USB Composite Device Not Recognized (for Long)

[Jeppe]

Hi all.

I have problems running my USB composite device with any stability. The device is connecting PS/2 trackball and PS/2 keyboard to the computer. When I have plugged in the USB composite device with trackball and keyboard connected to it, everything will run fine for maybe 10 minutes, maybe half an hour, some times even more, and then a message will pop up saying: "The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows doesn't recognize it." The driver that installs when I plug the device in is an old Windows one: Version 10.0.17134.1 from 21 June 2006. I have already tried – to the best of my ability – to uninstall USB entries in Device Manager, and rebooted to have them reinstall.

In short: The device works just fine, until it is "thrown off" and I am told it malfunctioned.

Hope you can help.

 

[Trouble]

Can we assume that you have checked the Power Management tab (Device Manager) in the device's properties to confirm that "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is unchecked.
Along with all the same as it pertains to your USB Hubs??

 

[Jeppe]

Yes, Trouble, as a matter of fact I have already unchecked the check-boxes you refer to on the advice found elsewhere on the Internet. However, I am not sure this is really relevant, as the "malfunctioning" sometimes happens right when I am using the keyboard and/or trackball. But thanks for drawing attention to it.

 

[Trouble]

Do you have the available physical ports available to use both the trackball and keyboard without the USB Hub, to test and see if the same thing happens?

 

[Jeppe]

I have one physical PS/2-port. It is a combined keyboard/mouse port (half lilac / half green). I am trying the trackball on that port right now, -- while availing myself of my wife's USB-keyboard. The PS/2 keyboard (my own) is normally on that combined port, so I know that it works OK with my computer.

 

[Jeppe]

I have now tried out my PS/2-trackball for three hours on the PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, and it seems to work. There have been no pop-up messages, and the trackball has been working smoothly.

 

[Trouble]

I was thinking that you might have multiple USB ports available on your computer so as to replicate what you are attempting to do with the USB hub.

Are you using ps2 to USB adapters / converters for both the trackball and keyboard?
Is the USB hub, powered externally by an AC adapter or is it passive.

Can you provide any information regarding the hub itself.... Manufacturer, Model Name, Model Number. IS it a USB 3.0 or 2.0 device.
Are you able to test the USB hub with a USB keyboard and a USB mouse that do not require adapters to connect to your hub.

I have a 7 port USB 3.0 powered hub, which I purchased some time ago expressly for its' 3.0 feature.
It has never functioned reliably as a 3.0 hub.
Not sure why I haven't just thrown it away

 

[Jeppe]

What I am trying to make work is this USB composite device. As it appears from the site linked to, the device is USB powered and receives no external power There is little info to identify the device and its maker. However, there is this string of characters on one side of the converter housing: ZL 2009 3 0066791.8, and on the bar code label on the packing it says: www.cablecc.com and U2-143, which is probably the seller and (his) product-id).

Nothing except PS/2-devices can be connected to the composite device without adaptor. Having tested my PS/2 mouse for three hours on my computer's PS/2 port, I think it is OK, and my PS/2 keyboard certainly is, cf. earlier post. So I think the problem lies with the composite device. Could it be that Windows 10 does not like it?

The reason why I would like to bring my old PS/2 Logitech Trackman Marble trackball into use is I find I can control it more precisely than I can my wireless Logitech M570.

 

[Trouble]

Could it be that Windows 10 does not like it?

That's a possibility, although I would suspect that if that were the case, then it probably wouldn't work at all and you've reported that it does work..... until at some point it doesn't.
That would lead me to suspect a problem with the device itself.

The reason why I would like to bring my old PS/2 Logitech Trackman Marble trackball into use is I find I can control it more precisely than I can my wireless Logitech M570

It would seem that you could leave the trackball on the ps2 port and simply pickup a USB keyboard
OR
Perhaps look into something like a ps2 splitter that doesn't switch / convert from ps2 to USB but maintains the ps2 pinout throughout the connection
https://www.amazon.com/ps-2-splitter/s?page=1&rh=i:aps,k:ps/2 splitter

NOT an endorsement of such products as I've never actually used one but might be worth looking into, IF....
You insist on using two ps2 devices with only a single ps2 port on the motherboard.

 

[Jeppe]

Thank-you very much, Trouble. It was very very kind of you to attend to my little problem so generously.

I have already tried a PS/2-splitter, which I have had refunded by Ebay because it was defective. Pins badly bent when I received it!! I have not, since then, been able to find a reasonably priced PS/2-splitter I had confidence in buying. Some say that a colored port (green/lilac) requires a splitter with colored plugs. It may be true that there is a difference that matters. Anyway, I was happy to try this conversion solution. Unfortunately, until now it has not been very useful. Luckily, it didn't cost a lot, and it may be refunded by Ebay. Worst thing is the waiting time.

