of a Magic Feature so the printer can be "super ready" -- it just installs
itself that way. My CD recorder did that, and the scanner. I take most of that stuff out of start-up. Little is really
needed.


Lady Dungeness
Out of Danger until September
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Yeah, that sounds good. Take out most of that extraneous stuff - I hate
that stuff too (and promptly remove it!).
 
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