USB Hub disabled after reboot

Customer has a system with three USB devices but only two USB ports. Running ME. No problem, all you need is a USB hub.

This worked correctly until the system was rebooted. Then the device was disabled in Device Manager. Enabling the device restored functionality until rebooting. Then it always is disabled.

When it works the hub has a green question mark in Device Manager. I know that this is ME specific stating that a generic driver was loaded. No newer drivers are available.

Microsoft says: Note that for USB hubs, a Microsoft-provided driver is always loaded; the compatible driver indication signals only that a newer USB hub was detected (a USB hub that was unknown at the time Windows Me was released). If the new USB hub is in full compliance with industry specifications, there should be no loss of functionality.

Tried a 4 port USB PCI card but that appears to hang the system.

Any ideas why it would be disabled on every reboot?
Other than Windows ME is affectionately known as the Mistake Edition?

Wonder if this might have something to do with the problem?

Archive: USB Storage - FAQ for Driver and Hardware Developers
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device...ge/usbfaq.mspx

Quote:

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Q: What problems and updates are known to affect storage solutions on earlier versions of the Windows operating system?

In Windows 2000 and Windows 98 SE a problem exists in Usbhub.sys, when it is loaded as the composite parent driver for a multiple-interface device. In such cases, during a _URB_SELECT_CONFIGURATION request, the child devices are configured with a 4-KB transfer limit on endpoints. To work around this problem, drivers for the child devices can issue a URB_FUNCTION_SELECT_INTERFACE request after the _URB_SELECT_CONFIGURATION request to override the default 4-KB transfer limit.

Windows Me. In Windows Me, Usbccgp.sys was developed to replace the composite parent driver functionality of Usbhub.sys. The usbccgp.sys driver does not have the default 4-KB transfer limit problem. However, a problem occurs with compatible IDs where the protocol byte field has a decimal notation instead of a hexadecimal notation.

A QFE (quick fix engineering) is available to fix this issue in Windows 2000. Refer to KB article Q283787, titled "Multifunction USB Device Cannot Transfer 4 KB or Larger Files” for further information. This QFE is also available in Windows2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3). Contact your Microsoft Technical Account Manager (TAM) for additional information.

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(I do know that each USB device must have a unique ID. And apparently with ME you need USB devices that only use hexadecimal notation in the protocol byte field ... because there is no QFE available from Microsoft to allow it to use USB devices that use decimal notation?)

Believe it or not SpywareDr, I follow what you are saying, sort of. Havent had to deal with Hex notation for years. Nor IRQ's, I/O addresses or DMA channels.

My solution to this problem was very simple.
Use a USB to PS/2 converter for the mouse. Removing the need for the hub.
Problem solved!

Excellent! One of those:

Doh!

(simple solutions). Good to hear you figured out a way around the problem. :)