The PCIe connections ceased functioning unexpectedly.
The PCIe connections ceased functioning unexpectedly.
I own an older HP desktop equipped with a Pentium dual core e5200 processor, featuring two PCIe slots. It originally came with a wireless card in slot one, and four years ago I added a USB 3 card to the other slot. Everything functioned smoothly until last week when I connected an external HD to one of the USB 3 ports. Since then, I’ve been using five USB devices through the card, but it has dropped to four for a while. After installing the external HD, the USB 3 card began showing I/O errors. I decided to replace the USB 3 card and removed it, which allowed me to use my new external HD without issues via the available factory USB 2 ports. Recently, after reinstalling the new USB card, I encountered a "card not found" error when trying to install drivers. After removing and cleaning the dust, I reinstalled it, but the system still didn’t recognize it. In Device Manager, nothing appeared.
I removed the card and then turned my computer back on, only to discover that the wireless card in the other PCIe slot was also malfunctioning. I attempted to reinstall the PCIe device controller without success. While reviewing events, I noticed an event indicating the device wasn’t migrated, but the logs showed it loading again later.
I’ve tried everything to resolve this issue, but it’s proving to be quite frustrating since these problems appear sudden. Prior to this, I had no issues with any hardware components.
Hmm, do you have another machine you can use to test those USB 3 cards and wireless card? If they function in another one, then you're isolated to the CPU, motherboard, case (I'll explain that part), and power supply.
Most troubleshooting steps end up focusing on swapping out a faulty component or installing a suspect part in a working system—though the outcome depends on how it behaves. So, my advice will mostly revolve around this approach.
I purchased these tests from top to bottom, starting with the easiest and moving toward more complex methods to minimize extra effort.
For a computer with a bent case, we'll take a guess. I had a customer whose case frame was slightly altered, causing expansion cards to malfunction. The simplest first try would be to take out the USB card slot bracket, reinsert it into the slot, connect the hard drive, verify the card is properly aligned and seated, then restart the system. If problems remain, it's likely the cards themselves are the issue—especially if they work elsewhere. Alternatively, you could remove the motherboard and perform the same steps, but that would be more involved than necessary for this test.
Next, check the power supply unit. Sometimes faults appear due to issues with the PSU, cables, or connections. Make sure all power cables are securely connected to the motherboard. If everything checks out, try connecting a known-good PSU. The one used in that test would be ideal, provided it can handle the required load.
Before diving into deeper components, consider reinstalling the operating system. This might resolve the problem and isn't likely to cause further issues.
Motherboard and CPU are trickier to swap out simply—best to wait until you confirm one is faulty before proceeding. Unless you have access to a used LGA775 CPU on eBay or elsewhere, it's best to install a known-good CPU in the current board and see if the symptoms reappear.
I've experienced this before: the issue stemmed from a faulty CPU. Fortunately, it was within Intel's warranty period, but your CPU is now past that (2-year). My problem involved a single PCIe x4 slot vanishing entirely. I noticed similar behavior when swapping CPUs across different systems, especially with varying slot configurations on different boards.
I've heard about cases where this happens due to a failing motherboard. Replacing a known-good CPU didn't stop the issue, and upon closer inspection, I found some circuit board problems (details omitted).
Please try these steps and let me know the results.
Here is your text rewritten with the same length and structure:
The response was quick, but soon after posting my wireless card began functioning properly. However, it unexpectedly ceased working overnight, which makes me want to shout or throw something.
I don’t have another desktop available for swapping cards. I’ve observed that the USB 3 card appears to have no power issues since the power light stays green.
I’m a bit concerned about the dust inside my case. Although I cleaned it out before installing the new card, I worry the cleaning process might have affected the motherboard.
I’ve attempted to clean the PCI slots twice using a vacuum to ensure they’re free of debris.
What bothers me most now is how the wireless card is installed. It came in and has worked perfectly so far. I’m also frustrated by the new Windows plug-and-play software—it makes me think the system is fine, but the Device Manager shows no errors and doesn’t recognize any non-working devices.
Looking ahead, it doesn’t make sense to try fixing a motherboard or CPU issue since my system is over seven years old. It would be simpler to just purchase a new unit. I’ll still try to fix it, but I think I should search for my USB wireless card, which hasn’t been used in more than four years. Connecting via Ethernet cable seems impractical.
My next step will be removing the non-working card from the PCIe 2 slot and checking if the wireless in the PCIe1 slot starts working again. It seemed to stop when I connected my new card, though I’m unsure why, as both slots have been used for a long time. I remember the card was installed correctly when the wireless worked, but after re-installing it, the issue persisted. I also checked the PCIe driver settings and found a power-off option that should be enabled, but I didn’t confirm it.
I’m currently trying to complete an SFC scan.
You don't have anyone nearby who's willing to test your components in their system? The dust could be the reason. Do you have a can of air or air jets you can use to forcefully blow into the PCIe slot? It might require a lot of pressure to get it working.
The initial pins nearest the mounting bracket on the card are where it draws power from the PCIe slot. If dust is obstructing the pins in the data section, the card won't be recognized by the motherboard. It will still receive power, but the board will assume the slot is empty. This isn't a fault of Windows.