Windows 2000 May Hang with USB Devices on Older Via Chip Set

When you are using certain Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices on a motherboard with the Via chip set in Windows 2000, you may experience any of the following symptoms:

• The computer stops responding (hangs) when you attempt to use or connect certain USB devices.
• You receive a "STOP: 0x0000000A - IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" error message.

NOTE: This behavior may also occur when you attempt to shut down the computer with Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) or Advanced Power Management (APM) features enabled.

This behavior can occur if Windows 2000 detects a Via chip set and loads the Intel/Via driver (Uhcd.sys) with an older version of the Via chip set. Via chip sets earlier than REV_05 are not supported in Windows 2000.

Via has updated the newer chip set revisions, which are supported in Windows 2000. If your Via chip set is earlier than REV_05, consult the motherboard manufacturer's Web site for updated drivers or additional information. As an alternative, add a PCI add-in Universal Serial Bus (USB) adapter rather than using the built-in Via chip set-based controller to attach USB devices. You should disable the built-in controller in the computer's BIOS and Device Manager.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To determine the revision of your Via USB controller, locate the Vendor ID string in the registry. This is located under the following key: The PCI registry key contains subkeys for each PCI Vendor ID. These are similar to the following sample: To locate the Vendor ID for the USB controller, examine the subkeys of each Vendor ID listed until you find the Class:REG_SZ:USB and Service:REG_SZ:uhcd values. Within this registry key there is a HardwareID value that contains the revision number.

To verify that you have a Via chip set, note the DeviceDesc and/or Mfg values within the same subkey. This should state whether it is an Intel or Via chip set.

Typically, USB devices such as a mouse or keyboard do not exhibit the behavior described in this article. However, critical devices such as smart cards, storage devices, and scanners do exhibit the behavior.