My laptop has problems

Capt Lightning

Capt Lightning

Well-known Member
Location
Historic Buchan, Scotland
The USB ports on my laptop have stopped working. I've tried them on both Linux and Windows, but no luck, so possibly a hardware fault. I'll see if there are any diagnostics that I can run, but this machine - Dell Inspiron - has been gradually packing up and was coming due for replacement. I have an old Dell Latitude which must be over 12 years old and is still working, but is V.slow.
 

Capt Lightning said:
The USB ports on my laptop have stopped working. I've tried them on both Linux and Windows, but no luck, so possibly a hardware fault. I'll see if there are any diagnostics that I can run, but this machine - Dell Inspiron - has been gradually packing up and was coming due for replacement. I have an old Dell Latitude which must be over 12 years old and is still working, but is V.slow.
Click to expand...
Yea, if neither windows or Linux detects the ports you'd be looking at a problem at the hardware level. How about your USB devices, do you know if they are functional?
 

Based on what's posted, I'd lean toward hardware something or other but a couple of things I would try ...

I'd check BIOS to make sure the USB ports are enabled in BIOS
Might even disable and re-enable them

If that didn't work, in Windows ... Go to "Device Manager" and expand the line item(s) for USB ports
What I'd shoot for uninstalling drivers is to NOT see USB ports in the Device Manager at all ...
Then right click and Uninstall Drivers for the USB ports
Reboot and if Windows "sees" the USB hardware, it will automatically reinstall drivers for it.
 
Many thanks , Naturally. I don't use Windows, but on rebooting and pressing F2, I could go to ufei settings and restore the BIOS. This seems to have worked and the mouse and USB ports seem to function OK. I used the configuration editor to set the touchpad to disabled when the mouse is plugged in.

Still doesn't alter the fact that the laptop is falling apart. The casing has cracked and the top row of the keyboard doesn't work, so I want to replace it. It otherwise works well, but is mechanically poor.
 
Not sure about Linux, but in Windows, go to the device manager, look for the USB controller then 'update drivers' for each. If that doesn't work, (also in the device manager) I would try 'uninstall each usb device, then reboot. Windows (should) re-install each usb device.
 
I was going to start a new thread, but decided to just resurrect this one since my post is related to laptops and Windows.

Today, I was offered a new Windows 11 24H2 update but decided to wait when I found this:

"Getting new things first isn’t always a good thing when it comes to software, however. It can take quite a while for a new Windows build to be announced as “stable,” and 24H2 is far from earning that title at the moment".

Link from Digital Trends
 
Well I have to admit my old dell does have a few issues. It will no longer run word. Some websites either will not run or run improperly. And now the cd player is on the fritz. However it will run firefox…and my new one will not. Also does not track the same…therefore much easier to research. It will be a sad day when it dies….
 
Capt Lightning said:
The USB ports on my laptop have stopped working. I've tried them on both Linux and Windows, but no luck, so possibly a hardware fault. I'll see if there are any diagnostics that I can run, but this machine - Dell Inspiron - has been gradually packing up and was coming due for replacement. I have an old Dell Latitude which must be over 12 years old and is still working, but is V.slow.
Click to expand...
Make sure it's not a problem with whatever you're plugging into it. :)
 
I use a 12 year old Dell Inspiron and was thinking about getting a new one because AI is enabled on the new ones. I don't care for AI but know they will force all of us into it sooner or later. For now, I'm keeping my old one but it drives me because I often get the message that AOL isn't responding and it takes a long time to get signed and moving in the morning.
 

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