PC freezes randomly when USB3 PCIe adapter is installed

[ruggb]

This problem is posted all over the inet - but no solutions yet that I could find. I have a VLI VL-800 device connected to the PCIe 1x bus. It creates 4x USB3 ports on the front panel, one being used for a card reader. When it is inserted and I plug in a USB device it will function for a time then either stop operating or worse freeze the system. The operation appears random but MAY be triggered by my FF browser as it seems like most, maybe all, of the freezes occur when I am browsing. The freeze generates no info file as a BSOD would so I am totally lost as to how to troubleshoot this. It occurred with 2 different MB. It has been reported with Linux OS as well as Windoz. (I don't use Linux). Does anyone have any tips on how to troubleshoot this - or even where the problem may lie? I really don't want to just trash this product.

 

[SandeepP]

This problem is posted all over the inet - but no solutions yet that I could find. I have a VLI VL-800 device connected to the PCIe 1x bus. It creates 4x USB3 ports on the front panel, one being used for a card reader. When it is inserted and I plug in a USB device it will function for a time then either stop operating or worse freeze the system. The operation appears random but MAY be triggered by my FF browser as it seems like most, maybe all, of the freezes occur when I am browsing. The freeze generates no info file as a BSOD would so I am totally lost as to how to troubleshoot this. It occurred with 2 different MB. It has been reported with Linux OS as well as Windoz. (I don't use Linux). Does anyone have any tips on how to troubleshoot this - or even where the problem may lie? I really don't want to just trash this product.

Hi ruggb,

As you have checked a different motherboard and also on different operating system as well so we are left with a faulty card only.

If this is a new card check if you can return it for a different model. Otherwise, it would be better if purchase a different model USB 3.0 PCI card for the system.

Hope it helps.

 

[gregrocker]

Try also a different driver. Enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3)
to be sure you're getting the driver via optional Windows Updates that Win7 wants. Try it, and then the latest driver provided on the maker's Support Downloads webpage for the model device.

 

[ruggb]

I accidentally marked this as solved - it isn't - they need to move that button - toooo close to reply. I have been on 3 drivers, all seem to have the problem. It does appear to do it only when I am using a browser - either IE or FF. That may be b/c I use a browser a lot or it may be a clue. When it is getting ready to freeze up the pointer starts changing, it will stop then go again ONCE. The next time it doesn't recover. That happens withing 30 sec. Right now I have an ext drive plugged in and hopefully it lasts till I submit this.

 

[gregrocker]

Back up your files now, and then unplug the external drive to see if problem persists.

If so work through these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 starting with the hardware tests.

Please fill out your System Specs.

 

[DavidE]

I accidentally marked this as solved - it isn't - they need to move that button - toooo close to reply.

You should have a "Mark unsolved" button somewhere on threads you started (and solved).
Where it is displayed may depend on the SF Theme you use.
I use SF Blue and it is the lower left corner of the thread.

 

[ruggb]

thx - i didn't realize it is a toggle button

 

[SandeepP]

I accidentally marked this as solved - it isn't - they need to move that button - toooo close to reply. I have been on 3 drivers, all seem to have the problem. It does appear to do it only when I am using a browser - either IE or FF. That may be b/c I use a browser a lot or it may be a clue. When it is getting ready to freeze up the pointer starts changing, it will stop then go again ONCE. The next time it doesn't recover. That happens withing 30 sec. Right now I have an ext drive plugged in and hopefully it lasts till I submit this.

Hi ruggb,

Thanks for your reply. As you have mentioned that this issue has been reported with Linux as well then it seems to me more of a hardware compatibility issue rather than a driver issue.

You can report it to the manufacturer website and they might develop a driver which should address this known issue with the PCI card.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

 

[gregrocker]

What are the results of the hardware tests provided earlier?

If this is Dell you can run Dell Diagnostics Utility - How to Run the.

