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I don't understand the answers to this question:

How to tell if my USB ports are 1.1 or 2.0 for different OSes?

My Acer laptop has three USB ports - two of which look similar, while the other looks like it's a bit larger but is still somehow a USB port.

  1. My ports are of different versions (the larger one one I think is a lousier version when I plug something in it starts complaining about speed stuff). Is there anyway to swap the versions of USB port-A to port-B and port-B to port-A (so I don't have to physically shift around some stuff) ?

  2. Is there any way to upgrade all my USB ports to 3.0 or swap the "versions" of each port?

Community
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Pacerier
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    The "larger" USB port is most likely an [eSATAp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESATAp) port, which combines an eSATA port (including power) and a USB port into one. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 Sep 01 '11 at 01:14

2 Answers2

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For a laptop, no, there isn't - you'd need a USB 3.0 controller, and associated hardware, and the only way to add them is through an expansion card - which contains the controller in question. If it was a desktop, you could change the front ports by connecting them to said expansion card.

The 'larger' port is likely an always on port (often blue or yellow in colour), or a non standard port for use with a cd drive which also supplies power through a variant USB plug

Journeyman Geek
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  • what do you mean by an always on port? do those ports even off? – Pacerier Sep 01 '11 at 01:03
  • some newer laptops have a USB port that's on as long as your system is plugged into mains, so that you can charge USB devices while the computer is on sleep or switched off. – Journeyman Geek Sep 01 '11 at 01:06
  • wow so what's the advantage of even considering switching them off? i'd on them forever. – Pacerier Sep 01 '11 at 01:45
  • there's a small amount of parasitic power draw (which is why it only works when the system is plugged in), and it can be turned off or on via bios. We have these ports only cause most modern phones USB charge – Journeyman Geek Sep 01 '11 at 01:59
  • ok thx! btw take a look at the edited question (notably part 1) – Pacerier Sep 01 '11 at 02:18
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You could buy an express card USB 3.0 adapter. Im going to take a guess that your laptop is a Dell. They often have a USB port with an extra set of pins for power for their external drives.

Keltari
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