dbminter Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 I admit it. I'm at my end here. So, I'm asking for anyone's help here. First off, how/what can I use to determine if a USB drive is running at high speed or not? I need something that can actually TEST this, not just fucking Windows saying so. Because, save for the two front ports, no matter WHAT port I'm using this USB external HD on, if I turn it off and back on, when Windows detects the drive, it claims I am connecting a hi-speed device to a low speed port. So, I need something to actually run a read test on that can tell me if it's actually running at hi-speed or not. IF there's even anything that can do this. At this point, I'm so tired of it all, I think I just need to do what I've always done. Since there never was a solution a guy like me can get, just to junk it and try to buy something else to replace it, I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus_McFartfinger Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 SiSoft Sandra @ http://www.sisoftware.net/ can do benchmarking tests for USB devices. Also, remember that hi-speed sometimes doesn't mean fast when referring to USB. Depending on who you talk to, Hi-speed can mean either USB1.1 (it's original name) or it can be USB2.0 (with other names like low-speed) made up for older components. Full-speed is also in the mix somewhere as another name for USB2.0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 8, 2006 Author Share Posted August 8, 2006 Yeah, I know. Normally, I wouldn't be worried about that, but, this is the first time this drive has started doing this. Making Windows say this, so, I'm a bit worried if it's the bridge or what. I swapped out the drive into another enclosure, and did not get the bitching. I also DIDN'T get it, for a while, AFTER putting it BACK in its normal enclosure. The problem also disappeared for a while when I swapped out the USB cable, too. But, it came back. SHEESH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 8, 2006 Author Share Posted August 8, 2006 Let me ask. Is the Lite/free version of Sandra going to perform these benchmark tests? Don't want to waste my time otherwise. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontasciime Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 (edited) in general look for the high speed certified logo This as i have found out is not an absolute guarantee of High Speed as i bought a Topfield panther pvr with this Logo, and its a little faster than usb 1.1 and a dam disgrace IMO after displaying a certified logo. you can check this link out to see if you can gleam any further info http://www.usb.org/developers/usb20/press11_15.html What i would say is connect your usb device to your back ports. run Nero info tool and look at configuration tab, then look under enhanced pci to usb etc, EHCI or whatever version of usb2 is implemented into your mobo chipset. Your USB2 Device should be listed under there if not then your controller is usb1, the device is, the cable is. Mine looks like this on a7v8x Nero InfoTool 3.02 Interface Information --------------------- Adapter 1 --------- Description : Primary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Description : Master: Maxtor 6B200P0 Type : Disk Drive DMA : On Description : Slave: BENQ DVD-ROM 16X Type : CD-Rom Drive DMA : On Autorun : On Adapter 2 --------- Description : Secondary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Adapter 3 --------- Description : Primary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Description : Master: HDS722525VLSA80 Type : Disk Drive DMA : On Adapter 4 --------- Description : Secondary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Description : Master: Maxtor 6B300S0 Type : Disk Drive DMA : On Adapter 5 --------- Description : Primary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Adapter 6 --------- Description : Secondary IDE Channel Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver Attached Devices Description : Master: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 Type : CD-Rom Drive DMA : On Autorun : On Description : Slave: WDC WD2500JB-22GVC0 Type : Disk Drive DMA : On Adapter 7 --------- Description : Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller Driver Description : system32\DRIVERS\usbehci.sys Company : Microsoft Corporation Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) Description : EHCI eUSB Miniport Driver Attached Devices Description : LITE-ON DVDRW SHW-1635S USB Device Type : CD-Rom Drive Autorun : On Description : Generic USB Storage-CFC USB Device Type : Disk Drive Description : Generic USB Storage-SDC USB Device Type : Disk Drive Description : Generic USB Storage-SMC USB Device Type : Disk Drive Description : Generic USB Storage-MSC USB Device Type : Disk Drive ************************ try hd tach for testing speed of usb etc maybe try the flash beta http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index...?request=HdTach I used to use another program for this, cannot remember what is was, sure it was a japanese program and it's killing me cos i want to remember so i can use it, downloaded it a few times, but got too many Tb/s to look thru to find it. [Edit] http://www.everythingusb.com/usb2/faq.htm Actually not that i found anything untowards but the driver scan maybe a little biased, take what it tells you witha pinch of salt, do not pay to download drivers. (that aint aimed at you Db) just anyone else reading this that maybe new to internet etc. Infact removed link Edited August 8, 2006 by dontasciime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 what os are you running db? XP sp2? You haven't loaded any usb drivers have you, I hope not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 8, 2006 Author Share Posted August 8, 2006 *I* didn't load any, no. But, who knows what the fuck Windows will do on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIGHTNING UK! Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 HDD Tools could benchmark it db! If you get over ~1mb/s, it's running usb 2.0 hi-speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 8, 2006 Author Share Posted August 8, 2006 I was wondering if HDDT might be able to help. But, I wasn't entirely sure what values I needed to get. Been a while since I tried it out, too. I'll try to remember to try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadjian Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Yup, LIGHTNING beat me to it. The tool has allways been under your nose DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Okay, the Verify hasn't completed yet, because it says it will take another hour and 20 minutes to finish... after running for 15 minutes... where it said it still needed an hour and 20 minutes. Device: [0:0:0] HDS72251 6VLAT20 (R:) (USB) Device Sectors: 321,672,960 Device Size: 164,696,555,520 bytes After 28,xxx,xxx,xxx bytes, the I/O rate is at 28,3xx KB/s In terms of practical application, though I never let the jobs finish, Windows said it was going to take 50 minutes to copy an approximate 4 GB MDS/MDF file from the USB drive to the SATA drive. ImgBurn said it was going to need the same amount of time to burn the image to a 4x DVD+RW. However, ImgBurn was never able to get beyond a little over 2x because of the USB drive being in use. The access light would be on for a while, go out, and the write rate would drop to 0.0x while ImgBurn was waiting for the drive to stop thrashing. Now, all this seems to me to be a little slow. However, I ever actually benchmarked any of this before. Should these values be of concern to me about this drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Ran HDDT on the other USB 2.0 drive (Well, at least the USB cable connected to it says USB 2.0 on it. It's a weird beast, has a large alligator type clip on the end that connects to the drive.) and though it, too, did not finish its read, it was at 31,6xx KB/s I/O Rate. BTW, I am guessing this is what is meant by benchmarking the drive with HDDT? Running a Verify on it and checking the I/O Rate? So, according to this, am I to infer that the USB in this machine actually is not high speed at all? Somewhere, I had a USB 2.0 PCI card for my last PC, since that machine was made in 1999. I may try inserting the card and running the tests and checking. In the meantime, anyone else have a suggestion I try next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 OKAY... I connected the drive up to the front ports with a different cable. GOT get the same old message as before! I HADN'T gotten it before on the front ports, I don't think. I can't remember anymore. Fuckers! Still got about 27 KB/s I/O Rate, though. Anyway, the message that comes up is: HI-SPEED USB Device Attached To non-HI-SPEED Hub I think what I'll try next is to see if it's any of the other USB devices next. Just disconnect them ALL and connect them one at a time, disconnect, and reconnect them and check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus_McFartfinger Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Why not save yourself the stress and buy a PCI card that supports USB2? You could probably pick up a 4-port card for $20 or so. 27 KB/s is only just faster than a floppy drive. Do you have a "USB 2.0 Root Hub" listed in Device Manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 I dug up my USB 2.0 PCI card that I haven't used in like 4 years. Belkin. So, anything I should know? e.g. this card is so old it doesn't have X? Why I don't go out and just buy my way out of the problem is I'm broke. Plus, if I don't give up enough "sacrifice" to the forces that be to make it worthwhile for them, then, going out and buying something to fix the problem won't work. This thing that is "breaking" replaced something else from last year. As for USB 2.0 Root Hub in Device Manager, no, unless it would be somewhere else other than under Universal Serial Bus controllers. I don't have any USB 2 hubs connected. Which also made me wonder about the message. Unless they consider the internal ports as hubs. Which, with these fuckers, you never know. I do have a USB 2 hub I got with the PCI card, but, it's not hooked up at the moment. There IS an old USB 1.x GE hub attached, though. BUT, I am connecting the USB 2.0 drives directly into ports on the back of the PC. No hubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 900KB/s sustained transfer measured with calculator and stopwatch is usb1, 10-16MB/s sustained transfer is usb2, fock the programs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus_McFartfinger Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I dug up my USB 2.0 PCI card that I haven't used in like 4 years. Belkin. So, anything I should know? e.g. this card is so old it doesn't have X? No idea. I don't even know how old USB2 is (I'd look it up but I couldn't be bothered). Why I don't go out and just buy my way out of the problem is I'm broke. Plus, if I don't give up enough "sacrifice" to the forces that be to make it worthwhile for them, then, going out and buying something to fix