Additional USB ports do not work. Why USB ports on a laptop do not work and how to fix it

USB technology is one of the most important of the many technologies that have made a huge impact in the computer world. USB (Universal Serial Bus- “universal serial bus”) - a serial data transfer interface for low- and medium-speed computer peripheral devices

This technology has made it truly easy and convenient to work with printers, scanners and external storage devices (external hard drives, USB flash drives). All actions with installing USB devices came down to a simple principle: “ Plug and play" Devices have become truly mobile precisely because of USB technology. Today, not only desktop PCs and laptops are equipped with USB ports, but also gaming devices, smartphones, cameras, navigators and many other devices.

Ports USB version 2.0 provide data transfer at speeds up to 480 Mbit/s, and the version USB 3.0 raises the maximum transfer speed to 5.0 Gbps. The USB symbol is a kind of trident, drawn both on USB devices and on computer connectors.

USB technology has already been studied quite seriously and has undergone many improvements, so USB ports, when used correctly, rarely cause any problems, and troubleshooting problems associated with them does not cause much trouble. This article will outline the basic principles of troubleshooting USB ports.

But before we begin, it’s worth describing basic recommendations when working with USB ports and devices, connected to them:

- never connect devices with visible mechanical damage to USB connectors, as well as devices with external damage to the case or with a clear burning smell.

If the USB ports on the motherboard are mechanically damaged, it is better to disconnect them from the motherboard (the connectors on the front of the case) or seal them with colored tape to prevent their use. If necessary, it is better to replace such ports in a workshop with new ones.

Try not to overload USB ports. Their current strength is strictly limited: 500 mA for USB 2.0 and 900 mA for version 3.0. Do not try to increase the number of USB ports using various USB multipliers. Modern motherboards already have up to 10 ports, which is quite enough for home use. It is always safer to buy an additional PCI or PCIe USB controller than to work through a USB “tee”.

If the USB ports on a laptop stop working, then working on it becomes very difficult - you cannot connect a printer, a scanner, or a flash drive. And unlike a desktop computer, installing an additional USB controller is very expensive.

In many cases, when the error message " USB device not recognized "The problem may be in the USB port. This problem is usually solved quite easily, since it occurs mainly at the software level.

What to do if the USB ports do not work?

Any hardware device interacts with the installed operating system through a special program - driver. Many problems with devices are solved with the help of drivers. The same is the case with non-functional USB ports. Below are several methods that will help you troubleshoot USB ports at the software level.

If the USB ports suddenly stop working and USB devices are not detected, then the easiest way to fix this sudden problem is to restart the computer. Just restart your computer. If there were no problems loading the drivers, this problem will be resolved after a reboot.

Update hardware configuration in Device Manager

If restarting the computer is not desirable at the moment (for example, because some important operation is being performed), then you can “reload” the drivers without rebooting the entire computer via device Manager. To launch it on the shortcut " My computer» right-click and select the menu item « Management e". Or in the menu " Start» find the program « Execute"and after launching it, enter the command devmgmt.msc.

In the window that opens, left-click once on the list of devices and then click the tab " in the main menu Action", then point to " Update hardware configuration" See if the section " USB controllers" If yes, then your problem is solved, the USB ports should work.

Another way to get USB ports to work is to unplug and then reinstall the USB controller. To do this you need to run again device Manager. In the list of equipment that you will see in the window that opens, find the USB controllers section. On each of the devices in this section, right-click and delete them all. Once you remove all controllers, simply restart your computer. The controllers will be reinstalled and the USB ports will become available again. This may solve your problem.

Updating USB controller drivers

Another reason that USB ports do not work is damage to the USB controller drivers. The only way out is to find the correct drivers and reinstall them. To download the appropriate driver, you need to find out the manufacturer of the USB device port (via it). Installing the correct driver should solve this problem in an instant.

Disabling other USB devices

Sometimes USB ports do not work due to overload when too many USB devices are connected. USB hubs sometimes do not provide enough power to the devices connected to it. The connected device can consume all the permitted power of the computer's USB controllers. If the equipment is connected to a USB hub, then simply connect the device directly to a USB port on your computer.

You can also leave the device connected to the USB hub, but first disconnect other devices in the hub. For the future, purchase a USB hub with its own power supply that will provide sufficient power to all devices connected to it.

