Does the device that supports USB 3.0 work via computer that supports USB 2.0

Question

I am planning to buy external hard drive that supports USB 3.0. Will it work with my old notebook that has USB 2.0?

Answer 1

Yes, USB 3.0 is backwards compatible. However, some new instructions are added to the new 3.0 standard so some functionality might not work. However, most hardware will support USB 2.0 and I won't expect too much problems with an external hard drive.

Reference from PCWorld:

The beauty of USB 3.0 is its backward compatibility with USB 2.0; you need a new cable and new host adapter (or, one of the Asus or Gigabyte motherboards that supports USB 3.0) to achieve USB 3.0, but you can still use the device on a USB 2.0 port and achieve typical USB 2.0 performance.

Answer 2

Yes, the devices will work together at USB 2.0 speeds.

Answer 3

It depends on your device. A hard drive sould work but obviously not with full speed.