# Yanked a cable and damaged a laptop USB port.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 12, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364 "2015-11-12T09:27:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364/1 "2015-11-12T09:27:28Z")
The accidental yank/pull was lateral. What would be horizontally/laterally damaged inside the laptop? What components are right next to the USB port?
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### Author:  [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364/2 "2015-11-12T09:42:51Z")
My first guess would be that you broke the solder holding the USB ports onto the motherboard. If that is true, I would think you would be able to have an otherwise functional laptop as long as the USB ports do not cause a short.
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### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364/3 "2015-11-13T01:46:42Z")
Yep, often soldered right into the motherboard. Shouldn’t hurt the laptop other than taking the USB port out of commission
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364/4 "2015-11-13T02:41:14Z")
If your other USB ports work, don’t worry about it. Maybe get a USB hub. Getting it repaired? Well, get an estimate first. You might decide you can survive without that one USB port.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yanked-a-cable-and-damaged-a-laptop-usb-port/737364/5 "2015-11-13T22:21:11Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> If your other USB ports work, don’t worry about it. Maybe get a USB hub. Getting it repaired? Well, get an estimate first. You might decide you can survive without that one USB port.
I have plenty of USB ports; I was just concerned about having damaged components adjacent to the port.