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26 Nov 07 - 09:44 PM (#2202874) Subject: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: Bee Any suggestions about this problem? WIN98SE, old computer. Digital camera, wireless mouse. Both require USB connection - no problem, there appear to be enough appropriate USB sockets. So, having loaded camera software, I connect camera to computer to download pics. Camera appears to connect just fine. But my mouse is no longer available. Getting the mouse back required unplugging camera, shutting down computer, and having Windows find the mouse on reboot. Doing it all again, same result. |
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26 Nov 07 - 09:58 PM (#2202878) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: GUEST Have you tried different combinations of the devices and USB sockets? Camera in "USB1" and mouse in "USB2" might fail but swapping them might work for example. |
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26 Nov 07 - 11:19 PM (#2202910) Subject: RE: BS:Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflict From: Stilly River Sage Same idea as unnamed guest. There is the USB 1 and USB 2 matter to consider. I bet one of these devices isn't a good match to your old computer, which probably has USB 1. You could probably get a new card to swap or add in to take care of it. But a new computer would probably be a better purchase. SRS |
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27 Nov 07 - 12:20 AM (#2202925) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: JohnInKansas Many computers have several sockets, but only one USB PORT. In other words, you may be plugging everything into just one logical connection, even though your computer has several holes you can shove the connector into. An external USB port expander, especially one with a wall-wart (transformer) to supply power to the USB devices instead of drawing on the computer, usually will do a better job of separating the channels. The packaging may not tell you much about how sophisticated the device is; but generally the powered external add-on ports will include better isolation. In theory, you should be able to connect everything together on one - but it often bogs down. Most USB devices do draw power from the socket you plug them into, and most computers can only supply a tiny bit of power without bogging down, so an externally powered external USB bridge may help to make sure that all the plugged ins get sufficient juice. Mixing USB-1 and USB-2 devices generally works okay, although all the devices may get pulled back to USB-1 speed. Better bridges will indicate "automatic speed switching" or some such unintelligible blather that's supposed to mean that they can run mixed devices each at its own proper/best speed. John |
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27 Nov 07 - 05:31 AM (#2203000) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: The Fooles Troupe Also, if you have USB ports on back and front, port 1 may be on one and port 2 on the other... |
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27 Nov 07 - 06:21 AM (#2203021) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: Bee Thank you, all, some good suggestions! JiK, you may have the answer, given the age of the computer - ten years. I suspect that is the answer - only one port. And a new computer is on my Christmas list. |
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27 Nov 07 - 10:25 AM (#2203156) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: JohnInKansas Newer computers usually have four or six sockets, but whether they have more than one logical port is sort of "iffy." It's fairly common to have two ports, with a socket for each front and back. It's also fairly common to have two connectors front on one port, and two back on a second port. I haven't had hands-on with a 6-socket to see what they're doing there, and the specs don't tell me. On my own machine, since I plugged the dongle for a wireless mouse in one of the front sockets, using the second front socket to download from my camera sometimes makes the mouse "twitchy," so I sort of have assumed both front connectors are on the same port. Theoretically, a single hub should be able to handle the logical connection of multiple devices, but early USB hubs - like what's probably inside an older computer - sometimes do poorly. The power drawn for the external devices may be the real source of the problems, especially when more than device at a time is used. I use one of my two rear USB connectors into a Belkin 4-port (with wall-wart power) with a printer, scanner, and one hard drive permanently online through the Belkin. The fourth output from that Belkin goes to a newer (and cheaper, but also powered) 6-port that I use for things "occasionally connected," such as a couple of cameras, an "occasional use" inkjet, and two or three backup hard drives that I hook up only while backups (or restores) are being made. Once all the little boxes are isolated from the built-in hub through good quality powered external hubs, I don't have any problems; but as noted, plugging a third device directly into my computer is sort of a marginal exercise. (It is a fairly old computer, so newer ones may have better capacities.) You should get similar performance with Win98, but you will probably have to install drivers on the computer for any hubs and for any USB devices you attach. Win2K and WinXP do it automagically so you don't have to fuss with driver disks. Limited experience indicates that "automatic mounting" of USB devices may also be one of the few things they didn't screw up in Vista. John |
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27 Nov 07 - 11:20 AM (#2203186) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: bobad With Windows XP you can access information on and enable/disable the USB's from CONTROL PANEL/SYSTEM/HARDWARE/DEVICE MANAGER/ then expand UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS controllers. Don't know about Win 98 though. |
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27 Nov 07 - 11:25 AM (#2203191) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: bobad I should have mentioned that when you expand UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS controllers you will see a list of your computers USB's and by double clicking each one another window opens that gives more options. |
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27 Nov 07 - 12:00 PM (#2203212) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: JohnInKansas I've found WinXP "automatic" enough that when I plug in a USB device it works. If I use the "Safely Disconnect" button things keep working, and if they don't for some reason a reboot cleans things up. A problem with going into Control Panel to "do things to your USB devices" is that it's very difficult to tell which controller goes with which device. WinXP may also insert "extra" bridge controllers if you have multiple USB controllers and/or USB and etherlink controllers and/or other "network" controllers, so there are likely to be more controllers than devices. Too complicated for me, unless it gets absolutely necessary. WinXP is good enough about automatically finding and mounting USB devices that "kill-em all and reboot" is actually a viable solution for a major cockup, with the minor problem that if you kill the USB mouse controller you may have a little trouble figuring out how to do a clean reboot with no mouse. But the BRS still works, usually. John |
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27 Nov 07 - 04:56 PM (#2203412) Subject: RE: BS: Tech help: camera/mouse/computer conflic From: EBarnacle It's time to upgrade. If you have a good relationship with your computer mechanic, you can probably get a decent tradein on your old comp toward your new one. I expect to get a P III IBM laptop for $100 from mine. He gets the old one for parts. |