Windows 8.1 Pro - Windows Update messed up USB 3.0 on laptop!

Anonymous
2014-01-14T01:19:00+00:00

Hello, I have reached the end of the line concerning this issue... Windows 8.1 Pro (x64) and constant problems with USB 3.0! I have an Asus K55A notebook, Intel 7 Series/C216 Chipset, HM76 running Core i3-3110M, Intel HD 4000 iGPU.  Samsung 840 SSD 250 GB, Kingston 8 GB DDR3 (2x 4 GB) 1600 MHz Dual Channel... This is the issue... I noticed slow transfer rates on USB 3.0 ports and MAINLY that in Device Manager that EVERYTHING connected to my only 2.0 port shows ups under USB Root Hub (xHCI) located on Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller (100-Microsoft)... Also the Power Management Tab is missing from the Host controller and xHCI Root Hub... Now Asus has a program called Instant On... For fast resume times, long standby and similar hybrid sleep state... When I manually sleep my notebook, after waking up Windows reinstalls USB 3.0 Drivers and uses the Intel Enhanced USB Controller (USB 2.0 Stack) even if devices are connected to 3.0 ports... and the 3.0 Stack stops working and almost always the 3.0 ports stop working all together.... Now if I RESTART my notebook everything stays the same... USB 2.0 port devices are under 3.0 stack and controller... Last month on Update Tuesday WU installed a new 3.0 Host Controller with this driver version... 6.3.9600.16459 and Date... 11/8/2013.... I did a clean UEFI install install of 8.1 and the xHCI drivers are 6.3.9600.46384.... Windows automatically updated the drivers and now my notebook won't auto-sleep.... And if I manually put it in sleep mode, the USB ports don't shut down... Also the Power tab is gone for the 3.0 controller and hub... I uninstalled Instant On and the USB Re-enumeration problem is gone but notebook won't sleep like I said and the Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1E26 has NO DEVICES UNDER IT... Even though I have something connected to the 2.0 port.... I ran USB3HWVerifierAnalyzer.exe from MUTT USB Test when sleeping my notebook and a whole bunch of errors for xHCI driver came up... I don't have MDK installed so I can't read the .etl file... But it did mention that Windows had to reset the xHCI Controller, driver or re-enumerate that device.... I checked the Host Controller bandwidth using USB Tree View... and it says that its 56 MB/s... around 480 Mbps my guess.... Also I have noticed that many of the devices under PCI Express Root Complex in their respective power management... S1-S2 are unspecified or unmapped... xHCI being among them... I ran PowerCFG /a and it says that S1-S2 aren't supported by system firmware... S3, Hybris Sleep, Hibernation and Fast Boot are supported though.... I have all the latest drivers installed from the Asus Support Site for my model... but their Windows 8 drivers... Asus hasn't released Windows 8.1 drivers aside from Graphics, Wifi and Bluetooth.... I do have Asus ATK Package installed wich has something to do with the Fn Hot-Keys and ACPI... I have la latest Intel ME 8 firmware and MEI drivers... the OEM Chipset INF also even though it's outdated from 2012... v1021... Some devices in device manager have a (-)IRQ.... Don't know if that's an issue because the Intel 3.0 is among them as well.... Please help me solve this issue!!! ASAP!!!! Thx in advance!!!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-04-16T06:44:45+00:00

    You don't want to hear this ... me neither. 

    I don't know why, but now Windows  doesn't detect my drive as USB3.

    I was happy, it took a couple of minutes my hapiness ... not again windows ... 

    My external drive is not recognized again ... it was before! 

    Maybe planets were lined up.

    :'(

    MauricioF

    Are you joking!?!?!? I have a question, by any chance did it stop working after you put your laptop to "sleep" or Hybrid-sleep? Try reinstalling Intel Management Engine drivers... Also what MEI drivers are you using? Can you give me as many details about the problem please...

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-04-15T23:25:22+00:00

    You don't want to hear this ... me neither. 

    I don't know why, but now Windows  doesn't detect my drive as USB3.

    I was happy, it took a couple of minutes my hapiness ... not again windows ... 

    My external drive is not recognized again ... it was before! 

    Maybe planets were lined up.

    :'(

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-04-15T01:18:15+00:00

    JS, 

    After having some annoying troubles with Win 8.1 Update 1 (had to reinstall Windows, since that update destroyed my Win8.1) this problem with USB3 speed transfer was .... SOLVED!!!

