Hardware: USB 1.1 or USB 2.0?
Stolen from: How do I know if my computer has USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 support?
Most computers ship with built-in USB 1.1 ports that support USB 1.1 device speeds only. USB 2.0 support is usually added to a computer via a USB 2.0 add-in card, though some newer computers may have USB 2.0 ports built-in.
Please use the following steps to determine if your computer has USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 ports.
Note: Apple® does not provide native support for USB 2.0, therefore, USB 2.0 speeds are not supported when using USB 2.0 devices on Macintosh® operating systems at this time.
Windows® 98/Me
Right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
Click the Device Manager tab.
Click the plus (+) sign next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
Note: If Universal Serial Bus Controllers is not listed, there is a problem with the USB controller or the USB controller is not enabled in the computer's BIOS. Please contact the computer or card manufacturer for updated drivers and/or for information on how to fix or enable the USB controller.
If Enhanced Host Controller and/or USB 2.0 Root Hub Device is listed, then the computer has USB 2.0 ports.
If Universal Host Controller and/or Open Host Controller is listed, then the computer has USB 1.1 ports.
Windows® 2000/XP
Right-click the My Computer icon and select Manage.
Note: Windows XP users may need to click Start to access the My Computer icon.
Click the Device Manager icon.
Click the plus (+) sign next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
Note: If Universal Serial Bus Controllers is not listed, there is a problem with the USB controller or the USB controller is not enabled in the computer's BIOS. Please contact the computer or card manufacturer for updated drivers and/or for information on how to fix or enable the USB controller.
If Enhanced Host Controller and/or USB 2.0 Root Hub Device is listed, then the computer has USB 2.0 ports.
If Universal Host Controller and/or Open Host Controller is listed, then the computer has USB 1.1 ports.
Using WMI on WinXP/Win2k3 etc..
select Caption from Win32_USBController