[Tfug] USB hang

[erich]

OK,
        I have a DVR system that runs MythTV. I also use it to watch 
internet news clips with
a browser and look at various forms of entertainment with an external 
USB hard drive.
         The other day the system froze: moving the mouse got no 
response. The keyboard
froze. I had to shut it down by holding the power button in.

          It's in my shop now. It won't boot from the SATA drive, but 
Knoppix will boot.
First I thought I was a victim of a lightning strike, but there is no 
evidence. The
TV antenna works fine. The LAN works fine.

         Here are the facts:
                        1)  I cant get the network interface to run: I 
type ifconfig and
                              eth0  is not present.

                        2) Knoppix detects the USB ports, but when I 
plug any USB
                             device into any port the system freezes, (I 
tried a thumb drive
                             and a USB mouse)

                        3) A USB hard drive was plugged into it at 
moment of freeze.
                             I checked it on another system, and my hard 
drive is OK,
                             and my other system is OK. (Yes this took a 
lot of nerve.
                             Bugs can be contagious.)

           My first question is can a faulty USB device damage a USB 
system? (I don't
have the nerve to plug the USB mouse into any other system)

           My 2nd question is can there be some kind of short? The case 
has vent holes
on top and debris may fall in.


                                                                                                                             
Cheers,
                                                                                                                             
Erich