Intermittent USB

I think it might be the Keyboard or Mouse, is this an AC powered hub?

Did you try the mouse on the computer's USB port after a restart? In winter, I occasionally have trouble with static electricity in the house (dry climate and forced-air heating here) and, when a static spark takes down the USB system, I usually have to restart the computer to get the USB going again.

Do you notice static electricity issues around the computer?

Do you have an original Apple Mouse lying about that you can use for testing? Older MS mice used to be rather iffy on Macs

Do you have a USB 2.0 PCI card installed and is that where the input devices are attached?

I'm thinking with BDAqua on the non-powered hub--they are not for desktop applications. I've the USB bus is short on electrons to start, an unpowered hub will eat up more just to stay active.

Anyway, try attaching the mouse to the KB and the HB directly to an onboard port and then restarting.

I'm having a very similar problem.

My G4/400 is now 10 years old – processor was upgraded 6 years ago to 1.5 GHZ with 1,25 GB Ram. Currently running Leopard 10.5.8. I’m still using the original Pro Keyboard. I replaced the original Pro mouse about 5 years ago with a MS Intellimouse Explorer V3.0. *I do all of my work on this desktop G4, and it has been running perfectly for years*.

This G4 has 2 USB 1. slots. The keyboard is plugged directly into the G4, the mouse into the keyboard. The second slot is for my wireless modem.

Over the last week the mouse pointer started freezing – sometimes for a few seconds, then a minute or so. Very random. I have to unplug the mouse after each freeze, plug it in again, then it starts working again, and then freezes again. Sometimes I unplug the keyboard, plug it in again, it works for a while, then freezes. Sometimes I have to restart.

I tried swapping the keyboard and mouse for an old turquoise iMac keyboard and the original Pro mouse. Similar random freezes also occurring no matter what combination I try.

At the moment it can take up to 30 minutes to type a post like this.

Just wondering what the problem could be. I could get a new mouse and keyboard, but the fault might lie with the two USB slots.

Maybe it's a South Pacific thing 🙂.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Robert.

Did you plug them in upside down? 😀

At this point I think you should get Applejack...

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15667/applejack

After installing, reboot holding down CMD+s, (+s), then when the DOS like prompt shows, type in...

applejack AUTO

Then let it do all 5 of it's things.

At least it'll eliminate some questions if it doesn't fix it.

The 6 things it does are...

Correct any Disk problems.
Repair Permissions.
Clear out Cache Files.
Repair/check several plist files.
Dump the VM files for a fresh start.
Trash old Log files.

First reboot will be slower, sometimes 2 or 3 restarts will be required for full benefit... my guess is files relying upon other files relying upon other files! 🙂

Disconnect the USB cable from any Uninterruptible Power Supply so the system doesn't shut down in the middle of the process.

I have downloaded Applejack and will give it a burl.

I forgot to mention in my post that I ran USB Prober, and the log came back with gobbledygook which seemed to inicate USB problems.

If the problem persists, I think next week an erase & fresh install is called for.

I strongly suspect my beloved old Mac has caught the virus that says "How dare you keep on using the same Mac for 10 years, even if it's perfectly OK! 3 years is the max! Buy a new one immediately!" 🙂 🙂 🙂

Well,let's see if AJ pulls a Rabbit out of the Hat 1st! 😉

Ran Applejack in “auto” and then “AUTO – sadly problem persists, and no rabbit 😟

Borrowed a neighbour’s PC USB keyboard and mouse – same problem persists.

BUT, plugged my desktop G4’s keyboard and mouse into my G4 Powerbook for a test - no problems! Both OK.

I think my best bet now is to open up the G4 desktop, and see if there’s a dead mouse, or something more hideous, lurking inside. I now believe that it’s a case of the two USB terminals being faulty, and probably not repairable or replaceable.

Work is impossible at the moment, so my only option is to switch to using my G4 Powerbook from this weekend, and then next week erase/clean install the desktop G4, and see what happens.

The only thing I noticed with Applejack is that all the permissions that needed repairing referred to iTunes. I don’t use this app – could it be removed?

Appreciate all the help so far BDAqua – hope my fellow Aussie dave2889 has fixed his G4 by now. I didn’t mean to hijack this thread 😟.

Glad you got your problem sorted out dave2889!

I have done business previously with that ebay crowd in your link (Apple Bits) - went to their shop to get some hardware a few years back - but not exactly overwhelmed by their attitude and their somewhat patronising customer service.

Don't know if I have a motherboard problem, so will proceed as outlined in my previous post.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/ATXG4_AGP_conversion/G4_AGP_to_ATXcase.htm

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/ATXG4_AGP_conversion/G4_AGP_to_ATX_casepg2.htm

I posted here previously because I was having the same USB problem. Anyway, it's all fixed now.

I decided first to erase the HD, and then do a fresh install of 10.5.8 and all my apps.Then I tossed out the Microsoft mouse, and purchased a basic $10 Logitech M100 mouse.

My desktop G4 has been almost like brand new for the past 10 days. Very fast, and no mouse or USB problems. Looks like a good thorough spring clean was worth it.