BleepingComputer.com: Usb Ports Stopped Working

Hi,
I've been working on this problem online with HP for over a week. They've given up and are shipping me a box to return the machine for them to fix at the factory. Before I give up the PC for the time it takes them to do that, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone has already successfully solved this problem.

My computer has stopped recognizing anything that's plugged into any USB port. Device manager says the ports are active and fully powered. We've tried re-installing the USB Root Hubs (anyone know why there are always two of them?) multiple times, upgraded the drivers, and in a last-ditch attempt to make everything like new again we reinstalled the operating system entirely to factory condition after backing up all our data to DVDs.

Still no recognition of anythign in a USB port. Printer says it's installed but nothing will print, flash drives are not recognized, nor camera or iPod. Interestingly enough it doesn't seem to be a hardware problem since the iPod WILL charge in the USB port just won't sync.

Has anyone seen this problem before?

Thanks.

I can't say for sure, but if you've reinstalled the OS and still can't use the USB ports - then it's time for a repair/replacement. It sounds to me as if it's a partial failure of the USB ports (the data channel rather than the power) - but I don't know a whole lot about their construction. Sorta like one of the traces that the data travels is broken, and it's broken before the split to the different ports (but this is only speculation on my part).

I may have seen the same thing at work not long ago - but can't recall the make of the system. As I seem to remember, we shipped it off for repair at the service center.

I am having the same problem.....and I am reinstalling the original software as we speak ...well not really speak but you know what I mean... I'll report once I am finish. but it is symptomatic that we both having the same problem Ciao

I'm having exactly the same problem. I know it's not the hardware because it all works fine on the desktop. Our MP3 players also charge on the Vista laptop but are not recognized. Has anyone figured it out yet. It's driving me crazy!