Jason Lawson

Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 23 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:36 am Post subject: Beware shorted USB ports |
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As far as I can tell it's an uncommon occurrence, but the effects can be baaad.
My windoze tower that I use as backup now, but was my primary recording computer originally came with one of the usb ports on the front non-functional, I figured its just not connected probably.
I forget what I plugged into it the first time that I noticed it didn't work but apparently the Item worked on the next usb port I tried...and I thought little of it, just a minor defect in some ways I figure, after all theres 3 other ports.
So recently I get an external hard drive and decided to plug it there, hmm no light ...nothing....try other port, nothing, drive must be bad. Returned it got another, decided I'd rather have it in the studio so I used it on a single usb extension, but then I needed to run my cam as well etc.., so I use it with a usb hub, no dice it wanted full power to itself.
So I plug it into that supposedly dysfunctional usb port thinking maybe its ok....nope it killed it dead instantly.
So then I realize what had probably happened to my old usb camera that died for unknown reasons back when, was that I plugged it into there, so over the years some things I plugged into it just appeared not to work but were ok afterward, but then other stuff it fried.
I haven't disassembled yet to see what exactly it is, theres a lot of shielding near there so I may never know, but if you plug something up you know is ok and it doesn't work ....even if it works ok on other ports be cautious what you plug into the "apparently disconnected" usb port it may be shorted like mine was.
In my case I lost a lot of stuff. I had just transferred everything to the new external hdd, and was about to cloud it ....when disaster struck.
It sure messed my schedule and my budget up. |
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