Windows 10: USB 2 devices not always compatable with USB 3 ports on Windows 10 PC

In troubleshooting problems with USB devices, I have read that the 1st thing to look for is an updated hardware driver. However, I have found that, before pursuing a new hardware drivers, the 1st thing to look for is if the device works after plugging it into a USB 2 port, if it was not working in a USB 3 port.

I have a Dell Optiplex and was having difficulties with getting a scanner working when it was plugged into a USB 3 port. I too started looking for driver updates but the solution was to plug the scanner into a USB 2 port. Windows 10 found the correct drivers and it stared working right away. Apparently USB 3 is not always backwards compatible with USB 2.

Vegas Pines

:)

 

USB 3.0

USB 3.x is backwards compatible with USB 2.x

I use USB 3 devices in USB 2 ports and vice versa - always works. Obviously, a USB 3 device is not going to achieve USB 3 throughput in a USB 2 port.

In a community forum like this one, posting in caps means you're shouting at us, which is considered rude.

 

USB 2, 3, 4 or what?

Unless your PC is 10 or more years old, you are unlikely to have a USB 1.0 or USB 1.1 port. The visual difference between a USB 2 port and USB 3 port is that the latter has a blue colored tab inside the connector.

I have not seen the message "... this may operate quicker/better ..." in Windows 10. However, Windows 8 would display a similar message if you plugged a USB 3 device into a USB 2 port. That message meant
that you might experience faster data transfer if you plugged a USB 3 device into a USB 3 port.

Since, in real life, you won't always discern a difference between a USB 3 device and a USB 2 device, my guess is that Microsoft removed the message so as not to alarm users.

USB 4 has yet to appear.

 

For some reason Dell's USB ports and the BIOS support for them (especially the front-panel ones) are picky.

This also affects booting from USB ports. I've had a couple of Optiplex models that boot USB devices in USB 1.1 mode despite having hardware, BIOS, and booted OS support for 2.0

Also had issues with booting Windows install DVD's from USB-2.0 interface optical drives connected to USB-3.0 ports. The installer complains that a driver is missing; if you connect the drive to a USB 2.0 port the problem disappears.

 

Thanks for confirming my post. Your comment about Dell's BIOS support is interesting. I am a strictly a Dell shop and don't really have experience with other PC's to know if this problem is universal with all BIOS or just Dell's. Apparently you don't find this issue on other PC's?

 

Not that I can claim vast experience with a variety of other PC's (I can't) but compared to, say, Asus, Lenovo, HP, Acer/Gateway - the Optiplex models seem to be particularly picky.

Another situation came to mind when I was thinking about this. There is a product on the market (still for sale but not really supported/developed anymore) called ISOStick. It is a kind of USB microSD card reader but having firmware which will read ISOs stored on the SD card and emulate an optical boot drive. Sort of like the Zalman/iodd HDD enclosures which do the same thing and more, only using an HDD as the storage medium - and doing so much better.

The only machines in which I have seen the ISOStick emulation consistently fail to work is with the Dell BIOS.
(The Zalman/iodd enclosures pretty much work anywhere, the hardware emulation is so good).