USB is dead

[toshwriter]

I connected my laptop to a printer, and it died. I booted up again, and the laptop refused to acknowledge that it had anything plugged in.

I have tried:

* A wifi card
* A memory card reader
* A hard disk (which incidentally still works fine in the firewire port)

Due in part to other Dell related deficiencies, my inability to use any USB devices effectively removes my ability to:

* Watch TV
* Listen to music
* Access the internet, wirelessly or wired
* Print documents

My laptop is effectively useless, unless I just want to play freecell and make word documents (but not print them).

The USB devices are receiving power from the ports, but the computer doesn't respond to them when they are connected (ie no sound is played). I reckon it's a hardware problem; probably something somewhere has fried. I'm assuming that the USB circuitry is integrated into the motherboard which means it can't be easily replaced.

That's my situation. I have a few options:

1. Replace the motherboard. Risky since I can't guarantee it's the problem. Also quite a lot of hard work. I could either a) buy a broken laptop of the same model and use it for spares, or b) purchase a new motherboard.
2. Use a USB cardbus. I've tried this before (because I have lots of USB devices that have high bandwidth requirements) but after a while it just died. I'm keen to avoid that again.
3. Buy a new computer.
4. Pay someone else to fix it.
5. Put up with it.

My opinions:

1a): No. The new motherboard might be damaged and I could end up damaging something else in the process. Also not a quick solution.
1b): No. Too expensive.
2): Possible, but it would only be a temporary solution.
3): Maybe. I was thinking of replacing it anyway.
4): No. More than the laptop's worth.
5): No. That would kill all its functionality.

Anyone got any suggestions/comments?

The laptop is a 3.5 year old Dell Inspiron 5150 (P4 you could have a BBQ on, 512MB RAM, 15 inch screen).

[Chris]

The fact that the USB devices are still powered show that the circuitry isn't dead, just that Windows isn't recognising them.

This may seem like an obvious question, but did you try:

1. Reinstalling all usb hub drivers? (I assume XP?)
2. Boot up into Linux to see if there is still a problem?
3. Check the BIOS settings that your USB isn't disabled.

[RecT]

I doubt its a software problem. I had similar issues with my old laptop. Because it was so old and it was not worth getting it fixed, I opened it up and looked at the USB ports.

Just for the hell of it, I decided to resolder all of the USB connections and when I rebooted the computer sprang back into life!! So if you can't get your comp fixed, this is what i'd suggest!

RecT

[toshwriter]

I didn't say the circuitry was dead! There are certainly some bits of it that have been damaged though, to an extent where the computer won't recognise the ports.

In response to your comments:
1. It's not a software problem
2. Linux doesn't recognise anything in the ports either, also verifying that it's not something that can be fixed by reinstallation
3. I did check that

I think I'll probably buy a new computer before I start on the old one with a soldering iron!

[Wollah]

Was this ever resolved?