47 replies to this topic

[videorama]

I have added 2 external hard drives to my system for the purpose of keeping jpeg and mpeg data both as a back-up (while editing) and as archived data for the future. The problem that I have is the raw jpeg/mpeg files, DMSM projects, ISO, and just plain WMP files that taken from the computer internal hard drive and have duplicated in the external drives all have a glitch in them at a rate of about 1 to 2 times a second! Another words, both the picture and sound has a split second pause about every second.

I used the standard Windows copy method:

Highlight the applicable original file,
right click,
"copy",
move cursor to the external hard drive icon,
right click,
"paste"

I am unaware of anyother method of transfer so I am high and dry on this one.

If anyone has a suggestion I would appreciate knowing about it. I have noted that many of you advise backing up and since I have recently lost a hard drive I thought that I would learn by my mistakes.

Thanks in advance for any/all help!

[grandpabruce]

How are the externals connected to your computer?  If they are USB, do you have them plugged into USB 2.0 ports on the back of your computer?

[videorama]

How are the externals connected to your computer?  If they are USB, do you have them plugged into USB 2.0 ports on the back of your computer?

Thanks for the time to answer my query.

Yes, I do have the external drives connected to the USB plugs on the back of the computer CPU but, as far as I know, my Sony Vaio (PCV-RZ - circa 2003) is just USB. I know the external drives are capable of USB 2 but when the machine boots up with a message about USB 2 being faster it then follows up with a message that USB 2 is not available.

So, to the point, The implication is that the glitches are the "hunks" of data coming across the USB rather than a smooth continuous fast flow of data that a USB 2 would allow.

I do have a Firewire 1394EEE  (that I use to download the camcorder mpegs) but I don't see where that would connect to the external drives.

Are there any options here?

[Brendon]

Are there any options here?

Your USB 1.1 on your computer won't be able to bring the files in fast enough to play. If your Vaio is a desktop, an admirable solution would be a PCI card to provide USB 2.0 and that will let you go up towards 480 Megabits/second.

A card which provides 4 or 5 USB 2.0 ports can be got for $15 to $30. Do a search on "PCI USB card" and you'll see hundreds of sources.

[videorama]

Your USB 1.1 on your computer won't be able to bring the files in fast enough to play. If your Vaio is a desktop, an admirable solution would be a PCI card to provide USB 2.0 and that will let you go up towards 480 Megabits/second.

A card which provides 4 or 5 USB 2.0 ports can be got for $15 to $30. Do a search on "PCI USB card" and you'll see hundreds of sources.

Thanks ever so much. I know nothing about PC's but I'll try to find someone who can install the PCI card as the Vaio is a desktop. With the new PCI card, what will happen to the other equipment that is currently connected to the USB 1.1 ports. Will they then plug into the new ports and continue to work as before or will the new card be "in addition" to the existing cards?

Well, anyway I now know what the troublle is.

[Brendon]

Hello,

Usually the new ports on the card are quite independent of your original ones. You can leave original equipment plugged into the USB 1.1 ports if you want, or move it to the new ports if it can use the higher speed available.

[videorama]

Hello,

Usually the new ports on the card are quite independent of your original ones. You can leave original equipment plugged into the USB 1.1 ports if you want, or move it to the new ports if it can use the higher speed available.

Good morning!

A nights sleep helps anything. I think it came to me that you are saying the files are fine but the USB 1.1 just won't allow them to flow back to the computer (Windows Media Player) fast enough to be seamless. So, I can continue to back-up and archive my data (mpeg, jpeg, ISO, etc ) in the externals but if and when I need to see them, I will have to re-transfer them back aboard the PC first. If that is correct - I can live with that.

To carry on. I looked at my Vaio manual (Yes, when all else fails - read the book) in regards to your suggestion about the PCI card and to my surprise the 3 USB's on the front panel and 4 on the back panel are "USB 2.0"! This is strange because, as I mentioned in a previous reply, a message appears at times advising that USB 2 is a faster process and if I click a box in that message it will locate any such USB2's. When I do click that box there is a slight delay and then a reply that no "USB2's are found.

