No USB Devices picked up on restart to windows 7 from ubuntu

Question

I have dual boot windows 7 and ubuntu 13.10 on efi Dell Inspiron 14z 5423 ultrabook.

1. My devices are recognized well in Ubuntu.

   If I reboot the system (i,e switch from Ubuntu to Windows 7) and start Windows 7, no USB devices are recognized in Windows 7.

2. But when I shutdown Ubuntu completely and then start the system with Windows 7, all USB devices are recognized well.

3. Sometimes even shutting down ubuntu and restarting to windows 7 has this problem, and then i have to hold down poweroff button and shut it down or usb devices will not get picked up.

I am sure it is because of Ubuntu as I have tested it by removing Ubuntu. (4 times)

Also I have laptop-mode-tools and USB autosuspend is ON.(have also tried to disable autosuspend but no success) I have disabled integrated NIC because when it is enabled Ubuntu won't boot (Purple Screen). Also i have intel rapid storage setup in windows 7, have disabled it but it didn't help. Please if any one can help.

UPDATE thanks to suggestion of @falconer, my issue is resolved now. Windows 7 drivers were giving me this problem. I downloaded usb 3.0 drivers from dell website but they gave errors of newer drivers are already installed. Then i downloaded drivers from intel website they too gave the particular error but i was able to force install and now after testing my problem is resolved. So this problem arises when you don't have proper windows usb 3.0 drivers and you try to attach usb 2.0 device in usb 3.0 port in linux.

These are lsusb and lspci outputs if it can help:

Solution

First you should try to installing proper USB3 drivers in windows, look for them on your motherboard/laptop manufacturers website. If this doesn't solve the issue read on how to workaround this problem:

I couldn't find the same problem with dual-booting on the web, but I found similar problems with Windows not detecting the USB3 ports at all, and some similar linux USB-problems when the USB's are only detected after suspending. For both of these problems the solution (or more likely a workaround) is to go into the BIOS and

• change the XHCI Pre-Boot Mode from auto to disabled, or
• change the XHCI Mode from Smart Auto to auto

From here and here are some explanations:

Smart Auto

This mode is available only when the BIOS supports the xHCI controller in the pre-boot environment. This mode is similar to Auto, but it adds the capability to route the ports to xHCI or EHCI according to setting used in previous boots (for non-G3 boot) in the pre-boot environment. ... If you reboot the OS, during this reboot BIOS phase, BIOS is "Smart" enough to avoid downgrade the USB 3.0 port back to 2.0 functionality before OS USB 3.0 driver load. So Smart Auto is faster than Auto on 2nd boot onward.

XHCI Mode = Auto

The on-board USB 3.0 port function like a 2.0 port before OS USB 3.0 driver load. If you reboot the OS, the on-board USB 3.0 port again function like a 2.0 port during this reboot BIOS phase before OS USB 3.0 driver load.

I think this will solve your problem. But likely this is just a workaround, I think one of your USB3 driver is the guilty. _{I would go for that it is your windows driver.} You should do some speed tests on your USB3 ports if they provide proper USB3 speeds in windows and in linux, both with these BIOS options turned on or off.

Comments

[Ufoguy]

Please copy and pase the output as code. The text is not visible in the picture.

[wedu]

right click on picture and open image in new tab

[user68186]

Let me understand this correctly. (a) The USB ports and devices for fine in Ubuntu. (b) If you restart and choose Windows 7, USB devices are not recognized. (c) If you completely shut down the computer after using Ubuntu and power it up again and boot Windows, the USB devices are recognized by Windows. Is this correct?

[wedu]

Yes this is the case, I tried several linux distros, used rEFInd instead of grub. The problem i think is in kernel but again i have used different kernels as in archbang, ubuntu 13.04, 13.10 and 14.04.

[Saurav Kumar]

@wedu: I've edited your question, to make it more clear.. You can again edit it back if I missed something or did it wrong. I want to know, What happens when you shutdown Ubuntu? I mean why you've to do a force shutdown?

[wedu]

@SauravKumar thanks for the edits, i have added that information.

[falconer]

@wedu Have you tried running the windows troubleshooter thing or this other thing?

[wedu]

@falconer yes in windows i have tried this plus one registry trick and also uninstalling all the usb drivers in device manager and restarting the system but it didn't help, whenever i delete ubuntu partition every usb is picked up by windows, really strange and can't figure it out what is the problem.

[falconer]

@wedu I don't think that the deleting of the partition has any effect on this. Likely the linux kernel leaves the USB's in a state from which the windows can't access them. But because you say that you had to delete the partition: Shutting down from windows and then booting directly to windows still has this problem, or than it is working correctly?

[wedu]

@falconer if i don't boot ubuntu, i don't have this problem.

[falconer]

@wedu Have you tried upgrading to the latest BIOS?

[wedu]

@falconer yes i have the latest bios (A13)

[falconer]

Do you have the proper USB3 drivers installed in windows?

[wedu]

i was suspicious of usb 3. i will test the suggestions and will get back to you.

[wedu]

drivers are installed, but there is a little problem. i will update you again.

[wedu]

one of the usb 3 driver in windows 7 was not installed, had to remove it and install from dell website, after giving me a hard time to install and BSODs (trademark of windows) device manager doesn't ask for it after refreshing but still unkown device is written there. upon hitting update it says best driver usb 3 hub is already installed. for now i will stick with it and see if problem is solved or not. Thanks

[falconer]

@wedu Ok, I add it to my answer that in such problems first try installing proper windows USB3 drivers. Regarding that BSOD: No comment. :) If it isn't working just try doing in the BIOS what I wrote above. But of course until you don't have proper USB3 drivers in linux you will likely have no USB3 speed in windows.

[wedu]

In Bios i don't have that settings. so i hope this will work, setting up my ubuntu again, will then test it. and explain your last words please? do i have to install usb3 drivers for linux?

[falconer]

@wedu I just mistyped my last sentence. LOL. I wanted to write: until you don't have proper USB3 drivers in windows you will likely have no USB3 speed in windows Sorry :)

[wedu]

lol, ok i was surprised.