The USB auto-detection is causing my system to hang while booting.

My system (detailed below) boots and works with the 2.6.10 kernel (though obviously missing a chipset I need which exists in newer kernels). Trying to boot to any of the following kernels fails (installed on a Mepis 3.3.1 dist):
2.6.11-? (The Mepis approved one)
2.6.12-3 (The one that can by found in these forums, normal and -k7 version)
2.6.12-3 (AMD64 compile from Debian repositories)

Specifying boot option "nousb" allows all of these kernels to boot fine (less usb support -- though everything else, including ATI chipset/sata drivers, works fine).

A new Debian boot fails for the same reason.

Disconnecting USB devices does not appear to help.

I am unable to get a dmesg log as the system does not boot with the failing kernels.

Any and all help would be much appreciated.

System:
Motherboard: MSI RS480M2 (disabling EHCI USB bus in BIOS does not avoid problem)
-AMD64 3000

USB Device listing from working kernel:

T: Bus=03 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 4
B: Alloc= 39/900 us ( 4%), #Int= 4, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06
S: Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.10 ohci_hcd
S: Product=OHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:13.1
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=255ms

T: Bus=03 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 5 Spd=12 MxCh= 4
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0451 ProdID=2046 Rev= 1.25
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 1 Ivl=255ms

T: Bus=03 Lev=02 Prnt=05 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 6 Spd=1.5 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=046d ProdID=c012 Rev=13.20
S: Manufacturer=Logitech
S: Product=USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr= 98mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=usbhid
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 4 Ivl=10ms

T: Bus=03 Lev=02 Prnt=05 Port=03 Cnt=02 Dev#= 7 Spd=1.5 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0518 ProdID=0001 Rev= 0.01
S: Manufacturer=OCT Inc. PocketKVM (2PORT)
S: Product=OCT KVM(2)-USB to PS2 1.00
C:* #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=10ms
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=usbhid
E: Ad=82(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=10ms

T: Bus=02 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 4
B: Alloc= 0/900 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06
S: Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.10 ohci_hcd
S: Product=OHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:13.0
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=255ms

T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=480 MxCh= 8
B: Alloc= 0/800 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06
S: Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.10 ehci_hcd
S: Product=EHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:13.2
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr= 0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=256ms

I've had usb problems before, though not as bad as yours. Mine went away if I boot with acpi=off in grub. If I didn't do that, I had problems getting the ohci-hcd module to load and subsequent usb issues.

The only other assistance I can offer is to ask how many card slots are open/full. You may have conflicts that the OS/bios is not resolving.

I managed to get it to boot.

I specified both "acpi=off" and "noapic" and although the initial kernel loading took longer (for whatever reason) it managed to boot. Specifying only one of the flags caused the system to hang a lot earlier

I really wonder though, does linux actually support ACPI/APIC? Looking through forums it seems turning them off are a magic cure for a multitude of problems.

If you google for acpi and linux, you should find a project collecting acpi settings/kernel modules/something for computers. Mostly laptops I believe.

Since I turned acpi off, I don't go as long on batteries, but I need the usb functionality more.

You may want to install apm packages. Without it, the fan on my laptop doesn't go on, so maybe it works the same for your system?