How to detect if a USB port is 3.0 or 2.0?

Question

I have a Toshiba Canvio 3.0 external HDD. It has USB 3.0. It flashes blue if you connect it to a USB 3.0 port. If it is a 2.0 port, the light becomes white.

Yesterday, I plugged it in and the light was blue. Now, I plugged it in the same port and the light is white.

Can I somehow detect if the USB port I just plugged in is 2.0 or 3.0? I want to know if there is a problem with the device or the USB port I'm using.

Edit: I'm using Windows 8.1

Solution 1

To check whether the USB device itself is USB 2.0 or 3.0, use USB Device Tree Viewer (on a computer). Then disconnect all your USB devices on the computer, and reconnect the USB in question. You'll see it appear on the sidebar on the left. Click it. On the right, scroll down about 1/4 of the page. In the section 'Connection Information', look at the Device Bus speed. These are what you should be looking for:

USB 2: Device Bus Speed : 0x02 (High-Speed)

USB 3: Device Bus Speed : 0x03 (Super-Speed)

Another way:

1. Open the Charms Bar by dragging the cursor to top right of the screen or by pressing Win + C. 2. Select Settings and then Change PC settings.
2. Select the Devices under PC settings application.

As mdpc said, the device you plug the USB device into should have different signs or colours to show if the actual ports are USB 2 or 3:

USB 2:

USB 3 (the sign on the left image says 'SS' and the usb sign. SS = SuperSpeed as said above):

There are many more methods. Check Microsoft's website for info on the different signs you can see.

Solution 2

Sometimes, if you plug the USB3.0 device too slowly, it is recognized as 2.0.

Why ? Because the 3.0 line of pins is in a second row so if the protocol handshake is finished before your device is fully plugged in, it will never get USB3.0 speed.

This is particulary annoying when using USB keys like the Extrem series from sandisk as the plug is on springs and is frequently diving too slowly into the port. If you own this specific model, be carefull to not touch or press the retractor button while inserting it. If you touch it, the USB plug will be on springs. If you don't touch the button at all, the USB plug will insert correctly.

Solution 3

I understand that the USB standard indicates that the USB 3 port will have a blue color plastic tab inside the plugin.

Solution 4

• Just look at ports and plugs and if they are blue then it is USB3.
• USB 3.0 plugs with 5 additional pins (9 in total) to get Super Speed.
  

Solution 5

I am not a fan of posting commercial crap, but I was looking for the fast and easy way out, and you are probably also :)

I found a tool called USBDeview which can be downloaded free and will give u extensive information on all your USB ports (including exact version). As far as I can see the version column shows the version of the port and not the attached device (I know for a fact I put in a USB 3.0 stick, and it is showing version 2, so it is my computers port, which is quite likely 2.0 ) :)

My virus scan did not report any probs, and it doesn't require any install, just a simple exe. Here's a download link. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

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Comments

[Kevin Versfeld]

In general? Or specific to your drive?

[Kevin Versfeld]

Which light? on what device? Is your question seeking information on the laptop or the SDD? or something in general?

[Ramhound]

The only possible way the same port would result in two different behaviors is if you used two different cables. USB 3.0 cable plugged into a USB 3.0 will always be USB 3.0.

[padawan]

@Ramhound I think it was about drivers. When I updated and restarted my computer, everything went back to normal.

[Ramhound]

@cagirici - Its entirely possible it was a driver but USB uses standard generic system drivers so I find it unlikely.

[padawan]

It has a blue plastic. But the device does not recognize that it is 3.0. Can I do something about this?

[fixer1234]

This isn't really the issue in this question (known USB 3.0 port acting like a 2.0 port), and the blue plastic has already been addressed in the top two answers.

[Seppo Enarvi]

To be precise, this tool gives information on your USB devices. The version column is the version which is used to communicate between the device and the host. If you have a USB 3 port, but USB 2 device or cable, it will display 2.00.

[Cees Timmerman]

My HP EliteBook has black plastic but "SS" next to the USB symbols.

[Cees Timmerman]

+1 for answering the title and teaching me about the extra pins. My laptop has black ports and denotes USB 3 with "SS" next to the USB symbols.

[SDsolar]

Not all will have the blue plastic, unfortunately. Often they all look the same.

[SDsolar]

Great info about the pins. Thank you. Colors can't be counted on but the pins definitely are different in the plugs.

[SDsolar]

Or go to Devices and Printers, click on the computer and select the Hardware tab. If your computer has USB 3.0 it should be listed. And you sure are right that they aren't often clearly marked.

[244an]

It's the column USB Version that shows the actual USB connection. I tried it with the answer from @fiduce with a USB 3.0 port and a USB 3.0 device and it shows 3.00 when I plug it in normally, and 2.00 if I plug it in slowly.

[244an]

Good to know! I have a USB 3.0 device in a USB 3.0 port, sometimes when plug it in I get a warning that that device should be faster if I use a USB 3.0 port, now I know why.

[Mathieu K.]

Those are plugs, not ports. Consider rewriting?

[js2010]

Usb Viewer is part of the Windows SDK debugging tools now.