[BSOD] USB hub

[Jag]

Let me start with telling that i'm a very happy user of W7. Windows Vista and WinXP wouldn't work (properly) on my laptop, not even the pre-installed version.

But there is one problem remaining: when i shut down or restart W7 with the USB hub plugged in, i get a Blue Screen Of Death. Even when there is nothing plugged in, in the hub.

It's a 4-port hub from Digitus. It's working ok. It's just causing crashes when shutting down.

 

[Digger]

not sure this is just a win7 problem. I have had issues with a dynex hub that used to do this. My advice is to try switching usb ports for the hub. Also sometimes it wasnt the hub, but my usb/firewire external HD that would hang up my system on XP. Also if you have installed a pci usb card sometimes causes this hang with the attached drives to a hub.

good luck

 

[Jag]

There's only two usb ports on my laptop (and it's not even an old one), and using one or the other gives the same result. And what device is connected doesn't matter either, it hangs even when there is no device connected.

 

[Mark]

Is it Windows Vista certified?

 

[Jag]

It's doens't say. Should a usb hub be Vista certified?

 

[Mark]

If you want to guarantee that it's compatible then you should always try to go for something that is certified, my $20 Hub was certified and I'm having no problems with it, if you pay for something it's always best to know before hand that it's going to work.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Jag and welcome to Se7en Forums

Do you still have the same problem if you disconnect the hub itself from your laptop? What about if you connect something to your laptop directly, without the hub?

 

[Jag]

If you want to guarantee that it's compatible then you should always try to go for something that is certified, my $20 Hub was certified and I'm having no problems with it, if you pay for something it's always best to know before hand that it's going to work.

I'll keep that in mind in case i have to buy a replacement.

Hi Jag and welcome to Se7en Forums

Do you still have the same problem if you disconnect the hub itself from your laptop? What about if you connect something to your laptop directly, without the hub?

Thank you. It's really a helpfull forum.

When i connect the devices without hub, it doesn't hang when shutting down.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Jag,

Thanks for the reply. This would appear to confirm my thoughts that it is your hub causing the problems. If the hub is otherwise working normally and only causing problems when you try to shutdown, simply unplug it from your laptop prior to you shutting it down.

 

[NosferatuX]

Just a thought.
Have you tried visiting your motherboard site, they might have a BIOS upgrade that might solve this issue for you?

Welcome to the forum

 

[Digger]

yea, i'm leaning towards the motherboard, reguarding drivers for the usb controller bus... and quite possibly bios if that didnt work... most bsod are driver related... sounds like it doesnt want to release that irq?? try some vista drivers

 

[Jag]

I'll look for other drivers for the usb controller bus. Only it's a bit complicated by the fact that i'm using a laptop by Fujitsu Siemens. They don't have a lot of drivers online.

Same goes for updating the BIOS: i'm not sure i can find the right BIOS for this model.

It would be nice to try another USB hub to see whether it causes the system to hang as well.
But there are no settings in Windows i could try to change?

Thanks everybody for helping by the way .

 

[NosferatuX]

You're most welcome
For the BIOS update, please check this out, it doesn't show your model number but might show something if you enter your serial number.
How many USB devices are plugged in when you boot up along with the hub?
There are cases where if the hub uses too much power, it BSODs the system.
Does the BSOD happen when you have the DC power plugged in or not?
When you get the BSOD, do you have devices plugged in to the USB hub?

There's actually a fix for this for vista found here, but since Windows 7 is still at it's beta stage, we'd have to wait

 

[Jag]

You're most welcome
For the BIOS update, please check this out, it doesn't show your model number but might show something if you enter your serial number.
How many USB devices are plugged in when you boot up along with the hub?
There are cases where if the hub uses too much power, it BSODs the system.
Does the BSOD happen when you have the DC power plugged in or not?
When you get the BSOD, do you have devices plugged in to the USB hub?

There's actually a fix for this for vista found here, but since Windows 7 is still at it's beta stage, we'd have to wait

BSOD only happen when shutting down, even with no devices attached (just the hub).
I read about the problem: changing hub wouldn't help. There was the suggestion to use a script that removes the device before shutdown. I succeeded in making a command line with the use of devcon util from microsoft that removes the device. And indeed: running it before shutting down "solves" the problem.

Now i would like to add it to task sceduler so it automatically runs when shutting down or going to sleep. Only i can't find the right trigger. Can anyone help me with this?

 

[NosferatuX]

Here's something you can do to automate that process;

Put the DevCon command in a batch file (ex. UnloadUSB.bat)

Write this very simple script in notepad and save it as .vbs (ex. myusb.vbs)

Set WSHShell =WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WSHShell.Run "C:\UnloadUSB.bat"

Note: WSHShell.Run <Full path>

Click Win+R
Type gpedit.msc
Navigate to User Configuration>Windows Settings
Double-click on Logoff
In the Scripts tab add the .vbs you created
Apply

Important: Your anti-virus program might alert you of the .vbs you created. Just add it to your exceptions list and you'll be fine.

That should do that every time when you logoff

 

[Jag]

Thank you for your answer. I have tried making the batch file, only my command line doesn't work anymore for some reason. And the problem is i can't read what is says. When i run a devcon command, it closes immediately.

What i do:
- run "cmd.exe"
- run a devcon command (for example "devcon status @/usb")

What happens:
- first: User Account Control asks for permission to allow devcon to make changes to my computer
- then a new windows opens
- and the new window closes almost instantly
- finally a message from the Program Compatibility assistant that says that the program may not have installed correctly

 

[NosferatuX]

My bad. I forgot to inform you that your batch file needs to be "run as administrator" for it to function properly.

I totally understand what you're trying to achieve here and that having system prompts ask for elevations is not really that ideal and doesn't give the feel of a fully automated task. Am testing a few work arounds myself to the scheduling so this can automatically run without prompts. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

[Jag]

Thank you for your help.

At the moment my previous command line doens't work anymore. Maybe because the device ID has changed. Only it's hard to look up the device IDs because the window that is opened when i run a devcon command, immediately disappears when the command is finished. I can try pressing pause/break, but it would be better if it wouldn't open a new window which closes after the command has completed. I hope you still understand what i mean .

I have stopped the service "Program compatibility assistant" which solves one popup. I have stopped UAC for the moment, only i would like to use the gadgets function in the end again.

 

[NosferatuX]

You're most welcome

I've been thinking a lot of what you're trying to achieve and it just struck me, it's like trying to run a virus before the computer shuts down, only this one, unloads your USB device. LOL

I've been trying to think of scenarios of how this will be possible and came across some articles of vulnerability issues if this type of procedure was to be made readily available.

Anyway, please try going to devcon's properties and run it in compatibility mode set to Windows XP. That might negate the error prompt after it has run.

Still diggin up on how to automate this procedure more flawlessly

 

[Jag]

Ok, running it in WinXP compatibility mode did the trick: now it doesn't open a new window and i can read what is has to say . I had to add " signs to my command line.

I made the batch file (i didn't understand the path c:\Program Files\, i had to change it to c:\Progra~1, oldskool ) and it works.
Then i made a script the way you told me and it works as well. I added it to the logg off scripts.
But now when i logoff, i see an error message very shortly which i cannot read. And the device isn't unloaded.

I tried finding the error in a log file, didn't find it. But i don't really where to look for it (i don't know that much about Windows).