Mouse freezes when flashdrive plugged in usb 3

[hashtaq]

Hello!

I have an HP laptop, 5th gen core i3 with 2 USB-2 ports and 1 USB-3 port. I have plugged in an external wireless mouse and keyboard combo on one USB-2 port. Whenever I plug in a flashdrive on the USB-3 port, only the mouse freezes. The keyboard lags just a bit and is not noticeable but works fine for the most part. I tried the trackpad and it works fine as well. I have tried different Linux distros and the problem remains the same so it's not a Linux problem. I have searched google and the only hint I have gotten is that there may be an issue with the USB-3 driver(s). Almost all of the forum posts are related to Windows. This has been an issue for some years now but I have only decided to address it now because I need all 3 ports.

Kindly help!

 

[osprey]

Without knowing any of the finer details of your system, I can report from experience that there can be a difference between what works well in usb2 compared to usb3. Some hardware appears to prefer one over the other. In your case, if you can't resolve it with what you currently have, you could consider getting a usb hub, say a 4-port hub, (either usb2 or usb3 depending on what you know works with your hardware) to raise the number of ports available.

 

[KGIII]

To add to the above, if you check 'lsusb' you'll (likely) see that you have multiple 'hubs' - like the front USB ports will be on one hub and the rear ports will be on another. You can try putting the keyboard and mouse dongle on the rear while using the front for your thumb drive.

I like the above idea of USB2 v USB3, as one 'hub' may be limited due to how much power is being drawn by the devices.

 

[Lord Boltar]

I am thing along the lines that @osprey has mentioned a powered USB Hub

 

[hacktheworld]

You can try something very simple: remove and reinsert the receiver from the USB port. When I had this problem I solved it in this way.

 

[wizardfromoz]

...like the front USB ports will be on one hub and the rear ports will be on another. You can try putting the keyboard and mouse dongle on the rear while using the front for your thumb drive.

The OP has a laptop, so that is likely left and right, and fewer ports than a desktop.

@hashtaq , there is a possibility of conflict between your usb stick ports and your touchpad/trackpad.

Have you tried disabling that and see if it remedies the situation?

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[bob466]

Why would anyone plug in a keyboard in to a Laptop ? I use a mouse as I don't like the mouse pad but that's me...maybe as the Wizard said there might be conflict with the two keyboards and USB ports.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Why would anyone plug in a keyboard in to a Laptop ? I use a mouse as I don't like the mouse pad but that's me...maybe as the Wizard said there might be conflict with the two keyboards and USB ports.

Welll.....

When I use my lappie outside, there's not much option. But I really prefer to have the screen further away from me, 'cos I'm long-sighted. Which is why, when using it indoors, I use a small, separate keyboard.....and a separate mouse, 'cos I've yet to find a trackpad I really like using.

The old Inspiron probably had the best touchpad I ever found, yet even that had its "issues"....

-------------------------------------------

@hashtaq :-

When you say a mouse/keyboard 'combo', is this two separate dongles in a "splitter" (or two-way connector).....or are we talking about something like a Logitech "unifying" dongle, which lets you pair up to half-a-dozen devices from the same dongle?


Mike.

 

[sphen]

Why would anyone plug in a keyboard in to a Laptop ? I use a mouse as I don't like the mouse pad but that's me...maybe as the Wizard said there might be conflict with the two keyboards and USB ports.

I do it most of the time. On my desk is a laptop stand with a full size keyboard and a mouse. I type fast. Keyboard quality makes a difference to me. I prefer a standard, full-size keyboard to the keyboard on my laptop, no question.

I have a dock that plugs into the laptop with a single Thunderbolt cable. The dock provides many connections, including the keyboard, an external display that serves as a second screen on my desk, Ethernet, digital audio out, etc. The keyboard fits under the laptop stand, which exposes most of the desk surface in front of me for reviewing or working on full size paper documents, writing cards and letters, sketching designs, etc.

The laptop serves as a portable desktop for me. I use it as a laptop with the trackpad some evenings when my partner and I are in the living room together. I keep a mouse in my laptop bag and use the laptop keyboard with the mouse when I visit customer sites. If I know I will be at a "local" customer site more than a day or two, I'll bring a full size keyboard.

 

[bob466]

To each his/her own.

 

[hashtaq]

Thank you very much for the response guys. Sorry about the late reply, I got busy.

