What´s the revision of the southbridge? AFAIR it must be "SU093" to fully support USB. But when the USB-header block (P24 on rev. 1.3 and 1.4) is populated this condition should be met.
If someone shorted the 5V USP supply voltage a trace or inductor could have been blown.

majestyk wrote on 2023-01-01, 13:58:

What´s the revision of the southbridge? AFAIR it must be "SU903" to fully support USB. But when the USB-header block (P24 on rev. 1.3 and 1.4) is populated this condition should be met.
If someone shorted the 5V USP supply voltage a trace or inductor could have been blown.

Hallo, there is OCTEK sticker on the SB so I don ´t know the revision and don ´t wanna destroy it. I may find some way how to peal it of without destroying it. The USB has power and nothing looks blown and the bord knows you have plugged something. It just does not recognize it and says "unknown device". So I assume it is not blown out. There is a good chance those useb were even never connected before. But who knows.
--
I have been messing with the bios as well but no change.

I'm trying to recall what changing the D+&D- pins on a USB connector does wrt device reporting but I can't remember.
It doesn't do any damage, so maybe try that and report back to us.

There are different BIOSes for the different revisions of this board btw. Make sure you picked the right (and latest) one.
It´s probably this one:

weedeewee wrote on 2023-01-01, 14:18:

I'm trying to recall what changing the D+&D- pins on a USB connector does wrt device reporting but I can't remember.
It doesn't do any damage, so maybe try that and report back to us.

Yes, according to my knowledge I have it right.
But only in case the manual I have fits the rev. of the board I have.
I am sure with the GND and VCC and I know VCC has the righ value.
So flipping data + and data ~ wont fry anything, am I right?
Data - in a normal cable is white and data + is green? According to my DMM my cable is right. The colours fit the pins in the female connector. But ok...maybe the board does not fit the manual. 😱

majestyk wrote on 2023-01-01, 14:37:

There are different BIOSes for the different revisions of this board btw. Make sure you picked the right (and latest) one.
It´s probably this one:
Latest_Eval_Rhino9.7z

I got it like that but maybe in the past someone was messing with it. Thank you. I have a programmer so I am in the safe side.

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 14:12:

The USB has power and nothing looks blown and the bord knows you have plugged something. It just does not recognize it and says "unknown device".

USB connection is detected by pulling one of D+ D- lines high
https://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb2.shtml "A USB device must indicate its speed by pulling either the D+ or D- line high to 3.3 volts. A full speed device, pictured below will use a pull up resistor attached to D+ to specify itself as a full speed device. These pull up resistors at the device end will also be used by the host or hub to detect the presence of a device connected to its port. Without a pull up resistor, USB assumes there is nothing connected to the bus."

swapped D+ D- will result in missidentification of speed

majestyk wrote on 2023-01-01, 14:37:

There are different BIOSes for the different revisions of this board btw. Make sure you picked the right (and latest) one.
It´s probably this one:
Latest_Eval_Rhino9.7z

The bios is most likely not the culprit. I installed the one from you as it is newer than mine. The board works and it seems to be even faster booting etc. Windows Me were installing a lot of stuff again after bios replacement but the USB issue is still the same. Thank you anyway! becouse it is good to have the bios updated! 👍

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset.
1) I have updated the bios
2) I have modified one old bracket and flipped data + and - (the funny part is the fault is the same on both ports - does not metter if + and - data pins are reversed. It knows you have attached something to the port but it is always seen as unknow device.
If you connect USB Keyboard it is causing system locks and crashes.

Have you tried some alternative OS like Win2k / XP or just ME?
(I remember for some chipsets you had to install an additional "USB filter driver" under Win98.)

majestyk wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:12:

Have you tried some alternative OS like Win2k / XP or just ME?
(I remember for some chipsets you had to install an additional "USB filter driver" under Win98.)

I have tried Win98se (later on I also installed nusb33e.exe from Phils Computer Lab) and then I have installed Windows Me for the native usb support).
Both with the same results.
Those are period correct OSes with USB support.
Hmmm yes I do remember something about filter driver but I think it is for VIA? Have to check.
Aren ´t windows XP too hardcore for a P233MMx? It has 92MB ram and it is still a P1 system! Maybe some period correct linux?

Yes I think you´re right, that was for VIA chipsets.

I suggested XP SP2 / 2K just to check if an NT-based (and later) OS would handle USB support correctly here. I have had a lot of similar cases and after testing with XP or 2K I knew the hardware was o.k. and could continue the troubleshooting in the Win98 installation.