the problem won't work. This thing that is "breaking" replaced something else from last year. I think you need to "accidentally" place the card in a microwave oven for a few seconds and remove any doubt on whether you need a new one or not. As for USB 2.0 Root Hub in Device Manager, no, unless it would be somewhere else other than under Universal Serial Bus controllers. I don't have any USB 2 hubs connected. It should be there unless you're using some sort of dodgy driver (which is doubtful). Which also made me wonder about the message.I've never seen that message. I plugged an external HD into a USB1.1 slot without any problems. Slow as hell but no message.Unless they consider the internal ports as hubs. Doubtful as each has its own "channel". You'd soon know either way if you tried to print a document using a USB connected printer and copying a file to a flashdisk at the same time as one would fail. That's why USB hubs are useless. Sure, you can plug 4 devices into them but only one at a time will function. Which, with these fuckers, you never know. I do have a USB 2 hub I got with the PCI card, but, it's not hooked up at the moment. There IS an old USB 1.x GE hub attached, though. BUT, I am connecting the USB 2.0 drives directly into ports on the back of the PC. No hubs. I'd still run SiSoft Sandra. It'll tell you what you have installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus_McFartfinger Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 900KB/s sustained transfer measured with calculator and stopwatch is usb1, 10-16MB/s sustained transfer is usb2, fock the programs * 900KB/s is not 27KB/s mentioned in the original post. * If you're only getting 10-16MB/s across USB2 then something is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontasciime Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 (edited) You will only ever see the this device can perform faster if you plug a usb2 high speed device into a 1.X usb whether or not it is a usb 2 port or windows has turned ya usb2 port into usb 1X Try using top left usb port on back of mobo, especially if you got Asus mobo. And if your getting 27k a second it's more like bluecrap, well aol silver package bluetooth. Edited August 9, 2006 by dontasciime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 Well, that's not entirely what I'm seeing. While that icon does appear in the Notification Area, no window that says that pops up. What I entered is what comes up when I double click on the icon that appears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 And if your getting 27k a second it's more like bluecrap, well aol silver package bluetooth. What the Hell are you talking about? That it's somehow swapping USB for Bluetooth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 I think you need to "accidentally" place the card in a microwave oven for a few seconds and remove any doubt on whether you need a new one or not. Nope, wouldn't be any good. I would be actively trying to influence a negative force which I had no hand in directing my way into a positive force in my favor. Not only would it fail miserably, but, the cosmic balance would detect the attempt, go "THAT FUCKER!" and send a Ting Effect my way. (Ting being that sound you always hear magic wands make in TV, etc. when they touch something to affect them.) TE's are also known as God Problems. I've never seen that message. I plugged an external HD into a USB1.1 slot without any problems. Slow as hell but no message.Makes perfect sense. It's you and not me. Doubtful as each has its own "channel". You'd soon know either way if you tried to print a document using a USB connected printer and copying a file to a flashdisk at the same time as one would fail. That's why USB hubs are useless. Sure, you can plug 4 devices into them but only one at a time will function. You know? That I did not know. Is that just USB 1.x or also USB 2? I can't think of when I've ever actively done this, but, I would think I have before. They may have queued, but, never failed. I'd still run SiSoft Sandra. It'll tell you what you have installed. Okay, let's see what it has to say here in a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbminter Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 Okay, installed Sandra... NOW what. Lots of options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontasciime Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 (edited) What the Hell are you talking about? That it's somehow swapping USB for Blue tooth? not at all, that ain't what i mean. Some one is saying your getting 900k , Shamus points out that infact your getting 27k, think it was chewy who pointed out 900k, was only saying if your only getting 27k you got problems, and that speed is more in line with what you could expect if you were using blue tooth, which i know your not.. You not got another external usb2 device , say enclosure to try or a usb2 flash pen etc. Edited August 10, 2006 by dontasciime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus_McFartfinger Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Yeppers. 27k is mighty slow. A fooked driver, port or something like that. I think floppy drives can manage 21 or 22k/sec? Something like that anyway. RE: USB queue - Yeah. I wasn't very clear on that. Data sent to multiple devices on a single USB port will (should) be queued. There's no sharing like with a TCP/IP connection. It's just how it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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