Computer problem - enable USB on startup

[DAVE101]

So this is strange. While the computer boots up, USBs are completely disabled. My USB keyboard doesn't work, and my flash drive doesn't light up. Fortunately I'm able to enter the BIOS with a PS/2 keyboard, but I can't find the an option that would enable it. I've never had this issue before.

IDK exactly what kind of motherboard, but here is a picture of BIOS screen

Bios1.jpg (51.34 KiB) Viewed 7277 times

I can take more screenshots of other menus if it will help.

[MonMotha]

Given how old that looks like it could be (Award used the same interface for a while, but that sure doesn't look new), that BIOS may just lack USB support entirely. If that's the case, USB just plain won't work until the OS is up and can handle it on its own. Many PCs were like this until about 2002-2003 with some "workstation"/servers persisting with a lack of BIOS level USB support until about 2005 or so. Keyboard support tended to show up before boot from USB did. Even my 2003-era laptop can't boot from USB.

[DAVE101]

I assume this new motherboard was the same as the old one (forgot to mention it was replaced) because the bios menu looked the same, but you bring up a good point about Award using the same interface. However, it does have some options for USB. See below.

Main Menu --> Integrated Peripherals

Integrated Peripherals.JPG (107.76 KiB) Viewed 7277 times

Main Menu --> Integrated Peripherals --> Onboard Devices

Integrated - Onboard.JPG (121.12 KiB) Viewed 7277 times

So there's hope isn't there?

[Riot]

Not to hijack, but I have some computer issues as well with my new laptop. Here's my copy paste from another tech support forum:
Hey all, just got one of these recertified DV6-6135DX laptops. I've been having some issues though and wondered if you guys had any ideas on how to fix them...

First of all, I couldn't do the system recovery thing people mentioned early on. It went all the way through and then at the end said Recovery Incomplete and then a notepad file popped up that said something about boot.gpt or something. I didn't push "make backups" on that first screen of the recovery step if that has something to do with. I did make sure my wireless was on as soon as it would turn on however.

Anyways, I eventually just did the normal installation and used Decrapifier to remove a lot of the bloatware. Now I wonder if I removed something important here, but I think I did an okay job checking to make sure if it was safe to remove things beforehand.

I installed Steam and Counter-Strike Source as a testing game. When I opened it up and went into a server, the models and text were blinking and it seemed like every other frame was being dropped, like really fast scan lines or a shuddering effect. I messed with all graphics settings and nothing worked until I went into windowed mode and it worked okay then. The FPS was good and the background map was fine, it was just the models, text windows, etc. were blinking and messed up.

I then tried Super Street Fighter 4 AE, and same kinda thing. The FPS in the benchmark was okay but it felt laggy in game (the benchmark said it saw the 6620 card, not the better one), and then when I switched to "High Performance" it did the same jittery black scan line flashing thing. I think the whole "High Performance" is messing it up. I also think the games are only picking up the lower card and I have no idea how to make it switch to the good card. I tried getting a new driver on the HP site but same issue. Maybe I didn't uninstall old drivers, but I didn't see any on the Uninstall Programs page. ARGH!

Any ideas? I'm THINKING it's a driver issue or something to do with the graphic settings. Can anybody help before I call and pursue an RMA?

Link to product: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834158073

[Pokebis]

@Riot
You said you're thinking it's a driver issue, but did you update your video drivers? Whenever I get a new computer they can rarely even run the correct resolution until I do this. Sometimes you even need to roll back to the second-latest driver too. My ATI chipset breaks stuff when I update the video drivers sometimes.

[Riot]

I think I did but it's hard to tell what drivers are even on here. My friend downloaded the latest one from the hp website while I was playing merk in some fighting games so I don't know exactly what he did. I tried to reinstall it after but I dont know the best way to fully get rid of previous drivers. I used to use some program but I couldnt find it anymore. On my desktop I can just go to Uninstall Programs and find the driver to delete it on there, but I dunno. I might just system restore and test with all the original software just to make sure I didn't delete something important.

The laptop has a 6620 and a 6750 and apparently switches depending on the performance required. I'm not sure it's using the better card, and when I use "high performance" in the graphic options it does the black flickering... On "power saving" I think it works ok full screen, but I'm assuming it's the worse card. High perf seemed not to have flickering in windowed mode.

[Riot]

Figured it out. For some reason my ati catalyst control center wasn't the right version and was made for Crossfire... I don't have Crossfire (two of the same cards working as one), I have dual gpu (two different cards switching back and forth). Anyways, works now. I overclocked it and undervolted it with k10step and now the cpu steps up and down with demand and runs cooler on less voltage. It went from a default 1.5ghz quad to 2.1ghz (amd rates differently, probably equivalent to a mid 3ghz on an intel) and I'm getting 130 fps in Counter Strike Source and Street Fighter 4 AE. Not bad for a 500 laptop with tons of other nice features.

[Merk]

Anyway, back to Dave's question...

Once you get into Windows, can you plug in a USB keyboard without any issues? I actually had this exact same problem recently when I was using my computer that I built in 2003, that BIOS screen looks exactly like the one I had. Ultimately I just used a PS/2 keyboard, a USB mouse, and booted shit from CD instead of from a USB drive when I needed to do something before loading Windows.

I'm assuming you're trying to boot from USB, can you change the boot order to have USB be the top priority? That might force your mobo to look at your USB ports. I don't know, I'm pulling at straws here.



I love how Riot nudges in a hidden brag in everything ever.

[DAVE101]

USBs work FANTASTIC once the OS starts up. You would guess correctly, I am trying to boot from a USB. I do have removable media on top priority, but it hasn't helped the mobo recognize anything.

I may just have to plug in a cd drive into the SATA port (hopefully there is one open), cuz IDK what else to do.



SPOILER ALERT: This may be a certain dance game cabinet

[Merk]

Yeah that sounds like what you might have to do! It should just be an easy drag-drop-burn-boot scenario. There should be plenty of SATA ports available, how many SATA port eating hard drives could a dance game possibly need?

There might be an updated version of that mobo's BIOS out there that you could install to resolve this USB issue but at this point burning that shit to a CD would probably be easier.

[MonMotha]

Given those options, I'm a bit surprised that USB keyboards aren't working in the BIOS. It's entirely possible that the manufacturer left them visible but didn't actually make them work. You might try several USB ports. Sometimes the BIOS is lazy and only enables some of them. Also try removing any hubs you may be using. Also ensure that your keyboard is a real keyboard supporting boot protocol (all real, honest keyboards should, but many "keyboard emulator" products may not).

Boot from USB storage is uncommon on PCs before ~2004-2005. "Removable" in that context meant things like ZIP drives and LS-120 (both of which are "ATAPI Floppy Drives"). Remember those?