Front USB3 ports not working with UBS2 devices

[pisomojado]

All my rear USB3 and USB2 ports are working. My front USB3 ports used to be working. Unfortunately, I don't know what I did to break them nor exactly when it happened. If I plug in my USB3 thumb drive, it gets recognized. That's the only USB3 device I own. Every other usb device I plug in doesn't work at all. I'm only using tonymac's buyer's guide approved hardware, so I'm surprised I'm having this problem...

System 10.8.2
CPU i7-3770k
Graphics EVGA GeForce GTX570hd 025-P3-1579-AR
Other Hardware GA-Z77X-UP5TH, Sandisk Extreme 120GB SSD, Corsair 550D

I read one thread which suggested deleting AppleHPET.kext , but then a couple other contributors advised strongly against it. I tried re-running Multibeast, but it did nothing.

 

[Cfreak]

If your mobo is like mine (they are very close) even the layout looks the same

Your front ports are plugged in to a USB 3.0 header on the mobo called F_USB30_1/2/3.
I can see it here on photo 2:
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4279#ov

Did you swap the cable from the header to the ports from #2 or #3 on the bottom to #1 up near the RAM? Maybe for cable management reasons?

-If you did move the cable, try moving it back to #2 or #3 at the bottom of the mobo.

On my board F_USB30_1 (near the RAM) is controlled by the Intel native USB 3.0 support and F_USB30_2 & 3 are controlled by the on-board hub chip (might be you have the VL810 or VL811 from Via Labs) I can't tell from the photos. It might be the chip just behind the rear thunderbolt ports, or you can look in the Apple System Information utility

These 2 types of USB 3.0 controllers have different behaviors (at least on my mobo, and I have asked for help understanding it here too).

Intel (F_USB30_1): according to my experience and posts from TheLostSwede this header
-won't recognize USB 2.0 at all,
-will recognise USB 3.0 hot plugged (plugged in while 10.8.2 is running),
-runs at USB 3.0 speed and
-auto mounts drives after cold booting/r-ebooting

Hub contoller chip (F_USB30_2 & 3 -VL8xx ?) Disclosure: I tried to update the firmware on mine. Now it:
-Recognizes USB 2.0, hot plugged and on cold/reboot. Runs at USB 2.0 speed
-Recognizes USB 3.0, hot plugged runs at USB 3.0 speed.
-Does not auto mount USB 3.0 on cold/re-boot

Pisomojado, does this describe how yours works?

Please tell me how yours is working, I might want to swap to you mobo.

What rev# (lower left) is it? I think they are still at 1.0 on this one...

Many thanks.
Much more USB 3.0 info here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/general-h...-usb3-hub-chip-ga-z77x-ud5h-rev-1-1-mobo.html

 

[pisomojado]

Solved.

Cfreak, I really appreciate the time you took to thoroughly address my problem. And you did help me solve it by pointing me towards the hardware. It's just... this is very embarrassing... the cable was loose. That was it. I was thrown off because it seems it was in just far enough for my USB3 thumbdrive to work. I'm very sorry to have wasted your time!

 

[Cfreak]

Alls well that ends well. Glad you got it working.

Someone else will read here and get an answer to their USB 3.0 behavior problem (or loose cable .
That's the point of posting: to give something back.

 

[swot]

sorry to revive an old post, but i'm wondering if the same can be said about the Q77M-D2H board's front USB3 port? The board only has one F_USB30 connection. The port does work in windows but not on the mac. The onboard usb3 ports in the rear works.

Thanks.

 

[VioletDragon]

sorry to revive an old post, but i'm wondering if the same can be said about the Q77M-D2H board's front USB3 port? The board only has one F_USB30 connection. The port does work in windows but not on the mac. The onboard usb3 ports in the rear works.

Thanks.

install from Multibeast USB3.0 Universal then reboot your front USB3 and USB3 ports will mount USB2.0 devices it does for me let me know if it works for you