USB Ports Not Working

No matter if you are using a desktop or a laptop, you are guaranteed to need your USB ports for at least a few peripherals such as the mouse, keyboard, headset, Web camera, etc. Needless to say, encountering a non-working USB port may be a major annoyance since you will be unable to use the peripherals you need right now. If you experience issues with your USB ports not working, you should give the troubleshooting tips below a try. They might just help you solve the problem or to find a good workaround:

Switch to a Different USB Port

While laptops may be somewhat limited in terms of the number of available USB ports, this is not a major problem with computers, which usually have USB ports on the front and the back of the case. If you have other free ports, then you might try plugging your device into them.

Restart the Computer

Restarting the computer may solve unexpected problems that your operating system is experiencing while identifying the newly attached USB device.

Check the Windows Device Manager

The Windows Device Manager lists all computer hardware, including available USB ports/hubs, as well as connected USB devices. To open it, type 'Device Manager' in the 'Start Menu.' Once there, expand the 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' tab. If you can see the device you tried to connect to, yet it is still not working, right-click it and select 'Uninstall Device.' Restart the computer, and Windows will try to detect and connect the device again.

Manage Windows Power Options

Depending on Windows' configuration, the operating system may try to suspend some USB devices to save power. To be sure that this setting is disabled, you need to load the 'Control Panel' and then head to 'Hardware and Sound' -> 'Power Options.' Select 'Change Plan Settings' and then 'Change Advanced Power Settings.' Finally, find the 'USB selective suspend setting' and set both properties to 'Disabled.'

Verify that the USB Cable Works

While you may be thinking that the USB port is causing the problem, it is entirely possible that the cable might be the one causing the issue. Try to connect it to a different computer or laptop and see if it works there – if it does not, then you need to replace the cable.