I have several Dell XPS 13 machines that exhibit intermittent failures of the left USB 3.0 port, as described in this thread.
I have lost data to silent corruption/disconnections on several external HDDs.
Evidence points to a hardware design flaw (insufficient shielding on a cable internally connecting the port to the controller) that causes disruption when operating at USB 3.0 protocol. Therefore, it is unlikely to be solved completely in software/firmware updates.
What I'm looking for is a software solution to forcibly downgrade a single port to use USB 2.0 even if a USB 3.0 capable device is plugged in it. Some people have reported success in using a USB 2.0 hub, but I'm looking for a solution with no extra hardware.
Windows reports the USB controller as Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller. Both ports go through the same root hub. Please tell me if I need to supply more details regarding the controller.
There is no BIOS option to switch USB speed (as it turns out, there is, but not clearly presented). I would like the other port to operate at 3.0, if possible.
Best Answer
This is likely impossible, or very device-specific. If it's at all possible, it would depend on how the 2.0/3.0 compatibility is handled by the system. I expect that low-level hardware and protocol detection, as well as management of transmission frequencies, is handled in the hardware/firmware - not the OS. If that's the case, then it would be entirely up to the hardware vendor to provide support for forcing a "legacy mode" in the drivers. I strongly doubt this is commonly - if at all - done.
You should consult your hardware manufacturer's documentation for more information on this.