Front USB ports causing crashes/BSODs

[Lord Method Man]

I just built a new PC using a Gigabyte 970A-UD3 motherboard, it's been up and running for about a week now. I've since been having an issue when inserting a USB flash drive into the front panel ports. Sometimes it causes my D:\ HDD to crash (it resets as though it was just connected, Windows is on my C:\ SSD drive) and other times I get a BSOD and the machine restarts.

This has happened using both front USB ports and with 2 different USB drives - one USB 3.0 the other USB 2.0. It doens't happen all the time either, only sometimes which is making it difficult to troubleshoot. It has yet to happen when using my external USB 2.0 hub, but as I said it doesn't happen 100% of the time on the front ports either.

I've used disk management to ensure there is no drive letter conflict, which was my original thought before I got any BSODs.

Here are the full system specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte 970A-UD3 v1.1
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 980
RAM: 16 GB Patriot DDR3 1333
GPU: nVidia GeForce GTX 580
Primary Hard Drive: Crucial M4 128 GB SSD
Secondary Hard Drive: 2x WD Black SATA III 1 TB disks using onboard RAID 0
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Dump files and perfmon results are attached.

 

[Phone Man]

What case are you using? I have a Corsair 400R with front panel USB 3 ports. Corsair has had problems with these USB 3 ports on a few different cases and it was a bad USB case panel.

Jim

 

[Lord Method Man]

Ahh forgot to mention that.

Case is an Antec DF-30. With USB 2.0 front ports.

I should also mention these USB drives had been used in another machine with zero problems.

 

[Phone Man]

Is this a new case also? I assume these front ports have a connector that plugs into the MB. You could try moving the plug to a different set of USB ports on the MB and see what you get. Does this happen if you plug a flash drive in any of the back ports on the MB?

Jim

 

[Lord Method Man]

I haven't had any problems with the rear connectors or with my powered USB hub (which is plugged into the rear connectors also).

 

[Lord Method Man]

I just tested it by barely touching the USB device to the connector, not enough for the device to connect or be detected; but it caused my D:\ drive to reset and reconnect again...

 

[Phone Man]

My guess is bad USB port panel on Case. Use a flash light and look into the ports for bent pins. Probably getting a short and grounding out the power. Did you try moving the panel cable to different ports on MB?

Jim

 

[Lord Method Man]

Ports look ok physically on inspection. I won't be able to get around to moving the mobo connector tonight given what a pain it is to get the case out in the open.

 

[Phone Man]

That is just a last check to see if the problems goes with the panel and not some weird problem with those ports on the MB. If the case is under warranty I would get a new panel. Like I said Corsair has had a lot of these problems with bad panels so yours may have the same Chinese panels as these case companies get these parts from the same suppliers.

Jim

 

[Lord Method Man]

The problem here only occurs sometimes I've gotten it 7 or 8 times today but I've also been messing with it alot. Most of the time they work. I'm thinking if it was any kind of driver or system issue it would happen a little more reliably.

 

[Lord Method Man]

Found another instance of a seemingly identical problem, right down to it sometimes happening when the device only touches the USB port:

Case front USB port causing BSOD - EXTREME Overclocking Forums

 

[writhziden]

You may want to look at a thread I helped in: http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/204663-unknown-cause-many-bsods.html#post1716819 and specifically the link I found: Front panel USB freezes computer [Archive] - Technibble Forums

 

[Phone Man]

You may want to look at a thread I helped in: http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/204663-unknown-cause-many-bsods.html#post1716819 and specifically the link I found: Front panel USB freezes computer [Archive] - Technibble Forums

The OP on that link found his problem:

I finally found the problem! I took apart the computer again and removed the I/O shield plate (Asus Q-Shield) and reinstalled the motherboard into the original case. I made certain not to make any other changes. Now the front panel USB works perfectly!

Upon further investigation, it looks like the thick, metal portion of the Q-shield may have been touching the side of the motherboard, causing a short. (Asus Q-Shield's have a thick completely conductive back padding.)

Jim

 

[CB]

Hi.
I had almost similar issues before. The problem gets even worst when a device with higher power consumption is plugged (mostly ext HDD). In my issue, I found some PC case have its front panels with undersized cable. Some also got less intact by being accidentally pulled while assembling the machine. You might have to unplug it from the header and inspect thoroughly the cable assembly and every of its soldering point. Use any available multimeter.

Mas Catoer

Note: Glad to know it was solved...

 

[Lord Method Man]

That was another thread, mine hasn't been solved quite yet. I took my case apart and moved the front port connector to another USB connector on my motherboard, and I also connected a rear USB bracket to the connector that the front ports used to be hooked to. So far today I have been unable to recreate the problem on either of the ports.

I have contacted Antec customer support because I suspect the problem could be with the front ports themselves, primarily due to the crashes that have occured when the device wasn't even inserted yet.

 

[Lord Method Man]

Just confirmed that the problem does in fact happen with the front ports connected to a different USB header on the motherboard. Once again it occurred as soon as the connector housing touched the front port contacts.

 

[CB]

Just confirmed that the problem does in fact happen with the front ports connected to a different USB header on the motherboard. Once again it occurred as soon as the connector housing touched the front port contacts.

Sorry. I might misread it.
Did you do check the cable connection by unplugging the USB socket from the USB header on your motherboard, use a multimeter and find out if there is any shortcut among the pin-out on front panel assembly. Especially the pin of the "data+" and "data-" against VCC (5 volts) and GND (ground). Two possibilities can be suspected. First, there might be any shortcut between those pins. Second, it's normal, but time can wear them out, making some of the ends is getting loose and the shortcut just happen when something is plugged into it. (might not be the device).

Worth to try I guess.

Mas Catoer

 

[Lord Method Man]

Antec is sending out a replacement front-panel assembly. Until then I am avoiding using these ports. I have a rear USB bracket connected to the other motherboard header and have been testing it regularlarly without problems.

 

[CB]

Antec is sending out a replacement front-panel assembly. Until then I am avoiding using these ports. I have a rear USB bracket connected to the other motherboard header and have been testing it regularly without problems.

Well. Good to hear that.

Wish you're my next door, so then I can have the cure of my curiosity about your troubled front panel assembly.