As I mentioned before, I have no computer knowledge so the following questions arise:


Would the shop that put the new hard drive in have not configured/mis-configured something?

Can the USB 2 feature in my Vaio be acticated/turned on?



                                               Thanks, Jerry

[tbrewst]

You really need at least XP SP1 for USB 2.0 to work.
First make sure you're on at least SP1 then take a look at this article at Microsoft.

[videorama]

You really need at least XP SP1 for USB 2.0 to work.
First make sure you're on at least SP1 then take a look at this article at Microsoft.

Thanks for the information.

I do have Windows XP with service pack 2 on my system so I should be good to go there. I followed the link that you supplied and printed out the "How to" directions but with my limited expertise I am hesitant to do the update as my menu does not have "USB 2.0 EHC1 Host Controller" as a selection. I just have "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" so I don't know if an update of that will be the same as the suggested "USB 2.0 EHC1 Controller" updated specified in the instructions.

I'll try to find someone to give me a hand rather than strick out on my own and fouling the thing up.

Again, thanks for the help!

[grandpabruce]

Thanks for the information.

I do have Windows XP with service pack 2 on my system so I should be good to go there. I followed the link that you supplied and printed out the "How to" directions but with my limited expertise I am hesitant to do the update as my menu does not have "USB 2.0 EHC1 Host Controller" as a selection. I just have "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" so I don't know if an update of that will be the same as the suggested "USB 2.0 EHC1 Controller" updated specified in the instructions.

I'll try to find someone to give me a hand rather than strick out on my own and fouling the thing up.

Again, thanks for the help!

First, check with the Sony website to see if there is a BIOS update for your motherboard, that fixes the problems that started when USB 2.0 first came about.

Second, what menu are you talking about?  If you go into Device Manager, and click on the Universal Serial Bus Controllers, you should see one listing, with the word "Enhanced" in it. If you don't, your motherboard does not have the USB 2.0 ports, or you haven't installed the proper drivers for those ports, or you haven't installed a Sony BIOS update for your motherboard.

[videorama]

First, check with the Sony website to see if there is a BIOS update for your motherboard, that fixes the problems that started when USB 2.0 first came about.

Second, what menu are you talking about?  If you go into Device Manager, and click on the Universal Serial Bus Controllers, you should see one listing, with the word "Enhanced" in it. If you don't, your motherboard does not have the USB 2.0 ports, or you haven't installed the proper drivers for those ports, or you haven't installed a Sony BIOS update for your motherboard.

I went to the Sony site and found:

BIOS - 3 updates;
   A fix for unstable after stand by
   A fix for "System Recovery"
   An improvement for Start-Up

Motherboard:
  Install Intel/R865 chipset device driver for Windows XP

Recovery:
  Improvement to Recovery Wizard

I'm way out of my league but the above does not sound like they affect my USB trouble.

As to the "menu". Yes, it is the Device Manager menu. When USB is expanded I have 14 listings and none with "Enhanced". They are:

  4 = "Intel® 82801EB Universal Host Controller - 24D2, 24D4, 24D7, and 24DE"
  1 = "USB Composite Device"
  4 = "USB Mass Storage Device" (I suspect that these are the 4 USB connections on the back panel of which I have 2 ports connected to the 2 external hard drives)
  1 = "USB Printing Port"
  4 = "USB Root Hub"

With this clarification can you answer me one more question? Does it require a specific hardware to be USB 2.0 or (as long as there is hardware is installed) can the same hardware that is running USB 1.1 be brought up to USB 2.0 by a driver update? Again, my computer manual points to the 3 ports on the front panel and 4 ports on the back panel and calls them "Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) ports". The computer is a late 2003 which according to an article I read all computers manufactured after 2002 were USB 2.0 compliant. So basically (I think) the thing just needs to be brought to it's senses.

