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DeFacto · **Post subject:** Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:33 pm

My brother has a 3yo HP Laptop. He says that after some time, the USB mouse stops working on all 4 ports and other USB devices only work on thweports that mouse wasn't pluged in. Today, he brought me his laptop and I tested it with both his and my mouse as well as my USB hub and all worked fine on all 4 ports. I assume the problem is in the laptop (motherboard), but dunno what exactly.

Any ideas what could have caused the issue?

soulman · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:43 pm

All USB controllers have a wildly different way of electronic protection. My guess is it's shorting out (the mouse) and the controller temporarily disables that port until the next restart. I have tried 'the short test' on a few systems. Some rebooted when the USB port was shorted, some disabled the whole USB bus and one system disabled a particular port until the device was unplugged.

giantsteen · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:36 pm

Yes, similar tot he problem I had. One time my USB bus just seemed to be a bit loose and I stuck a screwdriver in it just to see what was going on. I then found out everytime I plugged a USB device nothing was working. I just had to restart the computer in order for it to work again. I am assuming that it was just shorted and protection was enabled.

DeFacto · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:03 pm

soulman wrote:

All USB controllers have a wildly different way of electronic protection. My guess is it's shorting out (the mouse) and the controller temporarily disables that port until the next restart. I have tried 'the short test' on a few systems. Some rebooted when the USB port was shorted, some disabled the whole USB bus and one system disabled a particular port until the device was unplugged.

I think that's the problem. Thanks.

But is there a way to fix this?

soulman · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:11 pm

Not really, just use a different mouse and see if the problem persists after a prolonged period. If so, the USB controller is shot and you could either get a PCMCIA USB card or a new motherboard.

giantsteen wrote:

Yes, similar tot he problem I had. One time my USB bus just seemed to be a bit loose and I stuck a screwdriver in it just to see what was going on. I then found out everytime I plugged a USB device nothing was working. I just had to restart the computer in order for it to work again. I am assuming that it was just shorted and protection was enabled.

You can stick a screwdriver in the port, but not the bus.

chrisjose1913 · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:50 pm

it sounds like a safety shutdown of the USB port to prevent damage to the computer the mouse must be arking out somehow

soulman · **Post subject:** Re: Laptop USB issues **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:00 pm

chrisjose1913 wrote:

it sounds like a safety shutdown of the USB port to prevent damage to the computer the mouse must be arking out somehow

Just repeat what I've just been saying... 8-)

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