Mindbendingly weird behaviour

[SoulsCollective]

Hey folks
I'm wondering if anyone can lend a hand here - I'm absolutely stumped with this mind-bogglingly weird error.

Machine is for a client, nice little LANbox:
i5 760
eVGA P55MV mATX
2*2GB G.Skill ECO 1600 CAS-8 (P55MV needs 1.5V RAM or less as no voltage or OCing options)
2*GTX460 SLi
OCZ Vertex 2 60GB
2*WD3200AAKS (old drives he already had)
Corsair HX-750
Win7 Pro x64

Client needs to use wireless (Belkin Dual-Band N+ dongle on USB), and this is where the problems lie.

The wireless dongle doesn't install properly. There is only one driver release available from Belkin, and I've tried downloading it multiple times to hopefully rule out corrupted download. Drivers say they install properly, call for a reboot, a reboot is provided, but the device won't initialise, with Device Manager showing a Code 10 error.

I've tried updating chipset drivers, reinstalling Windows, testing with a different dongle (Linksys N+), changing power supply, running outside of case - nothing seems to help. Any and all wireless dongles plugged in via USB simply show up with a Code 10 error.

This is where the weirdness really sets in. In desperation, I tried uninstalling the USB controllers via Device Manager, thinking to reboot and have them re-initialise. The moment I uninstalled the first entry - "Intel R5-series/3400 series chipset family USB Enhanced Host Controller {3B34}" - Windows popped up a message saying it was installing drivers for the wireless dongle, which then successfully initialised and was able to see and connect to wireless networks.

Thinking this had perhaps shaken something loose, I tried a reboot. On reboot Windows popped up the normal installing device dialogue, showing that it was installing drivers for the USB host controller and the wireless dongle. Wireless continued to work, was able to see and connect to networks.

I tried another reboot - problems returned. Dongle unable to start with a Code 10 error. I tried uninstalling the USB host controller again - dongle started working. Reboot again - Windows installed drivers for both host controller and dongle, dongle worked fine. Reboot again - dongle unable to start with Code 10.

The USB dongle therefore only works either when
a) USB host controller drivers are uninstalled - device found dialogue immediately pops up and installs drivers for wireless dongle
b) the first reboot after uninstalling host controller drivers - device found dialogue pops up and installs drivers for both host controller and wireless dongle

Does anyone have any ideas? This behaviour occurs with any USB-based wireless dongle I've tried, and persist over multiple reinstalls of Windows and multiple installs of the Intel chipset drivers. At this point I'm absolutely stumped.

[Molotox]

Is this true for other USB devices? Or only wireless dongles? Are all windows patches installed?

Care to share the model # of both the dongles you tried, and the version? Version will most likely be on the PCB.

[SnipingWaste]

Could be low power form the USB hub. Try a USB powered hub so the USB WIFI gets powered from the powered hub.

[SoulsCollective]

Is this true for other USB devices? Or only wireless dongles? Are all windows patches installed?

Windows is fully updated, things like thumb drives and USB HDD drives work just fine, along with three different keyboards and mice I've tried (including a wireless keyboard and mouse, just in case the problem was somehow with the act of transmitting).

Care to share the model # of both the dongles you tried, and the version? Version will most likely be on the PCB.

Belkin adapter was a F6D605AU Double Wireless-N, only just recently released so only one version, Linksys adapter was a WUSB600N Dual-Band Wireless-N adapter, revision A.

Could be low power form the USB hub. Try a USB powered hub so the USB WIFI gets powered from the powered hub.

But why then would the adapter work perfectly fine when the USB host controller drivers are uninstalled, and work perfectly on the first reboot after uninstalling them? If uninstalling drivers makes the hardware work perfectly it seems very unlikely that it's a hardware issue - and besides, USB external HDDs work fine, which would draw a lot more power than a wireless NIC would.