USB 2.0 problems: software or hardware

[dcouzin]

I have a T42 (2378 FVU). When I plug in a USB 2.0 device it runs at USB 1.1 speed. E.g., my memory stick loads 20x faster on my wife's Mac!
The www is filled with tales of wrong drivers causing such trouble. I checked all that. One quaint note on the www suggested cleaning the plugs and sockets. Unbelievable. The XP warning "this device can perform faster ..." didn't pop up and the stick ran at USB 2.0 speed. Same for my external hard drive.
It happened just once for each. Never again. It wasn't the cleanliness. They're even cleaner now. It might have been static produced in the cleaning.
Question 1. Who else has heard this strange a USB 2.0 story?
Question 2. Who else has a hardware caused USB 2.0 problem with their Thinkpad?
For IBM/Lenovo now suggests that I return my T42 (still under warranty) for a new system board. That's a very expensive board with the CPU etc. Funny that they're sure enough that they would do this without even seeing my software. The answer to Question 2 must be: many.

[ashleys]

I cannot speak about USB 2.0 on Thinkpads as my T30 only has USB 1 ports natively. I have a PCI notebook card to give me two USB 2.0 ports.

However, I can report there is CERTAINLY a general problem with XP and USB 2.
Last month I upgraded my desktop from W2K to XP. No hardware was changed at all just the OS. I now get intermittent problems with one of the USB disk enclosures when attached through a hub. It either thinks the device is new and starts the New Hardware wizard or the port it was previously attached through is dead. Plugging the same device into another port solves the problem.
Furthermore, more often than not, the drive has to be plugged into the hub *AFTER* a boot. Having it attached at boot time causes the same problems as described above.
When the devices are working they do run at USB 2 speed though

This is exactly the same hardware that ran flawlessly with W2K so I can only assume it's related to XP.

[GomJabbar]

To the OP, you are not alone in this problem...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=29057

[cmarti]

If you have XP installed 99.9% of the time it is hardware related.

[dcouzin]

A diagnostic that might determine USB hardware vs. USB software is included in the bootable CD version of PC Doctor, but NOT the Windows version. Unfortunately the test requires a special cable connecting the PC physical port to the serial physical port. I don't want to have to pay PC Doctor for this cable. Does anyone here know how to make the cable?