I have changed the USB dongle of the mouse and keyboard combo to USB-3 and plugged the flashdrive in USB-2 and it all works fine. The dongle operates at USB-2 and it forces the USB-3 hub to operate at USB-2 after which all 3 ports work fine. I think this is a power issue.

I also used the lsusb command and I don't know if I am reading the output wrong or what. But the output displays the Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub as free even when it is in use. What is the number between the Device and the ID column?

 

[hashtaq]

Why would anyone plug in a keyboard in to a Laptop ? I use a mouse as I don't like the mouse pad but that's me...maybe as the Wizard said there might be conflict with the two keyboards and USB ports.

My keyboard broke a few years back. A key on the numpad just kep going. I tried getting it fixed but was told that it may not be a problem with the keyboard but with the laptop's board. So I decided not to find out and unplugged the keyboard from the board and got a wireless combo.

 

[hashtaq]

Welll.....

When I use my lappie outside, there's not much option. But I really prefer to have the screen further away from me, 'cos I'm long-sighted. Which is why, when using it indoors, I use a small, separate keyboard.....and a separate mouse, 'cos I've yet to find a trackpad I really like using.

The old Inspiron probably had the best touchpad I ever found, yet even that had its "issues"....

-------------------------------------------

@hashtaq :-

When you say a mouse/keyboard 'combo', is this two separate dongles in a "splitter" (or two-way connector).....or are we talking about something like a Logitech "unifying" dongle, which lets you pair up to half-a-dozen devices from the same dongle?


Mike.

It's a Lenovo mouse and keyboard combo with a single dongle.

 

[hashtaq]

The OP has a laptop, so that is likely left and right, and fewer ports than a desktop.

@hashtaq , there is a possibility of conflict between your usb stick ports and your touchpad/trackpad.

Have you tried disabling that and see if it remedies the situation?

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

I keep the trackpad disabled. I just enabled it to see if it also freezes like the mouse and it doesn't.

 

[MikeWalsh]

My keyboard broke a few years back. A key on the numpad just kep going. I tried getting it fixed but was told that it may not be a problem with the keyboard but with the laptop's board. So I decided not to find out and unplugged the keyboard from the board and got a wireless combo.

Heh. That's actually the same sort of reason I began to use a separate keyboard with the old Dell lappie, unrelated to discovering it was better for my long-sightedness. In my case, I was daft enough to spill half-a-cup of coffee all down the right hand side of the Inspiron's keyboard; most keys eventually recovered, but some never did.....like the 'Enter', 'Backspace' and 'Delete' keys (which made trying to do anything, er, shall we say, interesting..!)

Keyboards for an ancient model like the 1100 can still be had, but they're like hen's teeth.....(very rare!) And their vendors are all asking crazy money for them. A separate, USB keyboard was a 'no-brainer' for me.


Mike.

 

[hashtaq]

Heh. That's actually the same sort of reason I began to use a separate keyboard with the old Dell lappie, unrelated to discovering it was better for my long-sightedness. In my case, I was daft enough to spill half-a-cup of coffee all down the right hand side of the Inspiron's keyboard; most keys eventually recovered, but some never did.....like the 'Enter', 'Backspace' and 'Delete' keys (which made trying to do anything, er, shall we say, interesting..!)

Keyboards for an ancient model like the 1100 can still be had, but they're like hen's teeth.....(very rare!) And their vendors are all asking crazy money for them. A separate, USB keyboard was a 'no-brainer' for me.


Mike.

Well, mine just started without any reason after one and a half year. Of course, we can all agree that HP sucks. When I went to buy this lappie I was offered Lenovo with the same specs but cheaper. At that time, Lenovo was new to the laptop game. I was skeptical about the reliability so I went with a name that has been there for decades. But then I found out.

HPs are the worst laptops in terms of Linux support. They don't provide anyway to upgrade the BIOS if you are not using Windows. In fact, they clearly state in their forum posts that they don't support Linux at all. I don't know if that is a different case for their premium laptops. I have read that Specter and some models of the EliteBook support linux.

One year after that, my brother bought a Lenovo with the same specs but it was a generation higher. He's a rough user unlike me. But, man, has that laptop put up with him. Solid laptops. Plus, great for linux.

 

[KGIII]

At that time, Lenovo was new to the laptop game.

You are trying to use a laptop from the late 90s?

 

[hashtaq]

You are trying to use a laptop from the late 90s?

No. I am sorry, what I meant was, it was new in our region. Before that, only Dell and HP and Toshiba as well before it died. Lenovo wasn't very popular here back then. Today, it dominates the market with the Thinkpads being sold the most.