Issue with USB connection when using an external SSD.
Issue with USB connection when using an external SSD.
Recently after installing the SSD in one of the front USB ports, my mouse stopped functioning. I didn’t realize I had connected it to the second front port, which seems to be faulty—it keeps disconnecting USB devices except flash drives. Restarting the PC resolved the problem, but I’m concerned it might have affected the motherboard somehow, like a short circuit. I don’t know how to check the motherboard’s USB health or overall condition. My motherboards are MSI B450 Carbon Pro AC and I’m using NZXT H500. Any advice?
Your issue with power problems at the front USB ports suggests the problem might be there, not the motherboard. If the rear USB ports on the motherboard work fine, the fault is likely with the case. For additional USB 3 ports in the back, consider using a PCI-E USB controller card.
They appear to function correctly overall, but the unexpected behavior occurred immediately after disconnecting your external drive from the USB ports. This issue seems unrelated to your motherboard.
I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on with the case and the USB connections. Many users are reporting problems like sudden disconnections, devices not working, and system freezes. It seems like the motherboard might be trying to protect itself from something that could cause a power surge. On most setups, USB ports connect directly to the board. I suspect NZXT might have added an extra controller between them, which could explain the issues. From what I understand, you probably won’t get USB 2.0 charging or faster speeds compared to the backboard ports.
It seems a bit concerning, especially after reading that you might have affected your motherboard. You mentioned the mouse works fine with power and RGB lights, but mouse input is missing while the keyboard functions properly. This could indicate a power or connectivity issue rather than a hardware fault.
It seems the motherboard controller stopped functioning. The RGB display should still operate because the port maintains a basic voltage to recognize input signals and activate the system. It might just be sufficient for certain lights to remain functional, as LEDs consume minimal power.
To verify the motherboard, connect a USB (motherboard) to a USB-A female adapter, such as the one shown here. Reinsert the devices and attempt to recreate the problem. If the issue disappears, the fault lies with your setup. I don’t know if there’s a newer update for this model yet, so it’s unclear whether an RMA with NZXT will help you. The challenge here is cases lacking front 5.25 slots. If you had one, you could install a reasonably affordable USB 3 combo card reader to resolve the problem. Another option would be to disconnect the ports on the top of the case and use older ports from another case, connecting them with fresh cables—this requires soldering and many hours of work.