Windows 10 Updates cause USB devices to not be able to reconnect....any ideas please?

[Diddyman]

Hi,

I am running an old PC (Sandybridge) in my office on Windows 10, and also have my work laptop connected there too, with a basic USB switch so they can both share the same keyboard and mouse.

For years I was able to simply switch the keyboard and mouse between the two, back and forth 100’s of times a day without issues and the USB devices would just re-connect and start working again when switching from laptop back to my old PC and vice versa.

However in the summer of this year when switching back from the laptop to the PC the keyboard and mouse would not reconnect, resulting in the only option being to switch off and reboot my old PC to get the USB ports working again.

After changing the USB switch, removing the USB devices/ports in device manager and trying all different USB drivers in the old PC I narrowed this issue down to a Windows update causing this issue.

After uninstalling the most recent update at the time the problem went away.

However, since the problem first occurred every single windows Cumulative update and Version update and almost all (but not all) Security Updates now cause the issue of the USB devices not being able to reconnect if they get disconnected.

The only updates that no not cause the issue are Defender and .NET updates.

Does anyone have any ideas please before I try a fresh install to see if that fixes the issue or try Windows 11.

Other that this really annoying issue caused by a Windows Update this old PC workhorse is performing flawlessly!

Cheers
D

 

[radderfire]

I am just wondering if on the laptop the keyboard and mouse are using a newer USB standard, so when you switch back, the old PC cannot recognise the devices because they are using too new a USB standard to connect. It may be there is a way to force the devices to use an older USB standard on the laptop which would rectify this. This is just a guess though.

 

[lsg1r]

Windows 10 doesn't officially support sandybridge cpus so it's likely part of the reason you're getting issues... windows 11 probably won't even install.

Does you pc motherboard have a specific socket for keyboard/mouse, some need you to put them in a certain socket to be detected etc.
Are there more up to date usb drivers from intel than the ones you're using?

Is it the same with every keyboard and mouse

 

[darael]

Windows 10 doesn't officially support sandybridge cpus so it's likely part of the reason you're getting issues... windows 11 probably won't even install.

Does you pc motherboard have a specific socket for keyboard/mouse, some need you to put them in a certain socket to be detected etc.
Are there more up to date usb drivers from intel than the ones you're using?

Is it the same with every keyboard and mouse

I wouldn't worry too much about Windows 11 and older CPUs, I've got Windows 11 on a 1st gen i5 laptop with no issues. I just used the Bypass.reg to tell the installer to ignore the specs it thinks it needs.

On the other hand, I wouldn't install Windows 11 on my main machine, whose 7th gen i5 isn't officially supported by Windows 11. More because I won't don't want to be left in the lurch should Microsoft change their stance on supported hardware. Another reason is because I'm don't really see what the fuss for Windows 11 is all about.

 

[Diddyman]

Thanks for input!

I have tried different keyboard and mice and they all suffer the same issue.

It must be part of one of the updates borking my USB ports after a devices disconnects not allowing that port to be used again.

Very much like this Win XP issue....

USB port may stop working after you remove or insert a USB device - Microsoft Support

Describes a method to resolve a problem in which a USB port may stop responding when a USB device is repeatedly inserted and removed.

support.microsoft.com

Not sure if it borks all the ports or just the one where the devices were connected, but the same problem happens not matter what USB port I initially use.

I will change the drive and try a fresh Windows 10 install or Windows 11, at the moment I a missing most of the Win 10 updates so no overly fussed if I go Win 11 and updates stop, in a no worst position than I am now.

If this is a "feature" of both Win 10 and 11, other option is to get a USB Expansion card and see how that fairs.

Thanks to all those who responded!

 

[Diddyman]

OK issue finally now resolved....

As I mentioned one of the updates in Window 10 that gets rolled into the cumlative updates/new versions of Windows 10 stops my keyboard/mouse reconnecting when using a USB switch to swap these devices between my old desktop and my work laptop.

I upgraded my old pc (Sandybridge) to Windows 11, by way of an upgrade (not a fresh install) and all went fine.

The problem became a different one, the keyboard and mouse would connect back, but it took around 1min 50 seconds each time for this to happen, it was possible it was taking this long in Windows 10 too, but I never waited long enough to see it probably.

Connected to the USB switch was a small 4 port USB hub and this is where the wireless receivers for mouse and keyboard and also a USB connection to my HP printer.

I tried 2 different USB hubs and it made no difference, however when I put the original 4 port hub back in I didn't replug in the printer.....and keyboard and mouse reconnected immediately!

So I put this down to one of the updates changing something that does not play nicely when my printer trys to reconnect stopping or delaying all the other USB devices reconnecting.

This issue happens on both my aging HP 6520 and a much newer HP 7220e so could be a HP issue

Now this the printer just goes straight to my laptop and on my desktop I just print over the network now, and switching keyboard/mouse is back to being instant again.

Cheers
Diddy