Again, thanks very much.

 

[Jeppe]

The device is registered as "not migrated". On the Events-tab under Properties for USB composite device in the Device Manager, it says "Device USB\VID_046D&PID_C52B\5&f6a6a5f&0&9 was not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match."

By the way, Device Manager shows two instances of the USB composite device. I have discovered that one of the two entries "USB composite device" is my Logitech trackball M570. When I keep the USB receiver for that device unplugged, there is only the entry for the PS2-splitter under USB-devices in Device Manager, AND the device does NOT have those radom stops, and I receive NO error massages ("The last USB device … malfunctioned and was not recognized by Windows." However, although I keep the Logitech M570 receiver unplugged, the note "Device … not migrated …" is still there in Device Manager on the Events-tab under Properties for the device, and whenever I shut down the computer, I have to unplug the device and plug it back in to make it work (i.e. in order to use my keyboard and trackball).

Do you, Trouble, or someone else have a clue as to why the device happily functions (and stably, provided I keep the trackball receiver unplugged), but insists on NOT migrating?

 

[Bighorn]

Don't know if this helps but I have a motherboard that has the purple/green PS/2 port, works fine with a green mouse adapter but not with the keyboards and purple adapters I have. What I have found is the keyboard had to be originally designed to use the adapter it came with, not with an OTC/aftermarket adapter. Can't say if that applies to all keyboards but the ones I have don't work with it.

 

[Jeppe]

This is the device causing me trouble, a USB to PS/2-splitter, sometimes referred to as a type of USB composite device.

 

[Jeppe]

... whenever I shut down the computer, I have to unplug the device and plug it back in to make it work (i.e. in order to use my keyboard and trackball).

This morning I started up my computer (after it being shut down for the night) without any need for unplugging and replugging the device to make it work. However, the device is still "not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match".

 

[Bighorn]

Have you tried that device on a different computer or two? Could be it simply is flawed in some respect and won't work as designed.

A belated thought: Are you plugging the device into a USB 2 port or a USB 3 port on the computer? Your comment about "unplugging and plugging" suggests the issue may be partly due to the BIOS having support for USB 2 at initial bootup but using USB 3 ports requires the OS/Operating System loading which in turn loads drivers for the USB 3. And maybe a check in the BIOS to assure Legacy USB support is Enabled.

 

[Jeppe]

Thanks for your suggestions, Bighorn. In my experience it makes no difference if I use a USB 2 or a USB 3 port. Legacy USB was Enabled when I looked in the BIOS. I have now set it to Auto and have Enabled something called Compatibility Patch. It seems to have made no difference though.

I have now tried the device on two other computers, a laptop and a desktop, both of them Windows 10 based, the laptop 32-bit and the desktop 64-bit like mine. The device gets migrated on none of them, which, of course, may indicate that there is something wrong with the device, -- or it may indicate that Windows 10 does not accept the device, intact or not, though I don't see why that should be so.

I have now ordered a keyboard and mouse splitter (lilac and green) PS/2 to PS/2 -- as suggested by Trouble in #9. My old Logitech Trackman Marble is real nice and handy and easily controllable in great detail, and my Microsoft Natural Keyboard, which I have used almost every day since I bought it with my first computer in 1996, has never given me the slightest cause to comlain. So, yes Trouble, I am willing to put some effort into sharing that single PS/2-port on my AsRock motherboard.

I'll post to tell you all whether the PS/2 to PS/2 splitter I have ordered works well on my computer. It may be some time before I post, due to the shipping of the splitter.

 

[Jeppe]

I received my PS/2 to PS/2 keyboard and mouse splitter (StarTech KYC1MF) on February 20, and, so far, it works really well, and makes my old grey mouse (trackball) and keyboard work like in the good old days.

The PS2 to USB splitter that I was asking about, never really got to work in the sense that it never got migrated, as reported on the Events tab under Properties for the device (USB composite device). The fact that it did not get migrated meant that the device never got to work with total stability, although it worked without a problem for long periods (whole days), provided I kept my Logitech M570 USB-receiver unplugged. However, when I least expected it, the device could stop working, and it would be necessary to unplug and replug it to make it function again.

Thank you very much for all the attention you have given my little problem, Trouble and Bighorn. Should you or anyone else have any questions related to this issue, please do not hesitate to ask, and I will share what little I might have to contribute.

 

[Bighorn]

You're welcome.