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USB Ports Not Working

Anonymous
2023-12-07T00:24:51+00:00

I have a PC with 8 USB ports total (disclaimer: I don’t use all of them. I only need 3 for my mouse, keyboard, and adapter). Only two of them work. Over the last couple weeks I’ve had a couple issues with the “USB device not recognized” pop up, but it went away after a few minutes and I didn’t think anything of it. However, a few days ago I went to go use my computer and realized my mouse wasn’t working. I went to go plug it into a different port, nothing. The lights of all my peripherals come on, so there’s power, but they don’t respond to any other ports besides the two working ones.

I’ve tried the uninstalling— the ones I could at least because it’s hard to uninstall every USB driver without a USB mouse or keyboard— and reinstalling of drivers, the restarting, the hardware checks, but to no avail. The ports themselves are clean and I’m running out of options. I’m really hoping it isn’t a hardware issue that I’m going to have to spend money on (if it is I hope it’s something cheap). Any help is appreciated if it isn’t a repeat of what I’ve already tried.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-03-09T14:39:56+00:00

    These are all great ideas but, links to instructions would be really nice.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-12-07T07:22:34+00:00

    Hello reggieee,

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    It sounds like you've already gone through several important troubleshooting steps for your USB port issues. Since you've already tried uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, restarting your computer, and checking for physical obstructions, here are a few more suggestions you could explore:

    1. Check for Windows Updates: Sometimes, issues with USB ports can be resolved through a system update. Make sure your operating system is up to date.
    2. Check BIOS/UEFI Settings: Sometimes, USB ports can be disabled in the system BIOS/UEFI. Restart your computer and access the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing a key like F2, Del, or Esc during startup). Look for settings related to USB and ensure they are enabled.
    3. Try Safe Mode: Boot your computer in Safe Mode to see if the USB ports work there. If they do, it might indicate a software or driver conflict in your normal operating system environment.
    4. Power Management Settings: Sometimes, power management settings in Windows can turn off USB ports to save energy. You can adjust these settings by going into Device Manager, expanding the 'Universal Serial Bus controllers' section, right-clicking on USB Root Hub (USB 3.0), and going to Properties. Under the Power Management tab, uncheck the option that allows the computer to turn off the device to save power.
    5. Check Device Manager for Errors: Go to Device Manager and see if there are any yellow exclamation marks next to any of the USB controllers. This could indicate a problem with the drivers or hardware.
    6. Use a Powered USB Hub: As a workaround, you might consider using a powered USB hub. This can sometimes help if the issue is related to power supply from the USB ports.
    7. Check for Hardware Issues: Since you've mentioned that the issue might not be software-related, it's possible there could be a hardware problem with the USB ports. This might involve checking the internal connections if you're comfortable opening up your PC, or taking it to a professional for repair.
    8. Reset CMOS: Sometimes, resetting the CMOS (which clears BIOS/UEFI settings to default) can solve hardware-related issues. You'd typically do this by removing the CMOS battery from your motherboard for a few minutes, then reinserting it.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding! If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a message.

    Sincerely

    Manson | Microsoft Support Specialist

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2024-08-06T17:12:45+00:00

    How do i get into the computer and do anything if all the usb ports arent working?

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-02-26T05:53:19+00:00

    my laptop all usb port not supporting

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-07-08T05:20:51+00:00

    FYI for anyone seeing this with a similar issue, I found going into the BIOS and simply going to the bottom (at least on mine) and clicking update system and devices/peripherals did the trick, didn't touch anything USB related or checked if it was enabled. (I did uninstall both USB 3.0 drivers on device manager and restarted computer, it still didn't work when I logged back in but the drivers had reinstalled themselves again. Don't think it was related but just wanted to add this just incase it was the trigger for the update show up when I went into BIOS after another restart).

    Just wanted to send this for any poor soul looking into this, was about to send to warranty before I checked one last thing😅.

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