USB Keyboard and mouse locking

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

I've had this problem for some time now (at least a month). Every now and then -- seemingly at random -- mouse and keyboard stops responding. And not only do they stop responding, but it's as if they've been disconnected from the computer. The numlock-light turns off from the keyboard, and the lights in the mouse are turned off as well.

Logitech keyboard and (optical) mouse. Both wired.
All works well after a restart.
Dis- and reconnecting them doesn't do a thing; suggesting non-software issue?
Nothing in dmesg
Problem has occurred with at least 2.6.19 and 2.6.20 kernels, maybe with 2.6.18 as well, but not sure.
Same problem in windows (even more often, actually, or so it feels); strong indication of hardware issue.

Recently bought a webcam (creative live!), which is also connects through USB. This might be the culprit. Unsure if the dates of the purchase and the locks coincide, but they just might. I do have the kernel module gspcav1 (20070110) installed, but since the lockups happen in windows as well, gspcav1 shouldn't be the source of the problem. (Sure, I guess it could be software trouble in both windows and linux, only different ones, but the chances of that must be next to non-existant?)

The lockups have nothing to do with the use of the camera. At all times, when the locks have occurred, the only USB devices in use have been keyboard and mouse. And the only other connected and switched on, has been the camera. (Also a printer attached, but turned off, so probably hasn't anything to do with this.)

Unsure if it's the whole USB-system that shuts down, or only devices that are disconnected -- and if the latter, if it's all or just the keyboard and mouse. No way to check that, I suppose? (Maybe not even interesting to know?)

The camera is now disconnected, but since the lockups have occurred seemingly at random, it's not possible to tell, yet, if it makes a difference. I can't reproduce the lockups at will -- and sometimes days go by without any trouble at all.

Ideas for troubleshooting? BIOS settings or some such?

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

Well, well. Lucky me. (...) It happened again, and the webcam was disconnected so that's not it.

This is starting to get beyond annoying, nearing point of frustration.

Looked at BIOS settings. But couldn't find anything under USB that looked worth un/setting. (Mostly legacy support options.)

Changed USB-ports for mouse & keyboard, in case that'd do the trick.

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

MeoYo · n00b Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 8

Got the same problem, mouse and keyboard stop working after I plugged in my mp3 player.

What's different is that my usb keyboard is not working after i restart.

The only way I could enter Gentoo again is by disabling my usb ports in the bios and use PS/2 devices.

I will try to update my bios today to see if it is fixing the problem.

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

krisse · Guru Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 325 Location: Sweden

Googled the errors (above), and one possibility is that it's the cables that are causing the problem. Probably only the cables for the mouse.

I'm thinking that the mouse malfunctioning somehow made the keyboard stop working as well. Since I put them in different usb hubs (unsure if that's the right term; I'm talking about the first part of 1-1, 1-2 addresses), the keyboard has stayed functional even though the mouse has had it's hickups, as well as totally refusing to work.

I simply yanked the cable a bit, where it's attached to the mouse. And you know what? It's been behaving well since then. (I'm not getting my hopes up though, as not much time has gone by yet. But I desperately want to see an improvement.

)