Is USB 3.0 Active?

I just built a new computer with an ASRock H-170M-4 Pro motherboard.  

For builds in the past, I would use the motherboard manufacturer?™s included CD to install all motherboard firmware and drivers.  Then, after all was running well, I would go the motherboard manufacturer?™s website and download, then install, the latest firmware and drivers.

Just prior to building the new machine, I was informed that under Windows 10, I could (and did) skip the step of using the motherboard manufacturer?™s CD for firmware and drivers.  Just get Windows 10 up and running and install the latest motherboard firmware and drivers (which were previously downloaded).

Accordingly, I did NOT use the accompanying ASRock CD to install firmware and drivers.  Rather, I downloaded the latest firmware and drivers from the ASRock Support website, which included the latest BIOS, INF (Intel chipset), Intel MBE, LAN and Audio.  Everything seems to be ok.

Earlier today I got into the ASRock motherboard CD solely for the purpose of copying the PDF user manual to my computer for future reference.  When examining the contents of the CD, I noted in the ?œDrivers??folder that there was a sub-folder labeled ?œUSB 3.0??and another labeled ?œUSB 3.1??  Hmmm, that?™s interesting.

I had thought that, in the most modern computers, the ?œdriver??for operation of USB 3.0 was contained within the INF chipset firmware --- i.e., Intel had that capability as part of the most recent chipsets.  But if so, why are these USB drivers provided among the ASRock drivers on the CD?

Now, if I had used the ASRock CD to install all firmware and drivers, I would not be composing this post.  But inasmuch as I installed the latest firmware and drivers as downloaded from the ASRock website and they did NOT include a driver for USB 3.0 or 3.1, that means that I never manually installed a separately designated driver for USB 3.0.  And, as noted, I never gave it consideration inasmuch as I thought it was a function built into the INF chipset firmware.

So . . . although my computer has numerous USB 3.0 ports, I?™m not sure if they are currently USB 3.0 capable.  Should I go back to the ASRock CD and manually install something within the driver folder labeled ?œUSB 3.0??

What?™s going on here?  Help appreciated.

Your H170M-Pro4(?) has USB 2.0, but not 3.1

Wow. Did I ever screw that up.

Your H170M-Pro4(?) has USB 3.0, but not 3.1


Edited by Xaltar - 20 Dec 2015 at 10:10pm

Using any release of Windows this is so easy..

Start > Settings > Devices then scroll to Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers > Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller


Or typing in the Cortana bar, Device Manager, then > Universal Serial Bus controllers > Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller