Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

[ron350]

Don't know where to post this Bleeping Computer forum will not let me join. This is a dumb question as usual so don't laugh too hard.
I have this old computer that running XP home edition with Intel 1BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller.-2442.

I am wondering if any company still sells a flash drive that will work with this old computer?

All I want to do is save the My Pictures and My Documents.

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Don't know where to post this Bleeping Computer forum will not let me join. This is a dumb question as usual so don't laugh too hard.
I have this old computer that running XP home edition with Intel 1BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller.-2442.

I am wondering if any company still sells a flash drive that will work with this old computer?

All I want to do is save the My Pictures and My Documents.

Best thing to deal with such situation is to have a Pci CARD USB 2.0 . Some have 4 outlets , and will save you the trouble of connecting another new devices ..

[mariushm]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

ron350 ... may sound silly, but if that computer is connected to the Internet, maybe it's faster to just zip the files (and optionally put a password on it if you're paranoid) and upload the zip on some free file sharing site... like mediafire.com or mega.co.nz etc etc
Then you can download it to another computer.

Alternatively... do you have another computer or laptop with network cards around? Does this old system have a network card?

If so, just buy a crossover network cable (if any of the two network cards are capable of only 100mbps maximum) or if both cards support 1gbps a basic network cable with same connector on both ends will work just as well (gigabit network cards are smart enough to detect how the wires are arranged in the connectors so even if you don't use a crossover cable, they figure out your intention and send the signals through the right wires).

Once you connect the computers with a network cable, you just have to make the computers see each other by putting them in the same network - it's simple, just go where you configure internet address and enter a unique IP for each computer (for example 192.168.0.1 for 1st pc, 192.168.0.2 for the 2nd pc , and subnet mask 255.255.255.0 on both computers) and then if you share the hard drive of a computer, it should become visible on the other computer automatically.

Both options would be much cheaper than a USB controller card and may not require from you to open up the computer and plug cards in and so on.

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

ron350 ... may sound silly, but if that computer is connected to the Internet, maybe it's faster to just zip the files (and optionally put a password on it if you're paranoid) and upload the zip on some free file sharing site... like mediafire.com or mega.co.nz etc etc
Then you can download it to another computer.

Alternatively... do you have another computer or laptop with network cards around? Does this old system have a network card?

If so, just buy a crossover network cable (if any of the two network cards are capable of only 100mbps maximum) or if both cards support 1gbps a basic network cable with same connector on both ends will work just as well (gigabit network cards are smart enough to detect how the wires are arranged in the connectors so even if you don't use a crossover cable, they figure out your intention and send the signals through the right wires).

Once you connect the computers with a network cable, you just have to make the computers see each other by putting them in the same network - it's simple, just go where you configure internet address and enter a unique IP for each computer (for example 192.168.0.1 for 1st pc, 192.168.0.2 for the 2nd pc , and subnet mask 255.255.255.0 on both computers) and then if you share the hard drive of a computer, it should become visible on the other computer automatically.

Both options would be much cheaper than a USB controller card and may not require from you to open up the computer and plug cards in and so on.

Good options , but , What if next , he wants to connect a survey camera or a new printer ? .. A survey camera will blur on 1.0 or 1.1 USB , that , if it succeeded to function .

Add to that , a USB card controller is cheaper than buying two network cards (supposedly he has another station ) plus a crossover cable .

Building a home network is prob. easy for you and me , and yet for him !!..

Finally , a USB stick can leave home in his small pocket ...A necessity .

[pfrcom]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Any USB2 flash drive should be backward compatible with USB1 controller on OP's system

Should have no problems if you stick with a known brand like Sandisk

I've had no issues using a 16GB Sandisk Cruzer Edge with an Intel BX chipset motherboard

Possibly even USB3 flash drives may be compatible

And USB2 drives going very cheap, at least here in Australia, now consumer demand has shifted to USB3

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Any USB2 flash drive should be backward compatible with USB1 controller on OP's system

Should have no problems if you stick with a known brand like Sandisk

I've had no issues using a 16GB Sandisk Cruzer Edge with an Intel BX chipset motherboard

Possibly even USB3 flash drives may be compatible

And USB2 drives going very cheap, at least here in Australia, now consumer demand has shifted to USB3

Your mobo was 440BX i think , lot better than precedent ones with BA chipset. Here is the total difference . Intel made this chipset for solving such issues .

[stj]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

usb1.0 cant work with memory sticks or harddrives or anything else requiring block-transfers- it has a hardware design fault.

usb1.1 fixes that bug.

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

usb1.0 cant work with memory sticks or harddrives or anything else requiring block-transfers- it has a hardware design fault.

usb1.1 fixes that bug.

I use to call this block transfer issue a "narrow bandwidth " ..

