i haven't tried using another drive in the case/with the adapter, mainly because the only other drives i have are the ones in my desktop, and i wouldn't want to try and power one on those up with a usb adapter designed specifically for that portable hdd. I agree with you in that i have done a good job of eliminating the possibilities, and that is why i came here, because i eliminated all the ones i could think of. I also see no reason it should not work on my computer without a hub, but works on everyone else's just fine. This is what lead me to a motherboard blacklist, but i don't even know if one such list exists. I think at this point i will just continue to use it with my hub, i don't use it that often, but it would have felt really good to have won this battle. O well, at least i feel better knowing that other computer smart people are just as confused as i am about this.
If anyone else had any other ideas, i would still love to hear them. Thanks everyone for the help and ideas.