USB Port Not Working? Fixes in Order (Laptop and Desktop)

You plug something in and nothing happens. No sound, no light, or Windows says "USB device not recognized." Sometimes it's one port, sometimes all of them. The cause can be the device or cable, a Windows power setting, a driver, dirt in the port, or the port itself. Start with the quick checks below. Most of the time it's sorted out before you get to the hardware steps.

This guide is about regular USB ports and USB-C ports used for data (drives, mice, keyboards, phones). If a USB-C port won't charge your laptop or won't send a picture to a monitor, that's a different problem and has its own guide.

Step 1: Try another device, cable, and port

This tells you if the port is the problem or the thing you plugged in.

• Plug the same device into a different USB port. On a desktop, try a port on the back, straight on the motherboard.
• Plug a different, known-good device (a mouse or flash drive) into the port that isn't working.
• If the device uses a cable, try another cable. Cheap or worn cables fail a lot, and some USB-C cables only charge and don't carry data.
• If you use a hub, dock, or extension cable, plug the device straight into the computer to test.

• Device works in other ports: The first port is the problem. Keep going.
• Device doesn't work anywhere, and on other computers too: The device or its cable is dead, not your port.
• No USB ports work at all: That's usually Windows, a driver, or a power setting. Keep going.

Step 2: Restart the computer

Choose Start > Power > Restart. Don't just shut down or close the lid. On many PCs Shut down uses Fast startup and doesn't fully reset the hardware, but Restart does.

Step 3: Do a power drain

A USB controller can get stuck in a bad state, especially after a device shorted or pulled too much power. Many ports also turn themselves off for a moment if a device draws too much.

• Shut down and unplug everything from the USB ports.
• Laptop: unplug the charger. If the battery comes out, take it out. If it doesn't, some laptops have a small reset pinhole on the bottom. Check your maker's support page for your model.
• Desktop: unplug the power cord, or switch off the power supply.
• Hold the power button for about 30 seconds.
• Plug back in, start up, and try the port again.

Step 4: Check the port for dirt or bent pins

Pocket lint and dust pack into laptop ports more than you'd think, and then the plug doesn't seat all the way.

• Shut down and unplug the computer first.
• Shine a flashlight into the port. Look for lint or dust, and check that the plastic tongue in the middle is straight and not cracked.
• Use short bursts of compressed air, with the can upright. Then use a soft, dry, non-metal brush or a wooden or plastic toothpick to gently lift out lint.
• Don't use metal tools like pins or paperclips, and don't spray liquid into the port. If it's sticky from a spill, use a little 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a swab and let it dry fully before you power on.

If the tongue is bent, cracked, or the port wiggles, the port is damaged. Skip to Step 12.

Step 5: Check Device Manager and scan for hardware changes

• Search for Device Manager and open it. (Or right-click Start and choose Device Manager. Same on Windows 10 and 11.)
• Plug in the device, then click Action > Scan for hardware changes.

Look for:

• Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Look for any entry with a yellow warning triangle or a down-arrow icon. A down arrow means it's disabled: right-click it and choose Enable device.
• An "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)" or anything under Other devices with a yellow triangle. That usually means the device isn't talking right: try another cable or port first.
• Right-click any entry with an error, choose Properties, and read the Device status box. It often names the problem.

If Device Manager flickers or refreshes when you plug the device in, the port is seeing it, and the problem is the driver or the device.

Step 6: Reinstall the USB Root Hubs and host controllers

This makes Windows load the USB drivers fresh. It's safe, but here's the catch: while they're uninstalled, a USB mouse and keyboard can stop working until you restart. On a desktop with a USB keyboard and mouse, do the uninstall last and restart with the power button if you have to.

• In Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
• Right-click each USB Root Hub entry (you may see USB Root Hub, USB Root Hub (USB 3.0), or USB Root Hub (USB4)) and choose Uninstall device.
• Do the same for the host controller entries (names like "USB eXtensible Host Controller" or "Intel USB 3.x eXtensible Host Controller"). Don't check the box to remove the driver.
• Restart. Windows reinstalls them on its own.

Step 7: Turn off USB power saving

Windows can turn off USB ports to save power. Sometimes they don't wake back up, which looks like a dead port, especially after sleep.

Hub power management (Windows 10 and 11)

• In Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
• Right-click a USB Root Hub (or Generic USB Hub) and choose Properties.
• Open the Power Management tab and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." Click OK.
• Repeat for each USB Root Hub and Generic USB Hub. Some won't have the tab, and that's normal.