[japlytic]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

I happened to find in a Cypress CY7C68013A USB microcontroller (EZ-USB FX2LP) datasheet that the USB Low Speed (1.5 Mbit) signalling mode is not supported (as per Section 3.1 in the aforesaid datasheet).
Some other USB microcontrollers could also have this limitation as well.

[stj]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

that chip is in a lot of cheap logic-analysers and stuff i think, it needs speed because it streams without much of a buffer

[ratdude747]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

I'd look for an NEC-based USB 2.0 card. Skip the via cards, they suck!

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

I'd look for an NEC-based USB 2.0 card. Skip the via cards, they suck!

Excellent advice .. I saw lot of via cards with no fuses whatsoever . Funny thing is , those cards had the fuses holes , lol . And yes , they serve less than one year .

[ratdude747]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Excellent advice .. I saw lot of via cards with no fuses whatsoever . Funny thing is , those cards had the fuses holes , lol . And yes , they serve less than one year .

I hadn't even gone there... I just meant the chips being junk and the drivers being even worse.

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

I hadn't even gone there... I just meant the chips being junk and the drivers being even worse.

Via is a nightmare , that's for sure ...

[stj]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

on windows maybe - no problem with linux.

[lti]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Excellent advice .. I saw lot of via cards with no fuses whatsoever . Funny thing is , those cards had the fuses holes , lol . And yes , they serve less than one year .

Unfortunately, as I have mentioned in other threads, the only USB 2.0 card I've seen with the correct internal USB header was a VIA card with ferrite beads in the fuse positions. Replacing them with fuses shouldn't be a problem for anyone who can solder.

on windows maybe - no problem with linux.

They still suck for me. My current Linux box is an old laptop with a VIA chipset. Its USB ports (two USB 1.1 ports) transfer data unusually slowly (about 600kB/s). However, it doesn't disconnect both USB devices if the current draw is anywhere near 500mA like it did in Windows.

Back on topic: I've never seen a USB 2.0 flash drive that didn't work in a USB 1.1 or 1.0 port. I've never used any USB 3.0 drives. Those might be different.

[ron350]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Thanks for all the help I will print this and save.

This all started the other day when I was in Staples and the employee asked if I needed any help. He informed me that no flash drive would work that I needed to bring the computer in for a $60 transfer. LOL

Today I was driving by an Office Depot and just inside the door was a Lexor display 16GB for $6. Check out guy does the same thing and says the flash drive would not work on my very old computer. Salesman tried to sell me some $40 software package. I purchased one of the cheap Lexor flash drive and just now transferred all of my files to it. Pffft.

Once again thanks for all the help I need it.

[jiroy]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Unfortunately, as I have mentioned in other threads, the only USB 2.0 card I've seen with the correct internal USB header was a VIA card with ferrite beads in the fuse positions. Replacing them with fuses shouldn't be a problem for anyone who can solder.


They still suck for me. My current Linux box is an old laptop with a VIA chipset. Its USB ports (two USB 1.1 ports) transfer data unusually slowly (about 600kB/s). However, it doesn't disconnect both USB devices if the current draw is anywhere near 500mA like it did in Windows.

Back on topic: I've never seen a USB 2.0 flash drive that didn't work in a USB 1.1 or 1.0 port. I've never used any USB 3.0 drives. Those might be different.

I checked well back then , no ferrite beads , no drawn circuits , just a 431A as i remember , who was supposed to take the whole show it seems , and eventually finish the card with it . Via made lot of cheap cards , probably not for USA but for other countries , i don't know ..

I still have many old desktops up and running (one of my hobbies) and believe me , with 1.0 usb , life is tough , really tough , although different bioses and different chipsets with diversity to USB support can make lot of different results ..

[lti]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

I checked well back then , no ferrite beads , no drawn circuits , just a 431A as i remember , who was supposed to take the whole show it seems , and eventually finish the card with it . Via made lot of cheap cards , probably not for USA but for other countries , i don't know ..

I still have many old desktops up and running (one of my hobbies) and believe me , with 1.0 usb , life is tough , really tough , although different bioses and different chipsets with diversity to USB support can make lot of different results ..

VIA only makes the chip. Another company makes the rest of the card. If VIA has a reference card, I would guess that it is similar to the Rosewill RC-100 (Sunrich Technology U-164). That's the card I have. Even in the stock photos, there are ferrite beads in the fuse positions.

I have a computer with USB 1.0 ports. I never had a problem with it. It's a Compaq with an SiS 5598 chipset. That whole computer actually runs surprisingly well.

[TechGeek]

Re: Usb 1 compatible flash drive?

Any USB2 flash drive should be backward compatible with USB1 controller on OP's system

Should have no problems if you stick with a known brand like Sandisk

I've had no issues using a 16GB Sandisk Cruzer Edge with an Intel BX chipset motherboard

Possibly even USB3 flash drives may be compatible

And USB2 drives going very cheap, at least here in Australia, now consumer demand has shifted to USB3

I have USB 3 drives, they have operated with USB 1 under Windows 2000.