[Computer Help] Mouse not working right in USB 3.0 ports... thoughts?

Just got my new rig up and running a few days ago, and I'm wondering if anyone might have any thoughts on an odd nagging issue I've run into relating to my mouse.

I've had the mouse for several months already, it's a fairly new model and had worked fine on my old rig... the Mionix Naos 8200. The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H. OS is Windows 7 Ultimate.

So basically, when I plug in the mouse to one of the back USB 3.0 ports and do all my custom settings on it, it works perfectly for the entirety of that session of Windows. When I restart, the mouse continues to work before Windows boots up (it works in the BIOS).

The problem comes when the Windows logo is showing. The mouse is lit up and working, but then halfway through the logo it turns off for a couple seconds, flashes on for half a second, then turns off permanently.

I can fix it by simply unplugging the mouse, plugging it back in, then going back into the mouse software to re-apply my settings. I'd just rather not have to do those extra three steps every time I turn the machine on.

After playing with the xHCI setting in the BIOS (Enabled, Auto, Smart Auto), and Legacy USB Support, and many other settings, I finally discovered the mouse boots correctly with the computer if I plug it into one of the USB 2.0 ports in the front of the machine. So that's where it's at right now, but I'd rather not leave it there, since it leaves my mouse cord a bit stretched and makes access to the other front ports more difficult.

I also happened to have a USB 2.0 extension cable around, as well as a USB-to-PS/2 adapter. When I tried using the adapter the computer didn't even register that the mouse was plugged in. With the extension cable, it booted up correctly one time out of two.

Soooo... yeah. Two questions:
1. Any ideas on if this is: the mouse's fault, the motherboard's fault, or the OS's fault?
2. Is there any way to convert just one of the USB 3.0 ports in the back of my computer to operating as a USB 2.0 port?

 

Ah, I see why you're confused... I didn't mention in the first post that this mobo has 6 USB 3.0 ports on the back, and no USB 2.0's. The *only* available non-3.0 ports are on the front, which as I said are sort of inconveniently placed for my mouse.

Hence my trying to figure out if it's possible to change one of those 6 into a 2.0. I obviously don't want to lose the speed advantage of 3.0 for the external drives I have plugged in.

Wish I'd known this problem could happen, then I would've just made sure to get a mobo that had a couple USB 2.0's in back. It's just not a problem I anticipated. USB 2.0 devices are *supposed* to work with USB 3.0 ports, after all.

Sorry, I'm only partially tech-savvy... not familiar with IRQ, and I think I know where the I/O list is, but don't know enough about it to know what to look for.

Can you give me any ideas of what to look for, or point me at a good primer on this stuff?

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but nope, the behavior remains the same... the mouse dies in the middle of Windows booting, even in safe mode. Sorry I didn't mention I had tried that in the first post, just didn't want it to be longer than it already was.

I also tried uninstalling the drivers and letting windows re-install them, no luck there either.

Also noticed that Windows installs both a generic mouse driver and a keyboard driver for this mouse... probably relates to some advanced functions of the mouse. I tried uninstalling the mouse's keyboard driver just in case that was getting its knickers in a twist for whatever reason... but they are always auto-reinstalled when Windows starts. And no way to just disable that driver, it's greyed out.


This whole thing is just such a weird issue. It does sure seem like a software problem given the mouse only dies at a particular time on startup... just can't figure out what it is...

 

I know, right? I hate moving to a new computer, so I decided my next system would be super-beastly to make myself feel better about it. :grin:

I, too, thought all USB 3.0's was awesome... until this dumb problem happened.

Ah, there's the rub, though. I looooove this mouse. It's a $90 specialty item, and I am addicted to its awesomeness. Going back to a different mouse would horrify me.

So this is at the root of my question... the closest thing I saw to that type of setting in the BIOS is "Legacy USB Support." I made sure this was enabled, but no dice. Tried disabling it as well, no change there either.

From what I understand from spending like 5 hours trying to correct this problem, I could turn "xHCI Mode" in the BIOS to "disabled," and that would force all my USB 3.0's to function as 2.0's. Of course that would fix the mouse problem, but there's no way I want to give up USB 3.0 speed for my external drives.

I have no idea if it's possible to change just 1 of the ports in back to being 2.0 without changing the other 5. It seems like not, but I'm not sure. Is there a way I could do that in device manager?

I've already tried contacting Mionix support about the mouse, though they haven't responded in a couple days. Might also try contacting Gigabyte support to see if they have any bright ideas. This problem really seems like a stumper, eh?

Thanks for your suggestions, I appreciate the effort... let me know if you think of anything else.

 

Because I like to start fresh... clear the temporary files, memory leaks, etc. Plus save some power.

First thing I did. Unfortunately they have only put out 1 set of updated software, version 1.01... plus, it's a configuration tool, not truly driver software that replaces what Windows installs on its own.

They do also have updated firmware you can pull down through the software, and I've run that a few separate times just in case. Nothing...

I did try another mouse that I had lying around when I got home from work... it's so ancient I think I think it might even be USB 1.0 or 1.1... and that functioned in the USB 3.0 ports without issue.

But then, I sort of expected that... my external hard drives and my keyboard have been working in those ports the whole time.

I'll definitely be interested to hear back from Mionix support... submitted a ticket a few days ago and haven't heard anything back yet. Hopefully they have a fix, or this mouse is just defective and they can replace it, or I can figure out how to turn one port into USB 2.0. Otherwise I guess I'll just get used to re-plugging and re-doing the settings a lot, because I love this mouse too much to get rid of it.

 

Gotta love technology. :grin:

 

Not that I think many people will care, but this did just get resolved.

After a few exchanges with Mionix support, they ended up sending me an alpha version of their next firmware to try out. And it totally fixed the problem!