usb ports not working

[machomacho]

Hello everyone

i was on my computer today and my mouse and keyboard were working( connected wirelessly through a usb)

My pc stopped recognizing my iphone thru itunes so i restarted my pc and now my usb ports are not working so i cant get past my login screen

I tested the mouse/keyboard on a different pc and they seem to be working and i would connect my iphone to my pc and it wont recognize or begin to charge either but on my other pc it will

any suggestions on what i should do?
is my usb ports fried or something?

thanks in advance

[Seth1968]

Do you have ps2 connectors to connect a ps2 mouse? If so, hook up a ps2 mouse and try step 1 from here:

http://www.topfreestuff.com/usbPortRepair.shtml

If that doesn't help, what version of Windows does the system run?

[eblend]

Sounds like a fried USB port, seen it before, cheapest thing you can do is get a PCI to USB card and get USB functionality back, some PCI cards even have have headers so you might be able to reconnect front case USB prots to the headers on the card to have them work

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by eblend
Sounds like a fried USB port, seen it before, cheapest thing you can do is get a PCI to USB card and get USB functionality back, some PCI cards even have have headers so you might be able to reconnect front case USB prots to the headers on the card to have them work

Although that conclusion is possible, I suggest you understand USB problems before posting.

[Sal0]

Actually Seth, your advice is a bit off too...

Your first step should be to see if you can get into your bios with your USB keyboard. It's probably the easiest way to determine if this is a software or hardware issue. If you can get into the bios with your keyboard, then you can almost gaurantee that this is not a hardware issue. If you get into the bios, make sure you didn't disable the usb ports accidentally.

[eblend]

Originally posted by Seth1968


Although that conclusion is possible, I suggest you understand USB problems before posting.

LOL okay, I only work with servers on a daily basis as my career, so I must be out to lunch on my diagnosis.

By far the easiest way is what Sal0 suggested to diagnose the issue, by eliminating the OS all together. If you are able to navigate the BIOS with your USB keyboard then you got a software issue, otherwise it is deffinatelly hardware. I assumed this would have already been tried as that would be the very first thing I would do, sorry for skipping the elementary step. You can also just boot of a bart pe disk and see if you got mouse movement if you have no idea how to get into the bios (look on the screen as you power on the computer for which command corresponds with entering the BIOS, could be DEL, F2 or a bunch of others)

If you got no response from your keyboard pre-os then you have a friend USB port, simple as that. Try another port (i am sure you already tried), and also try the ones on the back of the computer that are on the mobo directly to eliminate the cable issues with the frontal USB (assuming you were using those).

I have seen fried USB ports a few times in my career and there isn't much you can do other then to replace the mobo, or my initial recommendation.

Also, in the bios you will want to check that USB is enabled (perhaps it got dissabled some how, I know for Dells you can control alot of the BIOS settings through a Windows based utility for example). If USB is enabled you will see the USB2.0 components in device manager under Universal Serial Bus Enhanced (or something along those lines).

Really, just eliminate the OS and you are good to go, don't matter which OS you are running at all at that point. A USB port can blow if the attached device tries to draw too much power, usually windows will tell you that the device is drawing too much power, but by then it might already be too late and the port might have fried (think of it like a fuse, draw too much power and the fuse blows, and on most boards it isn't a replacable item)

Seth1968, I suggest you lay off the personal attacks as this is an open public forum, and none of us would be able to 100% diagnose an issue without looking at the computer itself, sure it could be a software issue, but could also be a hardware issue, the more suggestions you get to a problem the better are the chances of finding a solution...no need to get hostile.re

[Seth1968]

I'm truly sorry about that eblend.

I can't believe I wrote that, but yet, there it is. I was planning to write, "Although that conclusion is possible, it's too early to write off the ports".

I didn't mention the bios at this point, as it's not 100% conclusive to claim a hardware issue if you can't get into the bios. For example, some bios's won't respond to a wireless keyboard, but the OS will. Also, some older bios's (particularly on Dell systems), won't recognize all wired USB keyboards.

Unless the OP has a newer Dell, it probably has ps2 ports. One can pickup a ps2 mouse at a thrift store for a couple of bucks. At least then the OP will have access to the system and can check Device Manager.

[eblend]

Originally posted by Seth1968
I'm truly sorry about that eblend.

I can't believe I wrote that, but yet, there it is. I was planning to write, "Although that conclusion is possible, it's too early to write off the ports".



No hard feelings, peace