computer guru's.....i got issues

[Rayman]

ok, just installed a dual head video card and everythings set up correctly. but i just noticed (dont know if its relating to the card), that now when i try to save something into my portable HD the drive will become disconnected and immediately reconnected by XP (plug/play). i would get a lil bubble error message near the bottom saying "delayed write error". mentioning about possible conflict in hardware or networking. im not seeing any conflict in my hardware profile, its showing everything working properly. i can still access the files in the portable HD, i can delete files, but anytime i try to add something onto it, it'll get disconnected and the error comes on and then it'll connect itself again. what gives?

[El Nacho]

hmmmm....maybe an irq problem. Have you tried pluggin the drive into a different port?

[Rayman]

ok i tried it and it works now....wtf is a IRQ problem? shouldnt all USB ports be the same?

the tower/case came w/ 2 USB ports on the front that USED to work, but no longer works....whats the problem there? at this rate im gonna run out of USB ports....

[El Nacho]

I'm gonna guess that you put it in another port.

as for irq. Think of them as channels. There are 15 "real" irq's and just about as many "virtual" irq's. Virtual irq's are sharred though. Everything you plug in uses one, every pci, graffics card, sound card, port, etc. Some use two. Dual head graffics card are one of them I believe. So i'm going to guess your dual head graffics card and that usb port sharred an irq and didnt really like doing it.

For why the other ones dont work...dunno...maybe something got unplugged

[Rayman]

yea i switched ports and it works now.....id like to get the other ones back tho....

[El Nacho]

check to see what irq's are being shared thought device manager. for the front ones, check the plug in's on the mother board. ALso, make sure they are enable int he bios.

[dmark101]

if you have USB ports in the back, just pick up a USB hub and expand your ports that way.

this is definitely an IRQ conflict with the card. moving it was a good idea, but if it cut out the front USB ports, then the slot must have been sharing an IRQ with the USB.

[GTRAFF]

On some PCs the front USB ports are 1.1 and the rear ones (connected to the MB) are the only 2.0 ones.

[snapdad]

USB takes up one IRQ for total for all of the ports. Each port dosen't have it's own IRQ.

[El Nacho]

USB takes up one IRQ for total for all of the ports. Each port dosen't have it's own IRQ.

Really?? I kind of find that hard to believe with me having about 10 of them. I could see the ones that share the same connector to share an irq, but not all of them.

also, if thats the case, then he has bigger problems on his hands. Mainly a dying motherboard.

[Rayman]

i have no idea what yall are talking about, and i do have a USB hub, HOWEVER, i cant run my portable HD off it cuz it takes alot of power....as far as conflicting IRQ for the front ports, i doubt it cuz they worked when i first put the PC together, then w/o changing any hardware it stopped working (even before i put in this new card) 1st the bottom port went out, then the top.....all while nothing has changed to the hardware....

[El Nacho]

how old is the computer? Maybe the mobo is starting to go.

[Glitche]

check and make sure that USB is turned on under bios?
Maybe the usb ports in the front are now unplugged from the MB?

[starr_719]

How many usb controllers do you show in you device manager? If more then 1, how much percentage of system resources is available for either one?

[Rayman]

computers about 1.5 yrs old....built it from scratch. 1.15mhz processor....AMD...i have no idea who to check BIOS and such or whatever else u guys are suggesting