jack_belen Posted November 15, 2003 Share Posted November 15, 2003 I have a Dell Dimension 4400 desktop computer. When I attached my new Lexar media card reader to it, I got a message that the new Lexar device is a high-speed device, but the computer does not have a high-speed USB port. So the transfer is done at slow speed. Is there something I can do to my computer ports to take advantage of the high-speed card reader I have?Thanks, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl smith Posted November 15, 2003 Share Posted November 15, 2003 Unfortunately you don't tell us how old the system is and I'm not apt to go looking it up right now. It's completely possible that your computer does not have a USB 2.0 port, as you will get that message when using XP after inserting a 2.0 device in to a 1.1 port. If you don't have a USB 2.0 port you can buy a PCI card with USB 2.0 (and firewire if you want it) for less than $20 at some online retailers (like newegg.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_belen Posted November 15, 2003 Author Share Posted November 15, 2003 It is a Pentium 4 computer running Windows XP. I bought it February, 2002. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 The cards that Carl mentioned are about 28 bucks at the Office Supply chains; Walmart; etc. They are PCI cards; and have 2 to 4 USB 2.0 ports out he back; and usually one on the card. The one on the card is for connecting to the front USB on newer computers; using the cable to the front door/slots. SOME programs and devices will not work with the faster 2.0 spec; and only work with the old. Add a new card; and see that all your USB devices actually work; before abandoning a USB 1.0 port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkbmac Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 The PCI slot is an easy fix, and well worth the money. Be sure you are running XP SP1 in order to have the USB 2.0 drivers installed (as well as protection from a ton of security holes). IS this one of the Lexar card readers that comes with the 40x pro cards? I have had nothing but trouble with mine (I use another reader now with no problems) I kept getting i/o device errors while downloading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 It might not make much difference. Although USB 2.0 can theoretically sustain a 480 megabit/s transfer rate, most memory cards have maximum read speeds of a few megabytes/s. This isn't much more than the maximum speed of USB 1.1 (12 megabits/s). You can probably throw a USB 2.0 card in your machine for $25 or so. It will probably work. I put one in an old clone I had (running W2K) and it worked just fine. If you're still using Win98, all bets are off on whether it will work properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 These upgrade cards come in many types; some to 6 ports. Some also add Firewire/1394 ports also. At computer swap meets; I have seen "no name" cards with two USB 2.0 ports for about 14 bucks. The Upgrade cards usually work with Win98 and above systems. The USB 2.0 cable is built for the 40X faster transfer rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 Bob; I have several WIN98SE boxes that work well with the PCI USB 2.0 upgrade cards. One is even a 200Mhz Pentium Pro from 1997. Others here could have problems; not all software and hardware do a good mix at times. <BR><BR>I agree that a USB 2.0 for a memory card is probably an overkill. I was thinking about usage with a USB 2.0 scanner; when I made my replies. <BR><BR>A good friend has some old hardware that barfs when connected to a modern 2.0 port. It is his three year old digital camera; of all things!<BR><BR>With WIN98; one of our cheap 400 Mhz emachines would work with all devices on the front 1.1 USB port; but only a few with the rear USB port. When we upgraded the box to WIN98SE; this weirdness when away. Windows 95B with service release 2.1 in 1996 added some USB support; this is disabled; and must be turned on I think. The USB upgrade cards I believe wont work with WIN95. A friend that designs systems for production lines uses some USB features with DOS; this is getting abit deep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl smith Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 Some of the faster geewhiz cards can benefit from the USB 2.0 connection as can Secure Digital and whatnot (I have a 6 in 1 reader). But if you own a generic Compact Flash card it probably won't make a whole heck of a lot of difference, although you might want real USB 2.0 support anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 I wouldn't attemnpt to run USB on any OS prior to Win98SE. Though USB 1.0 is "supported" in some versions of Win95 - and I have a Win95 laptop with a USB port - it's really unstable and whether any particular device will work or not on it is pretty hit and miss. Forget about USB 2.0 on anything prior to Win98SE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_l1 Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I have a Dell Dimension 8200, purchased in 2002, same problem. After I bought the reader, I found out my computer does not support USB2.0. (It has 4 USB1.1 ports) I bought a 2.0 high-speed PCI card($9.99), problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_l1 Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 right click my computer, go to manage... Click on device manager, then click on the + mark of universal serial bus controllers, you'll see a list of ports... If you see the word "enhanced" then you have USB2.0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photobyalan.com Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Bob, My USB 2.0 card reader makes a world of difference with every one of my CF cards. When downloading 7MB RAW files, I see a big reduction in the time it takes to download each file when compared to downloading with a standard USB 1 card reader (<2 seconds vs. >6 seconds). This applies to everything from my IBM 1GB microdrive to my newest 1GB 40x CF card. It was definitely worth it to me, since I can save several minutes download time on a full card, about 170 files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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