I bloody well hope the Geek Squad guy did! I just opened up the case and confirmed the availablility of PCI slots (and a pound of dust) so I’ll order that card and get to it.
Thanks y’all. I’ll let you know how it goes (assuming the computer works after I install it…)
I am currently experiencing the same sort of thing on my current PC, though as I am currently upgrading my system over the next couple of days it’s relatively moot.
Nonetheless my problem was probably the controller IC that handles all external ports. The problem was that my USB ports (on the motherboard) would die. Just up and flake out. This was a problem because absolutely all of my hardware is USB, including the keyboard. No USB, no keyboard – no boot. Worse, when I plugged in a PS/2 keyboard it still wouldn’t work, which meant the problem wasn’t the ports themselves but deeper – probably the controller IC as mentioned.
This wasn’t a total death mind – if I fiddled and fiddled long enough it would power back up and I’d be back in business. I never quite worked out where the problem was though – it was one of those seemingly ephemeral things you just couldn’t definitively nail down.
Until last week. It happened again. I tried a few things and nothin’. This time I go and flick the power supply off (using the PSU’s power button instead of the computer’s) and use the CPU power button trick to discharge residual power, then power back up again. Whaddya know – worked like a charm.
I still think it’s the port controller – the PSU is fairly high end and not even a year old and since nothing else if effected I’m inclined to blame the motherboard – but there you go anyway. One possible idea.
Oh, and it is possible to kill cheap hubs. I’ve killed a few. I’m not sure how or why, though I suspect if you have enough powered devices plugged into it (assuming it’s a powered hub) and they all start trying to draw more amperage than the hub’s AC can provide it might muck things up. Running high power devices on unpowered hubs will usually only result in Windows disabling access to the hub.
It’s not dead. It’s just resting.
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
It’s pining for the ports!
Well, the card came and I installed it- all by my-selwf! 
and it was that easy; I have USB ports again! My files are restored! I may even risk a RAM upgrade now! OK my printer seems to have croaked but I take my puter blessings where I can get them…
Thanks again Dewey & Om.
There is one last check here. Go into the Bios and see I the USB ports are all still enabled.
Be sure to turn of your USB ports in the Bios before you install a PCI card for USB ports.
You still should turn off the MB in the Bios setting, And I’m curious if it was already off.
Correction.
You still should turn off the MB USB ports in the Bios setting, And I’m curious if it was already off. My first expectation was a dead hardware though.
All true. My advice for anybody wanting a hub is always spend a couple bucks more and get a powered one. Also, carefully read the manual for any USB device you buy, because some of them warn not to plug it into a hub, but directly into the computer port.
I also realized recently that the USB ports on the front of computers are not direct, but actually hubs. On most computers, anyway.