Is This Normal?

[Pingu]

I bought a PC recently from a firm that specialises in putting together music systems. I've only just noticed today that the USB ports all supply power without the machine being turned on. All I have to do is turn on the mains and all my dongles light up like a Christmas tree. Is that normal? Shouldn't the USB power be dependent on turning on the rest of the motherboard? (It has been on all my other machines but maybe this is some new 'feature' I was unaware of?)

Thing is I'm worried that the machine might be running hot as well. I've only really had it turned on for an extended period once - when I installed all my Native Instruments stuff. By the end of that time the top of the tower was hot. I tried persuading myself this was because I'd just had the DVD drive going non-stop for two hours - but my other machines cope with that without the cases ever getting even warm. Now I'm worried that the machine is crosswired somewhere, and that I may be blowing components as I use it.

[Nickie Fønshauge]

Somewhere in the Power settings of your BIOS there might be an option to switch off USB (or PCI) power. USB ports have to be powered during system suspend or system off, if you want to be able to wake up the computer with a USB devise (f.ex. a USB keyboard or mouse).

[bigears]

Hi, I'm not sure about the USB ports being active or "on" all the time. But the other issue of heat I might be able to help you with. I built my own DAW computer and the trade off was between running the fans at a speed to keep the MB and CPU cool, or keeping the computer really quiet. Your computer may have been tweaked to run silent by the builder. You can run the BIOS and check out the settings. Also my fans all have individual switches with
L-M-H speeds, your's may as well. I believe you can also activate in Windows or in you BIOS some way to monitor the temperatures of the MB and CPU.
Regards, John

[June-Bug-Dan]

I bought a PC recently from a firm that specialises in putting together music systems. I've only just noticed today that the USB ports all supply power without the machine being turned on. All I have to do is turn on the mains and all my dongles light up like a Christmas tree. Is that normal? Shouldn't the USB power be dependent on turning on the rest of the motherboard? (It has been on all my other machines but maybe this is some new 'feature' I was unaware of?)

Thing is I'm worried that the machine might be running hot as well. I've only really had it turned on for an extended period once - when I installed all my Native Instruments stuff. By the end of that time the top of the tower was hot. I tried persuading myself this was because I'd just had the DVD drive going non-stop for two hours - but my other machines cope with that without the cases ever getting even warm. Now I'm worried that the machine is crosswired somewhere, and that I may be blowing components as I use it.

Hi Pingu,
Have you contacted the firm that provided this PC?
I've never known the USB ports to supply power when the PC is not on!!
Strange but again contact the provider or Google the PC number i.e manufacturer, (e.g HP pavillion 3400) and find out as much as you can so your not confronted with anymore surprises:D
The PC shouldnt overheat that quickly really, if its in a enclosed space the PC will heat up quicker but you generally dont need to worry about this too much.

Regards,
Dan.:)

[marce]

My computer also do the same thing, the mouse light is on when i plug it. Some days ago i installed a cable to land, because the static, and i dont looked if the mouse still was lighted when i plug the computer. I will look if that´s the case.

[buckshead]

I have four computers here because I work from home, heres the thing. On the computer that I work on, when plugged in but not turned on the light on my memory stick comes on for 5 seconds when put into the USB port, on the computer I use for music this does not happen, my laptop sends no power when its off. Both computers were made by the family here, my music computer has a silent 6" diameter cooling fan on the chip which weighs 2 pounds but really works. Remember that the switch on the front, or Windows, does not turn a computer off, it powers down. There is a LED on the motherboard of mine that is alight from the time the plug goes in the socket.
Refer to the manufacturer to make completely sure that your machine is OK

[Pingu]

Thanks guys,
Dan, I haven't asked the firm that built it, yet. Knowing them well the first thing they're going to do is tell me it's a feature, and hope I go away. I couldn't find anything by googling, so I think it's probably time I did contact them.

Nickie, I thought of the wake up thing, but 4 of my ports don't support wake-up, and they're still lighting up my Syncrosoft dongles while the machine is off.

Bigears, thanks for putting my mind at rest.

[chesterdesmond]

I wonder if, since it is specialized towards music, they didn't leave the USB on so that you could have bus-power without firing up the PC. For a person with a usb midi controller hooked to a hardware sound module this would be a nice feature.