USB selective suspend (Windows 10 and 11)

• Search for Control Panel and open it, then go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
• Next to the plan you use, click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
• Expand USB settings > USB selective suspend setting.
• Set both "On battery" and "Plugged in" to Disabled. Click OK.

On many newer laptops the USB settings section doesn't show up in this window. That's normal on laptops that use a newer sleep mode called Modern Standby. If it's missing, use the Device Manager steps above. Microsoft recommends leaving selective suspend on for battery life, so if this doesn't help, turn it back to Enabled.

Step 8: Install chipset and USB drivers from the maker

Windows' built-in drivers work for most people, but the right chipset driver can fix ports that act up, especially on desktops and after a fresh Windows install.

• Laptop: go to your laptop maker's support page and search your exact model. Install the chipset driver, and any USB, Thunderbolt, or USB4 driver or firmware update listed.
• Desktop: go to your motherboard maker's support page for your exact board. Install the chipset driver (AMD or Intel) and any USB driver listed.
• While you're there, check for a BIOS update. Read the instructions first, and don't turn the computer off while it updates.
• Run Windows Update too. Optional driver updates are under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates (Windows 11), or Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates (Windows 10).

Restart after installing.

Step 9: Desktop only: check the front-panel USB cable

If only the front ports on your PC case don't work but the back ones do, the cable from the case to the motherboard may be loose or not plugged in. This happens a lot after building a PC or working inside one.

• Shut down, switch off the power supply, and unplug the power cord.
• Touch the metal case to discharge static.
• Open the side panel and follow the cables from the front ports to the motherboard.
• USB 2.0 front ports use a small 9-pin header, often labeled USB or F_USB.
• USB 3.x front ports use a thicker blue 19-pin header.
• A front USB-C port usually uses a small, separate header, sometimes labeled USB-C or U32G2_C. Not every motherboard has one.
• Push each connector in firmly and straight. Check the motherboard manual to make sure it's on the right header.
• Close up, plug in, and test.

If the header pins look bent, don't force it. The motherboard manual shows the layout.

Step 10: Check if the device needs more power

External hard drives, some webcams, audio gear, and RGB devices can pull more power than a port can give. The device may light up but not show up, click, or disconnect randomly. Laptops on battery and unpowered hubs are the most likely to struggle.

• Plug the device straight into the computer, not through an unpowered hub.
• Try it with the laptop plugged in to the charger.
• Use a powered USB hub (one with its own power adapter). If the device works on the powered hub, it just needed more power.
• A USB power meter shows if the port is putting out power at all. If it reads close to 5V with nothing else plugged in, the port is getting power, and the problem is more likely data, a driver, or the device.

Step 11: Check the USB settings in the BIOS

Some PCs let you turn USB ports off in the BIOS, and a BIOS reset or update can change these settings.

• Restart and press the BIOS key as the computer starts. It's often F2, F10, F1, or Del, depending on the brand. On Windows 10 and 11 you can also go to Settings > System > Recovery (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Recovery) > Advanced startup > Restart now, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Look for settings like USB Configuration, USB Ports, Legacy USB Support, or XHCI. They're often under Advanced, Integrated Peripherals, or Security. Make sure the ports are enabled.
• Save and exit.

The menus differ a lot by brand. If you're not sure about a setting, leave it alone. If the clock and BIOS settings keep resetting, see BIOS time keeps resetting.

If USB ports don't even work in the BIOS screen (your USB keyboard does nothing there), that points to hardware, not Windows.

Step 12: When it's the port itself

If one port is dead after all of the above, and other ports work fine, it's hardware. Signs:

• The port is loose, wiggles, or the device only works if you hold the plug at an angle.
• The plastic tongue inside is bent or broken.
• The port died after a spill, a drop, or a device that shorted.
• The USB power meter shows no power from that port, but other ports are fine.

What you can do:

• Easiest fix: use the other ports, or a hub. A good hub gives you more ports without adding strain to a weak one. See USB-C hub that doesn't kill the port.
• Desktop: a PCIe USB card adds new ports for little money, and it's an easy fix if a motherboard port died.
• Laptop: on some laptops the USB ports are on a small separate board that can be swapped. On many, they're soldered to the motherboard. Fixing those means a board-level repair. That's a job for a repair shop, or the warranty, if the laptop is worth it.

If you open the computer, unplug it, follow anti-static habits that matter, and use a good screwdriver set: precision screwdriver set.

Had a spill before the port died? See spilled water on a laptop keyboard. More useful commands for a sick PC: commands on a sick PC.