If none of the above methods worked, then it is likely that the USB ports were physically damaged. Or the USB controller, in particular the south bridge of the motherboard, is damaged. In this case, the best thing you can do is replace or repair the USB port controller at a service center.

A number of laptop users may encounter a situation where USB ports on laptop not working, and devices connected through them are not recognized by Windows. This problem occurs quite often and can have many causes, making it difficult for the user to work with the USB devices he needs on his computer. In this article I will tell you why USB ports on a laptop do not work, what are the reasons for this phenomenon and how to fix it.

Causes of the problem when USB ports on a laptop do not work

So, why did the USB ports on the laptop stop working? The reasons for this dysfunction may be the following:

How to fix non-working USB ports

In order to fix non-working USB ports on a laptop, you need to do the following:

Restart your laptop. It is recommended to turn it off completely, remove the battery for a few minutes, then put it back and boot the operating system again;
Inspect the USB connectors of your laptop, if necessary, clean them from dust using a regular wooden toothpick;
Try connecting your device to another USB connector; perhaps the first connector is no longer functioning;
If you are connecting your USB device via a cable, try changing the latter, this may help the problem when the USB ports on the laptop do not work;
Make sure that the connected USB device works; to do this, connect it to another computer;
Go to BIOS and make sure that the USB functions are enabled;
Manually recognize USB devices using the system. Click on the Start button, type devmgmt.msc in the search bar and press enter. Device Manager will appear in front of you, click on the name of the list of devices at the top (usually the name of your computer), click on the “Action” tab, and select “Update hardware configuration” there. If the system finds USB controllers during this procedure, then your problem can be solved;
Remove and then reinstall the USB controllers. Go back to Device Manager as described above, find “USB Controllers” there, and double-click on this entry. A list of USB controllers will open in front of you, right-click on the first one and select “Delete”.
Similarly, delete all controllers in the list. Then restart your PC, these controllers will be automatically installed by the system again, this can help fix the problem when the USB ports on the PC do not work;
Reinstall the drivers for the USB. Usually, the laptop comes with a disk with drivers, including a USB driver; you just need to install it on the computer and the problem will be solved. If your USB connection is highlighted with a question mark or has the status “unidentified device”, then you need to find out the ID of your device, and use this ID to search for drivers on the network;
If you have several USB devices connected, then try disconnecting them and leaving only what you need at this moment;
Download and run a special utility from Microsoft, it can help fix problems with USB if the USB ports on the laptop are not functioning;
Perform a system rollback to a previous working restore point. Click Start, type rstrui in the search bar and press enter. Find a restore point at which the system worked correctly and perform a rollback;
If all your USB ports do not work, and the above methods did not help, then perhaps your south bridge has burned out. Its replacement (or warming up) is carried out at a service center using special equipment; contact them for advice and assistance.

Video solution to a situation where the USB port does not see the device

In this material, I examined a situation in which the USB ports on a laptop do not work, listed a list of reasons for this dysfunction and provided a number of tips for solving it. If you do not know what exactly caused these problems with USB ports, then consistently follow the entire set of tips I have listed, this will help to effectively solve the problem with malfunctioning USB ports on your PC.

USB connectors rarely break and are very easy to use. But when they fail, it causes a lot of trouble. In this article we will present to your attention the simplest solutions to this unpleasant issue.

First, restart your computer. Sometimes there are situations when drivers stop working due to some system error. So restarting the system can correct this situation.

If it is not possible to restart the PC, for example, because some important program is running (say, installing an application), you can try reloading the drivers. To do this, follow the path “Start – Control Panel – Task Manager” or go to “Start”, click “Run” and enter “devmgmt.msc” in the field. In the new window, select “Action”, and then “Update hardware configuration”. If the USB controller appears in the list, then the problem is solved.

You can also try removing and reinstalling the controller. Let's say right away that this method works very rarely, but in some cases it really helps. Go to Device Manager again. Find the USB connectors section and right-click to remove them. After restarting the computer, when the OS loads, new drivers will be installed themselves.

But before we begin, it’s worth describing basic recommendations when working with USB ports and devices, connected to them:

- never connect devices with visible mechanical damage to USB connectors, as well as devices with external damage to the case or with a clear burning smell.