 

[ruggb]

This is what I have figured out about this issue so far: 1. It is MB independent. - It does it on 2 of my MB (775 and 1155 sockets) and many others as witnessed by the posts. 2. It occurs with any driver version - 1.90, 2.10, 4.00 -- although I am actually not sure about 1.90, I may go back and reload that one. 3. It appears to be a problem with the Etron version of the USB3 chip as well. 4. It has not occurred for me when I have not been using my browser (IE of FF). 5. It does not occur when I have a device plugged into one of the USB ports or card port. (currently have an SD micro plugged in.) 6. The 'normal' DPCs for this device take about 1800usec to complete. MS spec is for DPCs to complete in under 1000usec. 7. The Mfg for this device is unknown & unreachable for technical support and VIA won't talk to end users so the probability of this issue being resolved is very low. AND I must be doing something wrong on this forum b/c I can't get these posts to look like I typed them.............

 

[gregrocker]

In addition to the other steps which are waiting for reply, move the data off the external and wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command to remove any possible code which may interfere, then repartition in Disk Mgmt and replace data. Then run a Disk Check on the external. This will clear it of possibly causing problem.

Then the issue becomes hardware requiring testing, reinstall to reseat the card, changing drivers, replacing the card.

Check also if the problem occurs when running in hidden admin account: Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Forums

 

[SandeepP]

This is what I have figured out about this issue so far: 1. It is MB independent. - It does it on 2 of my MB (775 and 1155 sockets) and many others as witnessed by the posts. 2. It occurs with any driver version - 1.90, 2.10, 4.00 -- although I am actually not sure about 1.90, I may go back and reload that one. 3. It appears to be a problem with the Etron version of the USB3 chip as well. 4. It has not occurred for me when I have not been using my browser (IE of FF). 5. It does not occur when I have a device plugged into one of the USB ports or card port. (currently have an SD micro plugged in.) 6. The 'normal' DPCs for this device take about 1800usec to complete. MS spec is for DPCs to complete in under 1000usec. 7. The Mfg for this device is unknown & unreachable for technical support and VIA won't talk to end users so the probability of this issue being resolved is very low. AND I must be doing something wrong on this forum b/c I can't get these posts to look like I typed them.............

Hi ruggb,

I admire the time and effort that you have put in to troubleshoot this issue. You can try the 1.90 version of the driver of the system.

However, it is likely that it could be the card fault. And I don't think you would get this card replaced as you mentioned tech support for this card is not accessible.

I believe you should consider purchasing a different USB 3.0 PCI card from a better manufacturer. So that in times of need you can have a support for the same and get it replaced if needed.

 

[madcratebuilder]

You are beating yourself up trying to get this card to function normally. Time to cut your looses and get a new card. I can recommend the Silverstone Tek pci usb3 card, it has two external ports and a internal 19 pin header for front I/O panel. $30 on amazon and around $20 on evil bay. The included drivers work well with Win7, I use mine to power up to three Raspberry Pi's simultaneously, so plenty of power(MilAmps).

 

[ruggb]

Thx for all the feedback............... here is an update it turns out it is NOT the PCIe to USB3 adapter -- which is great b/c there is not another like it 4 USB ports with one for the card reader and 3 on the panel. The issue appears to be that the dGPU and the iGPU were having a fight. After pulling the USB card it still froze. I pulled the dGPU and it ran fine on the iGPU alone with the USB3 card installed I tried reinstalling drivers which didn't help I then shut my wife system down and stole her dGPU - still getting flack for that. her's is a 8600GTS - mine is a GTX 560Ti - similar enough - use the same driver. I put that in and it booted and reloaded drivers - which appeared normal b/c I had to insert the USB into a different slot. HOWEVER, it also loaded the chipset driver - I am starting to think that somehow it never got properly loaded in the first place. I mean, I loaded it but what happened after that is a mystery. I put the 'problem' dGPU in my old MB and it runs fine there but that MB has no iGPU. at my wife's insistence, I need to make her sys whole so i placed my dGPU back in mine and so far it is running - 3-4 hours now. I'm thinking (and hoping) the chipset driver install may have been the problem - at least it would explain the problem. Why it didn't take when i first installed it is unknown. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed

 

[SandeepP]

