USB Advice

[party_pete]

My base unit only has USB 1.0 ports

I'm not confident enough to change these for USB 2.0 myself, so just wondered if anyone knew if there is a plug in external converter that I can simply plug into my existing USB 1.0 port.

I have a shop around but cannot see what i'm looking for.

TIA

[Duncan Rounding]

Hi Peter. Short answer is No. Reason being most USB 2 devices are back compatible with USB 1 and you can't get faster than what is physically used in your PC hardware anyway. The ony way you could take advantage of the faster USB 2 would be to add a new USB 2 card into your PC.

[party_pete]

Thank you Duncan.

You've saved me any further time searching for a non-existant product.

[chris ashdown]

any decent computer outlet will do it for you while you wait, try the smaller shops first ot look in the local free paper

[fleetwood]

Its a relatively simple 5 minute job, so they shouldn't charge you for it if you buy the card from them.
You could do it yourself really easily, but I understand the fear if you've never been inside a computer before (it looks a far more complicated place than it actually is).
Once the computer is open (most are now toolless), its simply a matter of removing a backing plate (one of those narrow silver metal strips at the back, to make a gap for the USB ports to show through, and pushing the new USB board into place in the right shaped slot on the motherboard.
There's no power to connect up to.
Once your done, Windows should recognise the new board staright away.
If you do have a go, you should get easy to follow instructions with the new board. Just remember to discharge yourself from static, as will be advised on the pack (stand you and the puter on plastic or card, not on the carpet, and touch a metal object before venturing inside).

[party_pete]

Just remember to discharge yourself from static, as will be advised on the pack (stand you and the puter on plastic or card, not on the carpet, and touch a metal object before venturing inside).

Think i'll get an expert in, or I may be on the next You've been framed!

[jont]

Pete - as Martin says it should self install .... but always best to take your XP disk in with you just in case