I ask this because the information tbrewst linked to says - "Right-click USB 2.0 Host Controller" then click "Update Driver" but since I don't see "USB 2.0 Host Controller" I can't update it but wonder if I can convert any of the existing USB's to the 2.0 configuration? If so how?

Hey - thanks again to both of you for taking the time to fool with me and happy May Day!

[grandpabruce]

I went to the Sony site and found:

BIOS - 3 updates;
   A fix for unstable after stand by
   A fix for "System Recovery"
   An improvement for Start-Up

Motherboard:
  Install Intel/R865 chipset device driver for Windows XP

Recovery:
  Improvement to Recovery Wizard

I'm way out of my league but the above does not sound like they affect my USB trouble.

As to the "menu". Yes, it is the Device Manager menu. When USB is expanded I have 14 listings and none with "Enhanced". They are:

  4 = "Intel® 82801EB Universal Host Controller - 24D2, 24D4, 24D7, and 24DE"
  1 = "USB Composite Device"
  4 = "USB Mass Storage Device" (I suspect that these are the 4 USB connections on the back panel of which I have 2 ports connected to the 2 external hard drives)
  1 = "USB Printing Port"
  4 = "USB Root Hub"

With this clarification can you answer me one more question? Does it require a specific hardware to be USB 2.0 or (as long as there is hardware is installed) can the same hardware that is running USB 1.1 be brought up to USB 2.0 by a driver update? Again, my computer manual points to the 3 ports on the front panel and 4 ports on the back panel and calls them "Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) ports". The computer is a late 2003 which according to an article I read all computers manufactured after 2002 were USB 2.0 compliant. So basically (I think) the thing just needs to be brought to it's senses.

I ask this because the information tbrewst linked to says - "Right-click USB 2.0 Host Controller" then click "Update Driver" but since I don't see "USB 2.0 Host Controller" I can't update it but wonder if I can convert any of the existing USB's to the 2.0 configuration? If so how?

Hey - thanks again to both of you for taking the time to fool with me and happy May Day!

With what you have listed, you don't have  USB 2.0 ports on your computer. Also, I don't know where you read that all computers, built after 2002, were USB 2.0, because that is false.

[videorama]

With what you have listed, you don't have  USB 2.0 ports on your computer. Also, I don't know where you read that all computers, built after 2002, were USB 2.0, because that is false.

Can the ports/hardware that I do have be updated/converted to USB 2.0 or must the hardware be replaced in order to get USB 2.0?

[Brendon]

Can you tell us what you actually have, please, as the Vaio (PCV-RZ is a series with about a hundred different computers in it.

[videorama]

Can you tell us what you actually have, please, as the Vaio (PCV-RZ is a series with about a hundred different computers in it.

Here are the specs:

www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/PCVRZ44G_mksp.pdf


Essentially:

Processor = Intel Pentium 4, 2.8C ghz
Expansion Slots = Three PCI, 2 occupied
Port Connectors = Seven USB 2.0 (Three front/four back)
                           Two PS/2 (mouse/keyboard) One VGA/DVI Monitor port
                           One S/PDIF out/one parallel/one line in
                           One 6pin i-Link (rear)/one 4 pin (front)
                           One headphone/ one microphone
                           S-Video (one front, one rear)
                           Composite Video/audio
                           Coaxial input (VHF/UHF)
I'm using Windows XP Media Edition with SP2 installed. Roxio 7.X (the upgraded edition of 7)

I truly suspect that the unit did, in fact, come out with USB 2.0 but where that has gone is ? I don't know if the USB 2.0 was ever working because before the hard drive freese I never had anything connected by USB that would be affected by speed. I have had the CPU in when the hard drive froze and they had to reload Windows, from a back-up disc that I had made as per the "Quick Start" section of the manual, after replacing the internal hard drive. Maybe that is where the correct stuff for USB 2.0 went astray? That is the point where I "saw the light" with data loss and bought the external drives.

