Hello:

I've lost all three of my USB ports on my Gateway laptop that I bought about a year ago. I usually keep my Magic Jack plugged into one of them and my cell phone tether cable into the other.

Two ports stopped responding fairly abruptly about two weeks ago, but one still worked. I just juggled the connected devices around on that last one. Now, they are all unresponsive.

The computer will acknowledge that a USB device has been connected, but Vista sends up a balloon indicating that the USB device is not recognized. It sees the connection attempt, but no matter what is connected, it is not talking.

I've tested the ports using device manager and they all come back OK. I've deleted and reinstalled the driver package for my cell phone. My Magic jack lights up, but is not acknowledged. It's as if the ports are alive, but not communicating with the processor.

I have rebooted both with and without the devices connected many times. I even went as far as to restore the system to a date about a month ago which was before this problem started. Still no luck.

The cooling fan outlet is right next to the USB ports and it's quite a hand warmer. I'm wondering if that heat, coupled with the Magic Jack's power consumption might have just fried the USB ports.

Any suggestions?

Ed-

In Device Manager, you should have a category that says "Universal Serial Bus controllers". Expend that and see if you have any problems there. You can try rolling back or updating the driver on the Host Controllers contained there.

Thanks, Kris. I'll give that a shot. Something tells me that it's a hardware issue though, since two of the ports aren't putting out any power. I'll check back to let you know if anything improves.

Nope, that didn't help. The Vista magicians indicated that all currently installed drivers and hardware are working correctly.

One of the ports doesn't provide power anymore, but the system recognizes that something has been plugged in. It returns a message indicating that it does not recognize the USB device.

The second port does provide power, but the system doesn't acknowledge that anything has been plugged in.

The third one provides power AND does recognize that something has been plugged in, but again, it indicates an USB device that is not recognized.

I used to be able to plug in my Magic Jack or my cell phone and it was a no-brainer. No more.

Try: Go to controll panel and select add/remove hardware, see if you can un-install the usb ports.
Reboot, and maybe it will see the USB ports as new hardware and re-install them again...this may be the same as un-installing and re-installing the drivers, I'm not sure but won't take long to try. Another thing to try is to update your bios..

Ed, telsetrepair's suggestion is a good one. I'd try it.
Based on what you've said up to now, it may be a USB power problem. Typically, USB controllers provide 500mA. That's per controller, not per port. Most controllers are multiport, which means that 500mA is shared by the controller ports.
Another similar possibility is the USB power circuitry of the attached devices.
If you have a powered USB hub you can try connecting the devices to that, and the hub to the laptop.
It doesn't seem that a power surge was delivered to the USB ports or to the controller (from an attached device or mains current). If that was the case USB wouldn't be showing as active on Device Manager.

Another thing to try, get a magnifier and look inside those ports, as they are parallel, a short in one will short out all, and it doesn't have to be a "hard" short, a hi impedence short will wreac havoc too. Being that usb ports are exposed almost anything can get in there.
Good Luck!

Telsetrepair has a good suggestion in that last post. Everything posted leads me to believe it's hardware related. Could be device, or it could be laptop. Sounds more like laptop to me. It's worth it to make sure there's nothing in there causing a short, and also just cleaning the contacts (easier said than done).

Well, it's not looking good with regard to all of the most appreciated suggestions. I had reached the point where only one of the three ports was fully functional. The other two were dead, either power-only or communication-only, but not both.

I bought a powered hub to try to muster as much life out of the third port as I could, but by the time I got back from the store, the third port was gone too.

I've done a backup/restore to a known good restore point. I've done a real hard power-down, including removal of the battery. I've done the uninsall procedure and verified that the ports were removed and then reinstalled. I'm afraid that no matter how hard I try, it's pretty obvious that I have a hardware problem.

Of the two ports that still have any form of life, no matter what I plug in, it responds with a message that the device I've plugged in is not recognized. I think that I'm running out of options here.

Per comments on Leo La Port this weekend try using a cotton swap dipped in Windex really just slightly damp and wipe the contacts, you never know might help.

I just saw that very thing happen with a Dell tower. All the guy did was move it from one office to the other. A single contact in his most used USB connector finally gave way, which somehow caused the others to take a dump. He searched online for nearly 45 minutes before he found his answer: open the unit and disconnect the affected USB leg from the motherboard.

Ed,
Take the male end of a usb cable, dunk it in Isoproypyl Alcohol and insert it wet into your usb ports. In and out a few times wiping the male end every few times. Repeat all other ports.
Alcohol will not hurt your lap top, don't use windex(amonia)

Ed, do this un powered!

Well, I've tried pretty much everything, including the alcohol. I'm about ready to drink it at this point! All three ports are still doing exactly the same thing, either power/no commo or commo/no power. None of them provide both.

A powered USB hub still comes up as not recognized.

Time for warranty replacement/repair by Gateway. If the laptop is not under warranty, pick up a pcmcia (or expresscard) usb adapter, to provide new ports to use. Best part if that adapter dies, get a new one.

Sorry Ed. I've seen this one a few times, usually on Dell though. I'm with the rest of the braintrust on this one. My guess is the motherboard is going Tango Uniform.

I figured that I was dealing with a Tango Uniform FUBAR situation, but I always come here first just in case. Thanks, gang......I think I'll go with the PCMCIA solution for now.

My big screen was written-off at a goner last year I later found that a CFL in my utility room was screwing with the IR sensor for the remote. I'm not a quitter when it comes to these issues!

ED,you think maybe MAGICJACK is playing games with the USB ports?
Could it be that "MAGIC" was looking for "JACK" (USB)
couldnt find JACK(usb port),got mad and left your USB ports not in the shape he found them ?