Thx for all the feedback............... here is an update it turns out it is NOT the PCIe to USB3 adapter -- which is great b/c there is not another like it 4 USB ports with one for the card reader and 3 on the panel. The issue appears to be that the dGPU and the iGPU were having a fight. After pulling the USB card it still froze. I pulled the dGPU and it ran fine on the iGPU alone with the USB3 card installed I tried reinstalling drivers which didn't help I then shut my wife system down and stole her dGPU - still getting flack for that. her's is a 8600GTS - mine is a GTX 560Ti - similar enough - use the same driver. I put that in and it booted and reloaded drivers - which appeared normal b/c I had to insert the USB into a different slot. HOWEVER, it also loaded the chipset driver - I am starting to think that somehow it never got properly loaded in the first place. I mean, I loaded it but what happened after that is a mystery. I put the 'problem' dGPU in my old MB and it runs fine there but that MB has no iGPU. at my wife's insistence, I need to make her sys whole so i placed my dGPU back in mine and so far it is running - 3-4 hours now. I'm thinking (and hoping) the chipset driver install may have been the problem - at least it would explain the problem. Why it didn't take when i first installed it is unknown. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed

Hi ruggb,

Thanks for sharing your finding with us. Its great to hear it is running fine at the moment. Keep us posted with the results.

 

[ruggb]

WELL, turns out as soon as I hit SUBMIT on the last post it froze up. It is running a lot longer before it does that now. I changed the config to run from the iGPU with the dGPU as backup. no telling how long this will hang together. It obviously is a config issue. It does not figure it out and set itself up properly. the BIOS must be right. and the connection right. Lucid is claimed to be buggy. I can't confirm that, but if the config isn't to its liking it will not run. I believe it is all running now and if it stops freezing I will try to verify that. I don't know why connecting to dGPU would cause a freeze and no freeze connected to iGPU. maybe it is this forum SUBMIT button. at one time it seemed like it was doing it more on specific web sites. later

 

[gregrocker]

Another thread where about a dozen specific suggestions were blithely ignored with the OP only reporting back his own theories as though he hadn't even asked for help at the top tech forums.

Perhaps now you'll start at the top and try each suggested step, report back results so we can do the interactive troubleshooting that works well with others.

Once you've caught up you can start from the top of the http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/220165-troubleshooting-steps-windows-7-a.html to go over your intsall thoroughly.

 

[madcratebuilder]

The issue appears to be that the dGPU and the iGPU were having a fight. After pulling the USB card it still froze. I pulled the dGPU and it ran fine on the iGPU alone with the USB3 card installed I tried reinstalling drivers which didn't help I then shut my wife system down and stole her dGPU - still getting flack for that. her's is a 8600GTS - mine is a GTX 560Ti - similar enough - use the same driver. I put that in and it booted and reloaded drivers - which appeared normal b/c I had to insert the USB into a different slot. HOWEVER, it also loaded the chipset driver - I am starting to think that somehow it never got properly loaded in the first place. I mean, I loaded it but what happened after that is a mystery.

Did you have the same chip set driver problem on both mother boards?

It appears to be a problem with the Etron version of the USB3 chip as well.

Very unlikely. I have two PCIe USB 3.0 cards with the Etron chip, both function as designed. One on a AM3+ and one on a ten year old 939 socket.

About 11,500 results (0.41 seconds) Google hits on the VL800, is it possible VIA made a turkey? Intel, AMD, Windows or Linux, everybody has reported problems with the VL800.

 

[ruggb]

