USB port connection problem - help, please

[tibbir]

I have had a Dell Dimension computer with 2 working USB port connections. About a year ago there was a problem that Dell couldn't figure out. They gave me a new CPU that had 6 USB port connections. Pretty nifty.

I wasn't using them until the other day when I bought a new printer with a USB connector. I found out and it was confirmed today that none of the USB ports are working.

The computer guy told me I have a bad motherboard and that I should buy a new computer. There is NOTHING wrong with my computer and I don't want to spend $800-900 right now to get working USB ports.

Can anybody tell me how to check the USB ports and get them working?

[Warren Stupidity]

1. why do you think that the ports aren't working?

[tibbir]

4. I have a device that I know the USB connector is working on

plus the computer guy also confirmed it today.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. like a mouse?

OK so first of all your computer guy is either misleading you or misinformed. It is very unlikely that your usb ports on the motherboard are 'broken'. These parts are very, very standard and have been for years, and there is hardly anything to break.

Second, and most troubling to me, is the recommendation to go out and buy a new m'board. You can buy a retail usb card for like 50 bucks, plug it into the pci bus on your current computer, and voila you've got a new set of usb ports to plug shit into.

Somebody else suggested looking at Device Manager - excellent idea. Look for anything with a yellow exclamation point next to it and get back to us.

[Chico Man]

2. What operating system do you have?

Do you know how to look at the "Device Manager"?

[tibbir]

5. Windows XP

I don't think I know how to look at the device manager.

[Catch22Dem]

8. Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager

[Chico Man]

10. If you cannot find it, try this..

Start -> Right Click on My Computer, Click Manage

Device Manager is under system tools. Highlight it.

In the right window, expand the section called "Universal Serial Bus controllers"

Is it there? Are there any yellow exclamation points?

Edited to replace left w/ right

[Kelvin Mace]

3. Make sure they are actually plugged in

to the motherboard. Open the case and check that the cable from the ports actually is plugged into the pins on the mobo.

[tibbir]

7. Thanks, I'll get my son to do that

when he gets home.

[Catch22Dem]

6. Answer a couple of things.

Are the ports on the front or back? It doesn't really matter but...

I'm assuming it's just a PCI USB card, so you need to see if the card is bad first. Unplug the power cord and open the case. Find the card where the USB ports are and pull the card out. Very easy on a dell as they have this little bar that covers the cards. Pull back the bar and yank the card out. No screwdriver needed (I'm pretty sure) Now plug that card into another port. If it's a PCI card it will fit into the long white rectangular "sockets" just like the one it came out of. Put everything back together and start the PC again. If windows doesn't automatically recognize the card, report back to us.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. the ones that ship with the system

are usually on the motherboard itself, not on a pci card.

[Catch22Dem]

12. True

USB cards are cheap. If there's an available PCI slot, I'd suggest a new usb card. USB 2.0