I am working with a computer right now that has only USB 1.1 slots on it. What is the best route to take to upgrade this computer to USB 2.0? Thanks!
Purchase and install a USB 2.0 PCI card
cool, that's what I thought I'd have to do. What kind of specifics should I look for in purchasing this PCI card? Do I have to look for compatibility issues, and is it a fairly easy install?
You don't have to look for anything, and it's easy to install if you're familiar with the inside of your computer. It's like plugging in a NES cartridge that has no outer plastic casing, and then screwing it down with a Philips screw.
You dont have to upgrade to USB 2.0 but because USB 2.0 is backwards compatible, so all USB 2.0 devices work on USB 1.1 too, but you get lower performance.
The USB ports are on the motherboard of the computer, but as DjLizard said, you can buy a PCI card that gives you USB 2.0 support if you need it. Such card is very cheap, like $20 only.
Everyone should always upgrade to USB 2.0 when budget allows, as there is no reason to stay behind. The OHCI chipsets are so awfully non-compliant and buggy... it's best to move to EHCI as soon as possible, and disable the old USB ports completely, out of spite for shoddy technology.
a little off topic here, but i feel worth mentioning it, i got an ipod a few months back and it claimed to only work with usb2.0. one of the main reasons i wanted it was to transfer everything from my old laptop (9 yr old usb ports and running win98se) to my new one, as it doesn't have a writer built in and i didn't have any interet access at the time. So i plugged in the ipod and it worked fine, yes a little(lot) slow, but it worked without any warnings. then i tried it on my bros laptop, with has the old usb's but is running winXP. and a funny thing happened, a msg popped up saying it wouldn't work becasue it wasn't USB2.0. I had to laugh at this one, his computer was too smart to know it "wouldn't" work, where as my old 98 machine was just too dam stupid to know it wouldn't, lol, you gotta love all these built in warnings of xp.
As it turned out it did end up working but it took some time to figure out how to fool the xp system.
once again sorry for the off topic, but it seemed to fit with the discussion.
it doesn't require fooling, XP is just telling you that it will perform *faster*...
I've never seen any messages from XP about it *not* working...
it doesn't require fooling, XP is just telling you that it will perform *faster*...
I've never seen any messages from XP about it *not* working...
it actually hid the drive in the My Computer folder, as well it wouldn't display it in the Send To menu. what I ended up realizing is that it would show these choices so long as i didn't click or exit the warning bubble popped up. as soon as it was clicked or exited all reference of it would disapear, as well as the Remove Device Safely icon in the sys tray. kind or odd, but i got around it no prob so its all good now.
Actually clikcing this link http://www.gangstawar.com/index.php?act=sp...link=1260565585 will tell you about that. You could also buy a 4 port and hook it to your USB but I would read the article first.
i have a few old pcs that came with usb 1.1 and 1.1 is very slow so i bought a usb 2.0 card,you can defenataly feel and notice a difference between usb 2.0 and 1.1 so it is well worth buying a card that has usb 2.0 ports,if all you have are 1.1 compatable devices then there would be no need to goto usb 2.0 but soon all devices won't support usb 1.1 anymore,here are the pros and cons:
usb 2.0 PCI card:
Pros:
adds usb 2.0 ports to your setup
you can use both your old ports and the ports you just added.
very cheap
cons:requires a free pci slot
Motherboard with usb 2.0 built in
pros:
it comes with usb 2.0 ports
it frees up a pci slot
cons:
upgrading a mobo just for usb 2.0 ports is very expensive
not a viable option
if you get the mobo replaced your spending too much cash just for usb 2.0 ports.
option 1 is obviosly the better way to go.