# Why has my computer's USB system finked out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706 "2014-06-13T15:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/1 "2014-06-13T15:28:45Z")
Yesterday, I tried again (long story) to start up my computer, a 2-year-old Dell Inspiron 570, and I found that the mouse and keyboard would not work (the optical mouse would light up, but would not move the cursor; the keyboard does not respond at all. Both are USB connected; both are necessary to start the system). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/2 "2014-06-13T15:45:10Z")
First thing I’d try is put the mouse and keyboard on another computer and see if they work there. If they do, try different USB ports on the Dell. Test each one with the keyboard alone. I had similar problems and it turned out some of the ports were shutting down to save power but weren’t coming back. I disabled the power-saving function for USB and it’s holding, for now. Does your computer have PS2 ports? Can you get a PS2 keyboard or one of those little adapters? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/3 "2014-06-13T16:20:39Z")
Thanks for the suggestion; I’ll try it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/4 "2014-06-13T16:27:53Z")
Sometimes you just need to be patient. If the USB drivers have been updated, then the computer needs time to re-detect the peripherals. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/5 "2014-06-13T16:56:18Z")
And of course you should shut down the computer completely and restart it. Sometimes the USB on the motherboard goes bad. That can be fixed by using a PCI slot for some additional USB ports. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/6 "2014-06-14T17:44:14Z")
The computer seems to have relented: The keyboard and mouse respond properly (I tried them on another computer and they worked immediately). Now my problem is a modem that is “blocked from connecting” to the Internet, according to AOL’s message. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/7 "2014-06-14T18:11:26Z")
Modem? Are you posting from 1999? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/8 "2014-06-14T18:18:31Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Modem? Are you posting from 1999? > > 😉 No…:rolleyes: I still have dialup, because I don’t have authority to have Broadband installed here. I have to make the best of it. So I use a modem connection. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/9 "2014-06-14T21:12:32Z")
Let us know when you finally finish downloading that bootleg of _The Wedding Singer_. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-computers-usb-system-finked-out/690706/10 "2014-06-14T23:33:29Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Let us know when you finally finish downloading that bootleg of _The Wedding Singer_. Explain, please. :rolleyes: