What caused 2x USB/Wireless Keyboards & Mice to suddenly stop working?

cognus · 09 Apr 2020

I'm baffled by odd behaviour on an older [not old but older] retired Gaming rig turned to office system, Running a fresh clean install of Windows 10 Pro v.1909, dual wide-screen monitors/controls on AMD hardware. Forgive me for not having the full Asustek motherboard number but it is running an AMD octacore, and has a big double-slot graphics card. I did use the latest AMD installation package to install USB drivers and their SATA driver though the system is currently using the MS generic SATA driver.

The system is stable - no boot or bluescreen issues. But while using, with dual monitors and two keyboards/mice via wireless USB transceivers all four dropped. Just stopped working. I rebooted the system and still same. Powered off and bled capacitors and restarted, still the same. However older wired keyboard and mouse do work. Checked batteries, replaced batteries, tried the wireless devices again and no work. Why?

Googling/[trolling] for issues with Asus/AMD motherboards and USB devices there are a LOT of threads. I couldn't quickly sort them to find some common gremlin. Should I remove all AMD chipset stuff and just go with what Windows Updates catalog supplies?

I should note that heretofore, the system had a really ugly os mess that I did not install, windows 7 of questionable origin upgraded to Windows 10, had multiple errors but in spite of all, never saw the wireless USB stuff just stop.

Two other items that may be just unrelated to the USB issue:
- Brand new USB WIFI device, dual channel, gets terrible throughput. This is a well-rated piece, I think with Realtek chipset, but seems to deliver erratic, poor throughput. Speedtest in the teens, whereas a little dell notebook sitting in the same spot is turning over 100mbps download.
- The graphics card could not power up when I had the system on its side installing a SATA data cable. Turned on, no display, fans on card dormant. No heat, no power. Tried it several times, Card was very firm in its slots, no movement. Set it upright again and hit the switch and all worked. No graphics issues noted now.

all suggestions respected!!
thx
c

Caledon Ken · 10 Apr 2020

Lot to sort through ....

First on USB devices (keyboard / mice), do they work on another machine?

If you remove this new USB wireless devices and restart do USB devices work. Have you tried front or top USB port for keyboard / mice radio, (new USB wireless still removed). I actually placed my USB device radio right on desk to solve reception issues. Did this on both my systems. (USB extension cord)

On USB Wireless - are both devices using same band. That is, is the little Dell notebook using the 2.4 band and is the new USB wireless using the same 2.4 GHz band. 5.0Ghz (AC) does not have same range or penetration. My bet is new USB wireless is going right to 5.0Ghz.

You can check which band each is using by

Settings > Network & Internet > Status > on left under Network status click "Change Connection Properties" > in window that appears scroll down near bottom, under "Properties" there is a heading Network band

On Graphics card, disconnect all wires, remove from Mobo, inspect connector pins on card, reinstall. Might rotate card in several directions when out, just to listen for any unexpected sounds.

Ken

cognus · 10 Apr 2020

i have much detail to add, collected on a remote-desktop session this am.
First the system info:
- Asus M5A97 LE R20 Motherboard
- BIOS rev 1903. this is old, but I am not touching the BIOS until everything else is out of the way. Law office.
- Device manager shows some 18 USB devices. Two of them are ASMedia USB 3.0 E
xtensible Hub and ASMedia USB Root Hub. Everything else in the list has Microsoft drivers but those two have the last/final/latest of the Asus provided drivers.
- I reinstalled the chipset drivers
- I reinstalled the AMD USB Filter driver
- I reinstalled both the above ASMedia drivers - it changed nothing but had to try.
- Behavior is still the same after all this except that the USB WIFI device is pulling 3X the download speed I noted in the last visit, which mentioned in my earlier OP. Around 50mbps. I had no apparent connection problems while remoting-in

Still the same. Wireless kbd/mouse sets that DID WORK previously do not now work.
To your point: no, I did not try all the combinations while on-premises a few days ago. Tried front ones and rear ones, tried them one at a time, with reboots, with power cycle per OP. These are not "New" devices: these were working on the old patchwork Windows 7 upgraded to Windows 10 1863 mess - as bad as it was, at least these worked.

I'm posting a lot of images

Farvatten · 10 Apr 2020

cognus said:

...all suggestions respected!!

I know had trouble with both my wireless mouse and keyboard after plugging a new external HDD into the USB-3 port near by. I eventually solved it by putting these RF input devices on USB extensions from the back ports.

It would be nice if it were that simple. And while my problem was intermittent it seems worth asking especially hearing about a concurrent Wifi issue.

Wireless Mouse stops working when external HDD plugged in to USB3 port

USB external HDD's interference have also been know to affect Wifi

USB Keyboard/Mouse Fails when USB 3.0 Hub Installed in Adjacent Port

Caledon Ken · 10 Apr 2020

So I assume the wired keyboard is installed as is the wired mouse.

If you expand those categories can you delete any hidden devices, reboot and retry.

It sounds like you are not local to device, would be interested if they work with new wifi removed. (as a test)

Just asking an information question, how come two wireless keyboards and two wireless mice?

Any chance these devices, keyboards and mice, have an install disk or a driver for their radio dongle?

cognus · 11 Apr 2020

I’ll try removing wifi reboot and test wireless input devices. Should have already done...

can someone tell me if it is normal to see that many generic USB entries with generic Msft drivers? When I look at my intel device I have 3 total; one 3.0 eXtensible host controller, one 3.0 root hub, one USB composite

Berton · 11 Apr 2020

A comment: I think those USB Wireless keyboards and mice that come with the nano-transceiver do not rely upon the Wireless/Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac device, work only with that transceiver they came with. Each set has their own frequency/sub-frequency and don't interchange with other similar devices. There are 'kits' consisting of the keyboard and mouse that both use the same transceiver but again won't interchange devices with other kits.

The Bluetooth Wireless is of a shorter range and usually included on the Wireless adapter for Networking.

Both Wireless and Bluetooth have USB dongles available for those computers that don't come with them. I prefer the included Bluetooth, most times with Notebooks, as it frees up a USB port when using a mouse.

As for Device Manager, there should also be an entry that mentions Enhanced, that is for USB 2 support. Most BIOSes have built-in support for USB 2 [Legacy USB Enabled] but need the OS loaded to get USB 3 [eXtensible] drivers.

Caledon Ken · 11 Apr 2020

Agree Berton on the wireless.

Just trying to reduce interference potentially created by a new radio. As I understand it, and stand to be corrected, the devices not working and the Wifi are both new things.

Looks like you have "Show hidden devices" turned on in Device manager. I show six USB Composite Devices, two are hidden. You have seven with five hidden.

It has always been my understand that you could uninstall a USB device and on the next restart Windows will scan and re-install what it needs.

I would Image system just to be sure.

Berton · 11 Apr 2020

Caledon Ken said:

It has always been my understand that you could uninstall a USB device and on the next restart Windows will scan and re-install what it needs.

It's worked that way for me, unremembered number of times.

Caledon Ken · 11 Apr 2020

Thanks for confirm.