USB Ports Not Working

There are few things related to using your PC than plugging in a flash drive or a headset you need for work, only to find out that your device would not work and then narrowing the issue down to a faulty USB port. The quickest way to narrow down the issue and make sure it's your USB port's fault and the peripheral device works fine is to just plug it into another available port and make sure it works there.

Once you have done that, you should do everything you can to get your USB port working again. Sometimes that's relatively easy, in other cases you might need the help of a computer technician. In some worst-case scenarios, the port may even be completely unusable. This article will offer a few ideas you can try if you figured out one of your USB ports is not working properly.

1. Table of Contents

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   Off and back on again

The reason why support technicians would so often suggest this as a fix to just about anything is not because they want to make fun of you, but because it actually works more often than you think. Try rebooting your PC first, before you move on to any of the other fixes.

2. Check the USB port for particles and debris

Very often a USB port would get gradually clogged up with the accumulation of dust particles, fluff and even food particles, if you are in the habit of having lunch near your laptop. Examine the port carefully and if you see any accumulation of debris on the inside, try using a can of compressed air to clean it.

Be very careful with trying to dislodge any larger hard particles stuck inside and use a plastic tool when trying it. Toothpicks may seem like a good idea, until the tip breaks and lodges itself inside in an even worse way.

3. Check the USB port for loose play

It's very common for USB ports that are used heavily and have devices plugged in and out of them very often to develop loose play over time. This essentially means that the plastic and metal parts of the port have started to come loose and the USB plug you insert does not make sufficient contact to work properly. This is particularly true for any USB ports that are located on the front panel of your PC case.

Sadly, there is little you can do about this sort of thing if you are not good with electric repairs. If you feel your USB device plug moves too much and doesn't fit nicely and snugly in the port, chances are the port has become loose with prolonged use. Taking your PC to a qualified technician for repairs will usually sort out this issue.

4. Make sure your USB drivers are working properly

Check your device manager and make sure you don't see any yellow signs with an exclamation mark in them next to your "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" section. Those symbols indicate driver conflicts or problems. If you see any of those yellow signs, right click the device entry next to it and select "Update driver". This will take care of any driver issues and conflicts, after Windows reinstalls the driver.