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 18:44:

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset. 1) I have updated the bios 2) I have modi […]
Show full quote

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset.
1) I have updated the bios
2) I have modified one old bracket and flipped data + and - (the funny part is the fault is the same on both ports - does not metter if + and - data pins are reversed. It knows you have attached something to the port but it is always seen as unknow device.
If you connect USB Keyboard it is causing system locks and crashes.

Interesting, mice & keyboards are slow devices on the USB port, 1.5MBps if I recall correctly.

an old slackware linux dist would be nice. try v11 or lower, maybe able to boot from cd/dvd if bios allows it.

weedeewee wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:29:

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 18:44:

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset. 1) I have updated the bios 2) I have modi […]
Show full quote

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset.
1) I have updated the bios
2) I have modified one old bracket and flipped data + and - (the funny part is the fault is the same on both ports - does not metter if + and - data pins are reversed. It knows you have attached something to the port but it is always seen as unknow device.
If you connect USB Keyboard it is causing system locks and crashes.

Interesting, mice & keyboards are slow devices on the USB port, 1.5MBps if I recall correctly.

an old slackware linux dist would be nice. try v11 or lower, maybe able to boot from cd/dvd if bios allows it.

No way this will boot from a CD. It is a 1996 socket 7. Pretty old pre-Windows 98! stuff! Even running MmX233 on this stuff is pushing the board to the limits.

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:41:

weedeewee wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:29:

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 18:44:

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset. 1) I have updated the bios 2) I have modi […]
Show full quote

I am out of idea. It is either busted or manufacturing fault of the early chipset.
1) I have updated the bios
2) I have modified one old bracket and flipped data + and - (the funny part is the fault is the same on both ports - does not metter if + and - data pins are reversed. It knows you have attached something to the port but it is always seen as unknow device.
If you connect USB Keyboard it is causing system locks and crashes.

Interesting, mice & keyboards are slow devices on the USB port, 1.5MBps if I recall correctly.

an old slackware linux dist would be nice. try v11 or lower, maybe able to boot from cd/dvd if bios allows it.

No way this will boot from a CD. It is a 1996 socket 7. Pretty old pre-Windows 98! stuff! Even running MmX233 on this stuff is pushing the board to the limits.

You could use the plop boot manager https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html started from a floppy to boot a linux dist from cd/dvd.

edit: heck you could also use it to boot a windows xp cd and try an xp install.

weedeewee wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:51:

H.W.Necromancer wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:41:

weedeewee wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:29:

Interesting, mice & keyboards are slow devices on the USB port, 1.5MBps if I recall correctly.

an old slackware linux dist would be nice. try v11 or lower, maybe able to boot from cd/dvd if bios allows it.

No way this will boot from a CD. It is a 1996 socket 7. Pretty old pre-Windows 98! stuff! Even running MmX233 on this stuff is pushing the board to the limits.

You could use the plop boot manager https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html started from a floppy to boot a linux dist from cd/dvd.

edit: heck you could also use it to boot a windows xp cd and try an xp install.

Thank you! First try will be installing XP right from the Windows Me. It seems to be possible.

majestyk wrote on 2023-01-01, 19:27:

Yes I think you´re right, that was for VIA chipsets.

I suggested XP SP2 / 2K just to check if an NT-based (and later) OS would handle USB support correctly here. I have had a lot of similar cases and after testing with XP or 2K I knew the hardware was o.k. and could continue the troubleshooting in the Win98 installation.

I think it is either busted or there is some stupid flaw. Maybe it is just a faulty chipset revision. I have installed Windows XP home, it works out of the box but USB still shows "Unknown device" does not matter what you try to connect. /-:

There's an old thread where a member built a system using that exact motherboard (down to the revision), and the photos show the USB connected; I'd try sending them a message to find out if their USB actually works. They aren't someone I recognize so they haven't been active in a while, but it's worth a shot. Reese at it again? Another Intel Pentium build!

Repo Man11 wrote on 2023-01-02, 00:59:

There's an old thread where a member built a system using that exact motherboard (down to the revision), and the photos show the USB connected; I'd try sending them a message to find out if their USB actually works. They aren't someone I recognize so they haven't been active in a while, but it's worth a shot. Reese at it again? Another Intel Pentium build!

Thanks! I have found this post. Good idea. I have sent him PM. Hope he has some notification. But Reese visited Vogons a month ago so there is a chance.