I greatly appreciate your interest in this situation and apologize for my lack of understanding on computer stuff. Essentially, I just want to do my video editing with some degree of satisfaction. In the end - I guess that I can just ignore this situation and still operate OK. The one twinge is that I know USB 2.0 should be there and that would greatly cut down my transfer times to and from the external drives. Worst case, I do it like I do now, that is, transfer a file and go to bed! By morning it is there.


                            Thanks, Jerry

Edited by Brendon, 02 May 2009 - 03:55 PM.

[Brendon]

Hi Jerry,

I hot-linked that Sony reference for you. You use the green icon with the plus [+] next to the underline button when writing a message, to make hotlinks.

Yes, there are 7 x USB 2.0 ports there all right. So why are they defaulting to slow mode?  Are they activated in your BIOS ?

Try this to check that out. I think you'll have an Award BIOS:
-restart, and go into your SETUP screen. Pressing the DEL button as the machine starts should do it, I think.
-your setup screen should show several tabs. Select the PERIPHERALS one, and look for ONBOARD DEVICE.
-You should get a screen like this one



Make sure that the first two items are showing "Enabled".  If they aren't, change them to Enabled, then press F10 - save and exit.

Please come back and report what you find.

[videorama]

Hi Jerry,

I hot-linked that Sony reference for you. You use the green icon with the plus [+] next to the underline button when writing a message, to make hotlinks.

Yes, there are 7 x USB 2.0 ports there all right. So why are they defaulting to slow mode?  Are they activated in your BIOS ?

Try this to check that out. I think you'll have an Award BIOS:
-restart, and go into your SETUP screen. Pressing the DEL button as the machine starts should do it, I think.
-your setup screen should show several tabs. Select the PERIPHERALS one, and look for ONBOARD DEVICE.
-You should get a screen like this one



Make sure that the first two items are showing "Enabled".  If they aren't, change them to Enabled, then press F10 - save and exit.

Please come back and report what you find.

Brendon.

Beyond all - I am thoroughly convinced that this puter has no USB 2.0!!!

I tried your suggestion to no avail. The system fires up as follows:

Sony logo (several seconds)
Intel Pentium logo (several seconds)
"Windows is starting"

During each of the above 3 phases I have tried several (F2, F10, Delete, Esc - as referenced by you and a tutorial website) and Never does a thing but fire up.

I finally found a trail to the "System Information" for the computer and under "USB" there are the same 14 entries (as listed in a previous reply) and not a one has USB 2.0 associated with it. I am firmly convinced that there are no USB 2.0 ports in this computer, regardless of what Sony data shows.

I guess the next step is to contact Sony (which I'm sure they will care less on a 6 year old computer) and ask what's up.

If I ever resolve this situation - I will let you know. In the meantime, thanks so very much for the help. Your guidance has, at the very least, taught me something about computers so I am better off than I was a few days ago.

                                    Jerry

[sknis]

Sometimes you have to beat the living crap out of the appropriate key to get it to work at just the right time!  

[Larry]

Just a thought,

You could try a tool called PC Wizard [it's free btw] to see what it shows your USB ports as. It will show you what version USB is detected as long as something is plugged into the port. Below are a couple screenshots showing a 1.1 and a 2.0 port.

Attached Images

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[Brendon]

Jerry,

If USB 2.0 is not enabled in your BIOS settings, then you'll get the results you've seen. The indicators of USB 2.0 hardware only appear when it's enabled.

The specs of your machine say it has a nice intel 865PE chipset, same as my main machine and mine has eight USB 2 ports.  I can't believe that motherboard would have an 865PE chipset and only USB 1.1 although that's what it would appear like if USB 2.0 wasn't enabled.

I'd keep rapidly tapping each key I'm trying while the two logos are showing, to try getting into the BIOS setup. Once the 'Windows is starting' message appears, it's too late in the POST cycle.