[buckshead]

Just a second thought you may be interested in, the "on" button on the front is connected to the motherboard and not the power supply. The machine cannot switch on if there is no power to this board. The real "off" switch is on the back, usually on the power pack itself where nobody ever uses it.

[Raymond62]

The previous reply was the answer to this. The mainswitch at the front is just for powering off the mainboard. Everything else is still working or under "power". To completely kill the system you have to switch the computer off at the back, near the power cable. You can also amend some settings in the BIOS, but this doesn't solve all power issues.

To avoid gymnastic exercises everytime I want to swotch off the system, I plugged the maincable into some switchable plug (on the wall). Now I can disconnect all power just by clicking that mainswitch in front of me. This also works as some sort of "lightning safety device". When there is a lot of activity around in the atmosphere, I simply shut down Windows and shut the main power cable by that switch.

How much are the costs? Overhere I purchased that type of switch at an hardware store (materials, not computers) for about 10 dollars.

Raymond

[Hannes_F]

All my dongles are lit when the computers are off. It is normal here.

[Strangeman]

This also works as some sort of "lightning safety device". When there is a lot of activity around in the atmosphere, I simply shut down Windows and shut the main power cable by that switch.

Raymond

Best to pull the plug as well if it is earthed, and don't forget to disconnect your internet cable as well. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles (16km) from the centre of a thunderstorm, so I shut down as soon as I hear anything, just to be on the safe side. Just in case you think that may be over-cautious, about 2 years ago a single house got struck by lightningabout 2km from where I live, and my modem got fried, many others closer to the source lost their computers altogether.

[Pingu]

Thanks everyone, my mind is at rest now. I was only worried because my other machines, also with ASUS boards, didn't do this, but they also don't seem to have a PSU switch on the back, whereas this one does. So I can stop panicking.

Thanks again.

[Nickie Fønshauge]

When there is a lot of activity around in the atmosphere, I simply shut down Windows and shut the main power cable by that switch.
That only works when you get a decent warning, Raymond. You can get hit by a surge even when there's no "activity in the atmosphere". All it takes is a clumsy electrician (with no activity going on between the ears) in the neighbourhood. One of said electricians cost me $1000 in computer repairs last year :( Now I use an UPS.

[germancomponist]

All my dongles are lit when the computers are off. It is normal here.

Here too... :)

[etLux]

The previous reply was the answer to this. The mainswitch at the front is just for powering off the mainboard. Everything else is still working or under "power". To completely kill the system you have to switch the computer off at the back, near the power cable. You can also amend some settings in the BIOS, but this doesn't solve all power issues.

To avoid gymnastic exercises everytime I want to swotch off the system, I plugged the maincable into some switchable plug (on the wall). Now I can disconnect all power just by clicking that mainswitch in front of me. This also works as some sort of "lightning safety device". When there is a lot of activity around in the atmosphere, I simply shut down Windows and shut the main power cable by that switch.

How much are the costs? Overhere I purchased that type of switch at an hardware store (materials, not computers) for about 10 dollars.

Raymond


That only works when you get a decent warning, Raymond. You can get hit by a surge even when there's no "activity in the atmosphere". All it takes is a clumsy electrician (with no activity going on between the ears) in the neighbourhood. One of said electricians cost me $1000 in computer repairs last year :( Now I use an UPS.

Just for the sake of safety, let me put on my EE hat for a
minute. A few considerations:

1.)
A common wall switch cuts the hot side of the line. The cold
side remains connected, and in a lightning strike, the surge
current will travel as happily through the cold side as the hot.

2.)
A double-pole switch breaking both side of the line would offer
better protection; but common double-pole switches displace
connections by only a small fraction of an inch -- which the
current from a lightning strike will easily jump. Poof.

3.)
In either case above, the ground line (in a properly wired
electrical system) remains connected... and lightning strikes
can and do readily travel along and radiate high voltages
through the ground plane -- a fact I proved conclusively
with $10,000 in damage just a few years ago.

The safest thing to do, short of purchasing a proper disconnect
breaker box [preferrably with surge protection] is still, very
simply, to ... pull the plug.

Best,


David
www.DavidSosnowski.com
.