OK seems like I have created animosities RE the way I respond to 'advice'. Let me say that I know a lot but not everything. Maybe I need to give my complete bio before I post the question. I am a retired EE with 35+ years working on computers and started with an IMSI 8800 in 1976 from MITS where Bill Gates worked. I have built all my DTs and repair computer to keep my brain functioning, make some $$$, and get me out of the house, though I do a lot remotely. I am a level 7 on Yahoo Answers with over 69% best answers on the Computer & internet threads. One thing I don't know is why the format of my post seems fine until I submit it then everything runs together. Sorry. Let me also say that I put the questions out to see if there is something I am missing or someone has a direct answer. Troubleshooting is a process. Where I started was based on the symptoms I perceived - which obviously y'all can experience. Initial indications pointed to the USB adapter - I found posts re both Via and Etron (I have VIA not Etron - so don't get upset with me, I am only a messenger.) Whether there was an issue with the USB or not I can't tell u as the main lockup issue continued but seemed to change somewhat. That may have been an illusion since the lockup was random and not reproducible on demand. Eventually, I got to the 'real' cause which now appears to be the graphics integration and MVP program. I have been running for 24+ hours with no lockup. Previously it was 2-3 hours max. SO, the problem now appears to be a situation of getting an iGPU and a dGPU configured properly with instructions that may not be entirely complete or accurate and that ASUS responds to by telling me to return the MB. I have an HP laptop with an i7 and GPU card and the integration was seemless. I expected the same here - not so. My current config has MVP control pnl and intel control pnl running. My monitor is connected to the MB connector and all appears to be fine (so far). It would not run for long with the monitor connected to the dGPU card. BIOS is set to AUTO on initial graphics and ENABLE on integrating (forgot what it is called but default is disable.) Connected this way requires a leap of faith b/c the monitor does not respond the way my old system does. When I boot, nothing shows until windoz is at the login screen. This means I can't get to the BIOS. If I want to I must move the connector. Once I am convinced this is stable this way, I may start another thread to figure out how to make this work differently and more like I expected and so I can get to BIOS without a workout. Maybe changing AUTO to iGPU in BIOS will solve that. I think I tried dGPU and got no video. SO, bottom line is everyone has been somewhat helpful. And I am thankful for this forum -- I don't ask these questions on Yahoo Answers BTW.

 

[SandeepP]

OK seems like I have created animosities RE the way I respond to 'advice'. Let me say that I know a lot but not everything. Maybe I need to give my complete bio before I post the question. I am a retired EE with 35+ years working on computers and started with an IMSI 8800 in 1976 from MITS where Bill Gates worked. I have built all my DTs and repair computer to keep my brain functioning, make some $$$, and get me out of the house, though I do a lot remotely. I am a level 7 on Yahoo Answers with over 69% best answers on the Computer & internet threads. One thing I don't know is why the format of my post seems fine until I submit it then everything runs together. Sorry. Let me also say that I put the questions out to see if there is something I am missing or someone has a direct answer. Troubleshooting is a process. Where I started was based on the symptoms I perceived - which obviously y'all can experience. Initial indications pointed to the USB adapter - I found posts re both Via and Etron (I have VIA not Etron - so don't get upset with me, I am only a messenger.) Whether there was an issue with the USB or not I can't tell u as the main lockup issue continued but seemed to change somewhat. That may have been an illusion since the lockup was random and not reproducible on demand. Eventually, I got to the 'real' cause which now appears to be the graphics integration and MVP program. I have been running for 24+ hours with no lockup. Previously it was 2-3 hours max. SO, the problem now appears to be a situation of getting an iGPU and a dGPU configured properly with instructions that may not be entirely complete or accurate and that ASUS responds to by telling me to return the MB. I have an HP laptop with an i7 and GPU card and the integration was seemless. I expected the same here - not so. My current config has MVP control pnl and intel control pnl running. My monitor is connected to the MB connector and all appears to be fine (so far). It would not run for long with the monitor connected to the dGPU card. BIOS is set to AUTO on initial graphics and ENABLE on integrating (forgot what it is called but default is disable.) Connected this way requires a leap of faith b/c the monitor does not respond the way my old system does. When I boot, nothing shows until windoz is at the login screen. This means I can't get to the BIOS. If I want to I must move the connector. Once I am convinced this is stable this way, I may start another thread to figure out how to make this work differently and more like I expected and so I can get to BIOS without a workout. Maybe changing AUTO to iGPU in BIOS will solve that. I think I tried dGPU and got no video. SO, bottom line is everyone has been somewhat helpful. And I am thankful for this forum -- I don't ask these questions on Yahoo Answers BTW.

Hi ruggb,

Its great to hear that you found the information useful provided by us. Once you have figured the stable way for running the system PCIE adapter it would be better you post a new thread with the detailed explanation.

Feel free to reach out to us.