Computer is frying all USB devices that are connected
Mar 22
My computer specs are as follows. The computer is almost 1 year old. It is custom built:
- Motherboard: ASUS h510m-a
- OS: Windows 11
- PSU: EVGA 500BR
In the past hour, I have connected multiple mice and one keyboard, and they have all been fried. After some time of using them, I received an error that the last USB device I have connected to this computer has malfunctioned, and they stopped working on all other devices. This applies to both wired and wireless keyboards and mice.
Several weeks ago, one of my RAM sticks randomly died, and I had to remove it otherwise my computer was stuck in a blue-screen loop. I think this might be connected somehow.
Why is this happening? What part is causing the issue and how can I fix it?
1 answer
Accepted answer · original discussion
Mar 23
Stop using your computer and turn it off. There is definitely a hardware fault in your computer.
If these are USBv2 ports, then it definitely sounds like 12 or more volts is being sent through the USB power lines. This is what is frying your devices. It could be a short somewhere in the motherboard, the internal USB hub, or in the USB controller itself.
If it's USBv3... Well, I haven't heard of a USBv3 controller sending more power to something that has not negotiated for more. However, it's still probably a short.
First thing to do is contact the manufacturer and talk to their support. If it's under warranty, get the motherboard replaced.
If it is not under warranty, you can take it to a reputable computer repair shop. Depending on the issue, they might be able to repair it, but this is not likely. They will probably recommend a new motherboard or the advice in the following paragraph.
Another possibility is if it's just the USB bus that's the issue, stop using it and get a PCI/PCIe USB add-on card and only use its ports.
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Mar 24