[Raymond62]

I didn't tell that all computer connections after this cable/wall-switch are going to fused boxes from which I got the power. There is no direct connection to any of the hardware directly coming from the wall, without some sort of a fast fuse in between.

The only thing is the Internet cable, which is a normal ADSL telephone line.
Oh, and when my modem says "oops", then..... I buy another one.

Raymond

[Hannes_F]

I didn't tell that all computer connections after this cable/wall-switch are going to fused boxes from which I got the power. There is no direct connection to any of the hardware directly coming from the wall, without some sort of a fast fuse in between.

The only thing is the Internet cable, which is a normal ADSL telephone line.
Oh, and when my modem says "oops", then..... I buy another one.

Raymond

In the case of a lightning you are lost nevertheless. Even fast fuses are too slow. I have talked to an insurance consultant that is specialized in electrical damage, and she told me that the burst will happily take the telephone line or antenna to ruin your computer. A modem does not stop it either. The other line it loves is the ethernet cable.

I use these on my computers and hope it helps:

http://www.apc.com/resource/images/family/primary/176_fam.jpg

http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=176

They (hopefully) protect the ethernet line, TV antenna, modem, telephone for 30 EUR.

Next level would be a UPS.

[Raymond62]

In the case of a lightning you are lost nevertheless. Even fast fuses are too slow. I have talked to an insurance consultant that is specialized in electrical damage, and she told me that the burst will happily take the telephone line or antenna to ruin your computer. A modem does not stop it either. The other line it loves is the ethernet cable.

I use these on my computers and hope it helps:

http://www.apc.com/resource/images/family/primary/176_fam.jpg

http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=176

They (hopefully) protect the ethernet line, TV antenna, modem, telephone for 30 EUR.

Next level would be a UPS.

To be honest... the only good protection is ... the army equivalent.
Faraday, earthing fused as well, and others measures (I can't remember).
Every lightning stroke is some sort of an Electromagnetic Pulse... and these things are dangerous!!!

At the other hand, if you wish to spend more and more money protecting your device, you will end up with more costs than the equipment.

So, when it strikes, let it strike... then finally I've got some sparkling OS ;)

Raymond - never playing the Royal Fireworks, just because of the above (grin)

[darrob]

The best (and cheapest) protection against lightning strikes is to turn off the computer and disconnect it from the wall during thunder/electrical storms.


cheers...

Daz :0)

[buckshead]

Pulling out the plug may not be enough when lightning strikes

http://public.box.net/derek76687

Derek

[Nickie Fønshauge]

Pulling out the plug may not be enough when lightning strikes

http://public.box.net/derek76687

Derek
I hope that wasn't your house :eek:

[Hannes_F]

At the other hand, if you wish to spend more and more money protecting your device, you will end up with more costs than the equipment.

No, it is still a small percentage.


So, when it strikes, let it strike... then finally I've got some sparkling OS ;)

I honestly hope you are doing backups. :)

[marce]

I bought a PC recently from a firm that specialises in putting together music systems. I've only just noticed today that the USB ports all supply power without the machine being turned on. All I have to do is turn on the mains and all my dongles light up like a Christmas tree. Is that normal? Shouldn't the USB power be dependent on turning on the rest of the motherboard? (It has been on all my other machines but maybe this is some new 'feature' I was unaware of?)

Thing is I'm worried that the machine might be running hot as well. I've only really had it turned on for an extended period once - when I installed all my Native Instruments stuff. By the end of that time the top of the tower was hot. I tried persuading myself this was because I'd just had the DVD drive going non-stop for two hours - but my other machines cope with that without the cases ever getting even warm. Now I'm worried that the machine is crosswired somewhere, and that I may be blowing components as I use it.

I see this today and remembered this old post:


Q-After the PC is turned off, the LED on USB or PS2 optical mouse or other devices are still on? How to turn it off?


A- This is Gigabyte design spec, allows rechargeable mouse or cell phone can still be charged even the PC is turned off. 2. This also allows PC to wake up by USB or PS2 mouse and keyboard, without further setting of jumper on the motherboard. 3. Users can use some optical mouse which has power management feature, the LED can be turned off when PC is at off state, or remove the AC power cord.

source:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/FAQ_Model.aspx?FAQID=391&ProductID=1939