Article ID: 813374 - Last Review: January 15, 2004 - Revision: 1.2

PRB: Older USB Speakers Not Recognized Behind External USB 2.0 Hub

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SYMPTOMS

When you plug in some earlier versions of USB speakers to an external USB 2.0 hub, the speakers may not install correctly. As a result, they do not play sound from the computer, and Device Manager lists them as unknown devices.
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CAUSE

This problem occurs because these speakers are not fully compatible with the USB 2.0 specification. As a result, you may receive a "stall" message when the operating system tries to enumerate them. After multiple stall messages are returned by the USB device, Windows stops trying to install them and they are marked as Unknown.
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WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:
  • Unplug the speakers from the external hub, and then plug them into the root hub (the USB ports on the computer itself).
  • If you cannot access the root hub, unplug and plug in the speakers to the hub until they install correctly.
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP1
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1
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Keywords: 
kbprb KB813374
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