Hack #8. Avoid the Legacy USB Option

Save yourself from boot-up delays and Windows device detection confusion.

The Legacy USB setting tells the BIOS and operating system to detect and enable USB keyboards and mice in the absence of normal PS/2-port devices. Setting this parameter to Yes, On, or Enabled is important and necessary if you have only a USB keyboard and mouse and need to use them in non-Windows operating systems, such as DOS, OS/2, some self-booting diagnostic/maintenance programs, or the early stages of some Linux setups.

If this parameter is on or enabled and you use a normal PS/2-port connected keyboard, with no USB-connected keyboard attached, Windows 95 and 98 may hang up looking for a USB keyboard that does not exist. Disable or turn this setting off, or you could be fighting with the system for a long time and it will probably win. Your system may also boot up faster if it does not have to waste time looking for a nonexistent device.

If you have a conventional or PS/2 keyboard and mouse, you never need to enable this capability. For Windows 98SE, Me, and XP, which have native USB support built in, you need to make sure this parameter is set to No, Off, or Disabled as shown in Figure 1-10.

Disable Legacy USB Support unless you need to use a USB keyboard in DOS, OS/2, or Linux

Figure 1-10. Disable Legacy USB Support unless you need to use a USB keyboard in DOS, OS/2, or Linux

Tip

Legacy USB is one sadly misunderstood parameter. With USB 2.0 being the current new USB standard, don't be misled into thinking this has something to do with USB 2.0 ports supporting "old" USB 1.1 devices—it does not.

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