Turning on your computer to only find that the USB port is not working for some reason can be annoying. Especially if you have a computer that doesn’t have many USB ports, losing one can really set you back.
Here are some tips you can try to try and get that USB port going again, and finally be able to use your mouse again. Keep in mind that if the reason why the USB port is not working is due to hardware damage, that’s going to explain why the following tips might not work.
Are You Sure It’s the USB Port?
When you plug a device into a USB port, and it doesn’t work, most of us think that it’s the port with the issue. But is it really? Before you waste any time trying to fix a USB port that doesn’t need fixing.
- You can try connecting the device or computer
- Try using a different USB cable
- Restart your computer
- Try using another device. Maybe it’s the device’s cable that’s not working or the device’s battery ran out
- Check if the device is on
- Reboot your computer and wait a minute or so after it’s done rebooting before you connect the device (especially useful in an older computer with basic specs)
Scan for Hardware Damages
To help your computer recognize the USB port that won’t recognize a device, you’re going to need to use the Device Manager. To scan for any hardware changes:
- Right-click on the Windows Start button
- Choose the Run option
- Type devmgmt.msc
- Click OK or press Enter
- Right-click on your computer’s name
- Select scan for hardware changes
Once the scanning process is done, try connecting something to that port and see if it’s working now.
Try Disabling/Re-enabling the USB Controller
Another possible fix to the issue is by disabling and then re-enabling the USB controller. You can do this by:
- Righ-clicking on the Windows Start button
- Choose Run
- Type devmgmt.msc
- Click OK or press Enter
- Find the Universal Serial Bus Controllers
- Click on the drop-down menu to the left of the Controllers option
- Right-click on each controller and choose to uninstall
- Reboot your computer
Don’t worry about the controllers you just removed. When your computer turns back on, Windows will install then again automatically install them. Go ahead and give that USB port one more try.
Update the Drivers
Maybe all the USB port needs is an update. To give your drivers an update, repeat the steps you just followed when you were going to uninstall the controllers. But, this time, choose the update option. You’ll need to repeat this step for all the drivers you have listed.
Install Any Pending Windows Updates
If you feel that you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, maybe what your Windows computer needs is an update. To check if you have a pending update go to:
- Settings
- Update & Security
- Click on the Check for Updates button
If there are any updates pending, you’ll see the necessary options to install them.
Try the Windows Troubleshooting Tool
Another tool that can help you detect what is causing the USB port to malfunction is the built-in Windows troubleshooting tool. This tool will help you find any conflicts and errors on your computer.
To run it, go to:
- Setting
- Updates & Security
- Click on Troubleshoot
- Choose a troubleshooter
- Click Run the troubleshooter
Conclusion
If you’ve tried everything on the list and the USB ports are still not working, you could be looking at some hardware issues. Do you think you’ll be taking your computer in for service? Let me know in the comments below.
