i bought a pc case at christmas 2001 for a downstairs computer . i was just telling my mother how great usb was and how you can just plug stuff in and out while it's on and boldly demoing it to her when i plugged a usb psx joypad adaptor in it and could smell burning. the joypad would no longer work...
inside 2 resistors had burnt off you could see the burn marks. it ruined xmas i know how that feels! i think the usb port had been wired incorrectly. best to avoid cheap stuff from china... :roll:
they should be made so you can't plug them in the wrong way.