    So that, it was a Windows problem, I don't know by certainty what has changed, but I'm glad I don't have to burn research hours solving this problem !!! 

    However, I still have the UsbTreeView image the same way (as I Posted to you, 15 or more ports under xHCI). One still has the error icon (exclamation sign), but doesn't interfere with any of my needs on notebook.

    Thanks for your time, regards from Argentina, hermano latinoamericano! :)

    MauricioF,

    I'm glad to hear that you resolved your USB 3.0 issue! You are one of the LUCKY FEW that by reinstalling Win8.1 have fixed this issue! In my case, reinstalling didn't fix ANYTHING! I do still believe (my opinion) that something's not right with your USB ports... Specially since UsbTreeView shows so many additional ports and also showing an exclamation mark on one port... But if its not causing you any additional problems or impacting your system, just leave it like it is... Trust me I have spent MONTHS troubleshooting and researching that issue! Every single day for endless hours... Anyways if you need help with any other issue,

    I'll be very happy to help you in any way I can!

    Saludos! Desde México hermano!

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-14T14:14:18+00:00

    JS, 

    After having some annoying troubles with Win 8.1 Update 1 (had to reinstall Windows, since that update destroyed my Win8.1) this problem with USB3 speed transfer was .... SOLVED!!!

    So that, it was a Windows problem, I don't know by certainty what has changed, but I'm glad I don't have to burn research hours solving this problem !!! 

    However, I still have the UsbTreeView image the same way (as I Posted to you, 15 or more ports under xHCI). One still has the error icon (exclamation sign), but doesn't interfere with any of my needs on notebook.

    Thanks for your time, regards from Argentina, hermano latinoamericano! :)

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-04-04T23:33:55+00:00

    And finally my Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Drive, that came with USB3 cable included.

    Do you see sth strange on all this stuff?

    MauricioF,

    Hey! First of all I'm happy to help! Secondly, YES I do see something very strange on your UsbTreeView report... You have way too many xHCI Ports! As you can see under xHCI Root Hub... The ports maked with an "H" are HS ports and your Seagate Drive is being enumerated on a HS port... That's why it's running at 2.0 speeds & not 3.0 like it should... I can also see that the USB 2.0 Card Reader & built-in WebCam are also being enumerated under the the xHCI Controller... As far as I know you should only have 8 TOTAL ports under xHCI (4 HS ports + 4 SS ports) They work in "Companion" with each other... Example: HS port 1 + SS port 5, HS 2 + SS 6, HS 3 + SS 7 finally HS 4 + SS 8... Your screenshot shows only 4 SS ports and too many HS ports... Your WebCam should be listed under the

    EHCI #1 or 2 as well as the Card Reader...

    Have you made any changes or what drivers have you tried installing for USB 3.0??? You can try the following 2 methods:

    1: Disconnect all USB devices from your laptop, next in UsbTreeView right-click on each USB EHCI & xHCI Controller as well as their Root Hubs and select "Reset Port" & "Restart Device" Now restart your laptop and then reconnect any USB device to a 2.0 port & also 3.0 port... Open UsbTreeView again and check if this resolved the issue

    2: Open Device Manger in Win8.1 and uninstall the xHCI Root Hub followed by the USB 3.0 Controller driver, now restart your laptop. After restart open Device Manager again and check if that helped...

    Let me know what happened... I'm not on my laptop right now... My Mom came down here to Mexico to meet my baby daughter for the first time... But I will get home soon... So I can post some screenshots of how my system was before & after... So you can see how things are supposed to look... Correctly... Ok...

    Let me just comment on the whole modding your UEFI/BIOS... I can see you have a AMI Aptio BIOS... So you're in luck!!! Its pretty easy and safe... Specially because AMI Aptio BIOS has a built-in BIOS Recovery option... If a nodded flash fails, you can recover by holding down the Ctrl+Home keys.. In the case you can't boot after bad flash... All you have to do to prepare for this is get the original BIOS BIN or ROM file that should be hidden in the root of your C:\ and also in your OEM EFI partition... Back it up to a USB memory stick and plug it in to your USB port , then hold down the key combo I mentioned and then press the power on button for your laptop... Your system will launch the BIOS flash utility and flash the backup from your USB stick... I bricked my laptop last night and that's how I recovered... Here's http://www.win-raid.com/t330f16-BIOS-Mod-Asus-K-A-Laptop-Possible.html

    my thread on how & what I did for my laptop and how I was helped in doing it safely... Take a look at it and then decide... Either way I will continue to help you with your issues as best as I can ok!

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