In many cases, when the error message " USB device not recognized "The problem may be in the USB port. This problem is usually solved quite easily, since it occurs mainly at the software level.

What to do if the USB ports do not work?

Update hardware configuration in Device Manager

Updating USB controller drivers

Disabling other USB devices

Sometimes it becomes necessary to disable USB ports on a computer or laptop in order to limit access to connect flash drives, hard drives and other USB devices. Disabling USB ports will help prevent the connection of any drives that could be used to steal important information or cause a virus to infect your computer and spread malware across the local network.

Restricting access to USB ports

Let's consider 7 ways, with which you can block USB ports:

Disabling USB through BIOS settings
Changing registry settings for USB devices
Disabling USB ports in Device Manager
Uninstalling USB controller drivers
Using Microsoft Fix It 50061
Using additional programs
Physically disconnecting USB ports

1. Disabling USB ports through BIOS settings

Enter BIOS settings.
Disable all items related to the USB controller (for example, USB Controller or Legacy USB Support).
After you have made these changes, you need to save the settings and exit the BIOS. This is usually done using the key F10.
Restart your computer and make sure the USB ports are disabled.

2. Enable and Disable USB Drives Using Registry Editor

If disabling via BIOS does not suit you, you can block access directly in the Windows OS itself using the registry.

The instructions below allow you to block access to various USB drives (for example flash drives), but other devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners will still work.

Open the Start menu -> Run, enter the command " regedit" and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
Continue to next section
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR
On the right side of the window, find the item “ Start” and double-click on it to edit. Enter value " 4 » to block access to USB storage devices. Accordingly, if you enter the value again “ 3 ", access will be reopened.

Click OK, close Registry Editor, and restart your computer.

The above method only works when the USB controller driver is installed. If a driver has not been installed for security reasons, the Start setting may be automatically reset to 3 when the user connects the USB drive and Windows installs the driver.

3. Disable USB ports in Device Manager

Right-click on the " Computer" and select the "Properties" item in the context menu. A window will open on the left side of which you need to click on the link “ device Manager».
In the device manager tree, find the item " USB controllers" and open it.
Disable controllers by right-clicking and selecting the "Disable" menu item.

This method doesn't always work. In the example shown in the figure above, disabling the controllers (the first 2 points) did not lead to the desired result. Disabling the 3rd option (USB Mass Storage Device) worked, but this only allows you to disable a single instance of the USB storage device.

4. Removing USB controller drivers

Alternatively, to disable the ports, you can simply uninstall the USB controller driver. But the disadvantage of this method is that when the user connects a USB drive, Windows will check for drivers and, if they are missing, will offer to install the driver. This in turn will allow access to the USB device.

5. Prevent users from connecting USB storage devices using a Microsoft application

Another way to deny access to USB drives is to use Microsoft Fix It 50061(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823732/ru - the link may open near the mituta). The essence of this method is that 2 conditions for solving the problem are considered:

The USB drive has not yet been installed on the computer
The USB device is already connected to the computer

Within the scope of this article, we will not consider this method in detail, especially since you can study it in detail on the Microsoft website using the link given above.

It should also be noted that this method is not suitable for all versions of Windows OS.

6. Using programs to disable/enable access to USB storage devices

There are many programs for setting a ban on access to USB ports. Let's consider one of them - the program USB Drive Disabler.

The program has a simple set of settings that allow you to deny/allow access to certain drives. USB Drive Disabler also allows you to configure alerts and access levels.

7. Disconnecting USB from the motherboard

While physically unplugging USB ports on a motherboard is nearly impossible, you can unplug ports on the front or top of your computer by unplugging the cable that goes to the motherboard. This method will not completely block access to USB ports, but will reduce the likelihood of using drives by inexperienced users and those who are simply too lazy to connect devices to the back of the system unit.

! Addition

Denying access to removable media through the Group Policy Editor

In modern versions of Windows, it is possible to restrict access to removable storage devices (including USB drives) using the Local Group Policy Editor.

Run gpedit.msc through the Run window (Win + R).
Go to the next branch " Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Access to Removable Storage Devices»
On the right side of the screen, find the “Removable drives: Deny read” option.
Activate this option ("Enable" position).

This section of Local Group Policy allows you to configure read, write, and execute access for different classes of removable media.