# Plastic thing on my USB port **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847 "2006-03-10T16:49:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/1 "2006-03-10T16:49:04Z")
I have a Dell Dimension computer that has the USB ports at the bottom. But there is a plastic cover keeping me from being able to put the flash drive in all the way. It seems to me there should be a way to simply pop it off. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/2 "2006-03-10T16:50:44Z")
> [@Lillith Fair](#): > > I have a Dell Dimension computer that has the USB ports at the bottom. But there is a plastic cover keeping me from being able to put the flash drive in all the way. It seems to me there should be a way to simply pop it off. Any ideas? What model, several of the dells i have seen the shroud that covers the usb ports does kinda “pop up” so you can access them better. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/3 "2006-03-10T16:52:13Z")
[She gets down on her hands and knees again.] Dell Dimension 2400 ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/4 "2006-03-10T17:28:55Z")
> [@Lillith Fair](#): > > [She gets down on her hands and knees again.] > > Dell Dimension 2400 Does the usb drive still not seat using the lower of the 2 front USB ports, should be 2 there ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/5 "2006-03-10T17:33:15Z")
> [@Lillith Fair](#): > > [She gets down on her hands and knees again.] > > Dell Dimension 2400 any chance for a link to the USB drive in question, most are pretty small. If not you may need to get a little USB extension cord like [this](http://www.pcclub.com/product_details.cfm?itemno=A1259525) ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/6 "2006-03-10T17:44:06Z")
There are [shorter](http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=131+1506&dept=lch36&search=1ca78&child=1ca78) extensions available, I have some pigtails that are 6". You might want to get a USB hub you can put on your desk though, or something like [this](http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=142+0918&dept=tch3&search=1sb01&child=1sb40). ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/7 "2006-03-10T17:45:01Z")
Well, the other person who works here has the same computer, and her port area is down to the metal while mine has a plastic thing on top. Her husband can’t remember (over the phone) how it got if off. I can get her memory stick to go in, but she says it should go in farther. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/8 "2006-03-10T17:46:44Z")
> [@Lillith Fair](#): > > I can get her memory stick to go in, but she says it should go in farther. Hee hee ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/9 "2006-03-10T17:52:17Z")
> [@Lillith Fair](#): > > Well, the other person who works here has the same computer, and her port area is down to the metal while mine has a plastic thing on top. Her husband can’t remember (over the phone) how it got if off. > > I can get her memory stick to go in, but she says it should go in farther. Hmm, if the stick is being read, dosent really matter how it looks. I have looked at severl pics of dimension 2400’s and I am not sure what exactly is getting in the way since it does not have the USB under a little shroud like many other dells do. Worst case you might need a lil case modding if you have an exotic size/shape of USB drive. The extension is probably the way to go if its a real problem. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/10 "2006-03-10T19:15:29Z")
Oh dear, sorry I have bothered you all. Again. We went out and I bought my 256 MB jump drive. We came back and, after spending some time with a pair of scissors, I got the drive out, put it in the slot, and voila! It’s working! My co-worker’s memory stick has a shorter thingie. It is two years old…I guess they have changed things. My thingie is longer. [I’m glad I’m so articulate! I went to college!] Thanks for your help! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-thing-on-my-usb-port/347847/11 "2006-03-10T22:21:16Z")
You’ve already solved the problem, but I would just like to tell you what I did. In my workplace, we have two computers like yours. The “door” was in the up position on one of them when I–being hopelessly clumsy–accidently kicked it off. At first I was scared I’d broken the computer, but then everyone in the lab cheered and patted me on the back. No more dirty knees! Then we kicked the thingie off on the other computer and went out for beers.