Before buying a new motherboard

[cldd5678]

Hi there everyone. A couple months ago I posted on here regarding a problem that I was having with my current motherboard. The problem was that every single one of my USB ports will not recognize any device plugged into them. It happened all of a sudden when I came back from school one day while the computer was already on. I tried a ton of things to fix it, ranging from getting a PS/2 adapter so I could try to get into the BIOS(which still wasn't recognized btw) to the magical "cycling the power" cure that so many people with a similar problem have use. I ended up just buying a PCI USB adapter card and the computer has been doing what I need it to ever since, with the exception that I can no longer access the BIOS at all. If you were wondering my current motherboard is a Gigabyte EP45-UD3L that I bought last summer. Not even a year old.

Anyway, I'm on the verge of buying some new parts apart from a new mobo and I just wanted to ask and see if anyone had any recommendations as to whether I should just get the new mobo or if there is still something I haven't tried with this one. To be honest I'd rather not spend the money, but if need be then I will. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot

cldd5678

[Geek-9pm]

HUH?
There are a has been a blah blah blah of  comments on this subject. Was it you?
So you're now telling us that Windows would come up and run your system and recognize the keyboard is plugged into a PCI USB adapter. Is that right? But you still cannot get into the BIOS no matter what?

If there is an answer more than what we have suggested here in this form it would have to be on the manufacturers website.

Here is the general procedure we use bring up a motherboard that acts like it's not working quite right.

Make sure we have adequate power supply. We disconnect everything from the motherboard but the very bare essentials. You start out with just a monitor nothing else. Absolutely. Power up the system and see if we get the welcome screen on the monitor. If we get that far, the motherboard is not dead and most of it is working.

Next step is to power down completely and plug in a floppy drive and get the floppy drive properly configured. And while we're at it, we remove all power from the system. Really, all power. The power cord is pulled out, not shut off  by a switch. We wait and take out the CMOS battery and if there is a jumper for discharging the CMOS we put the jumper on for a few seconds and take it off.

Then we put the battery back in. Then  plug the cord back in, turn on the power and watched to see if the thing is trying to read from the floppy. If we get to that point it's pretty fair to say that the motherboard is working and the principle circuits are working properly.

Did you actually do that? That is a standard procedure used in the service shop to check out a questionable motherboard.

When the BIOS does NOT find the keyboard and can NOT find a boot device, it will turn on legacy USB support and find the keyboard. If not, either the keyboard is marginal or the BIOS is not up to date or is a wimpy BIOS. We do not think Gigabyte would put a wimpy BIOS in a motherboard.

[patio]

Wow...

[Salmon Trout]

Wow...

Yes. He must have been shouting into his speakwrite. (Doesn't it come out in bold ALL CAPS if you do that?) The listening horn must be covered in a fine film of spittle. Looks a bit copy-and-pastish though... none of Geek's characteristic homophones & voicetypos.

[BC_Programmer]

When the BIOS does NOT find the keyboard and can NOT find a boot device, it will turn on legacy USB support and find the keyboard.

What? No it doesn't. If it can't find a boot device it simply states so. the keyboard is found <before> it enumerates available boot devices, and a USB keyboard is only included if both the "enable Legacy USB" is selected <AND> that keyboard is plugged into the motherboard's USB Port.

Despite the OP's attempts to clarify multiple times their situation you insist that they "remove everything and test the board" despite the fact that

the computer has been doing what I need it to ever since

EVERYTHING so far points to a shot on-board USB host controller. either that or one of your errant suggestions somehow had them disable the on-board USB.

The computer is powering on, but the BIOS is not recognizing any keyboard, therefore their attempts to smash F1 or del or whatever to enter the BIOS are in vain, because the BIOS's "enable Legacy USB support" never applies to PCI USB cards and what is plugged into them.

Eventually windows boots and successfully finds the keyboard and they can use windows just fine.

Suggestions: you've tried a PS/2 adapter- (this is a for a USB keyboard so it plugs into PS/2 right?) try an <actual> PS/2 keyboard. If that doesn't work, then it sounds like your on-board USB host controller as well as the PS/2 controller are both shot.

Only other thing that could cause this is if somehow both of these have been disabled via options in the BIOS, in which case you should reset the CMOS memory by moving the jumper as appropriate- it's usually labelled "CMOS CLR" or something similar, sometimes even "PWD RESET".