Windows 7: 6 USB port problems

Hi! I got a problem with a dell vostro 230 fat tower. I have this computer for nearly a year now and 2 month ago there was a thunder storm and my computer tuned off by itself and when i turned her on i had noticed the printer wasn't present nor my usb devices! Non of the 6 usb ports work. I've reinstalled the driver but windows says it's up to date. i have formatted my pc to see if that fixes the error. i don't know what to do :/ i'm so tired of having to change all my cables to my other pc to print and find thing on my usb devices. i have to change because i have wireless and my other pc doesn't have wireless :/ anyone knows what could be the problem???? i would really appreciate it so much if someone could help thanks!!

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You said you formatted the PC (Hard drive) so i gather you reinstalled Windows 7, so it seems like hardware damage - please disregard the following if you dont mean you formatted the hard drive - also its a long shot, and a last resort so lets hope someone else has some ideas.

If you just formatted the drive it may not remove the problem - if your sure this is the problem you really need to download a utility from the manufactures site of the hard drive - support - zero the drive which will remove everything - the hard drive will then need to be re-initialised, etc, the same as when you buy a new hard drive.

ok awkward now my computer doesn't show anything connected no usb no unknown device nothing :/ it just stays there doing nothing not even the minimum try to open it. my usb has a little light indicator when it's plugged in, but the light doesn't turn on so i'm assuming it's hardware issue........ and yes windows was reinstalled fresh thanks for the recommendationes thanks for helping

Check the BIOS it might have been reset

I checked the bios, it has activated the usb ports, supported for usb keyboard and mouses. the bios was rested but it was because the computer didn't want to start. when she started i configured the bios correctly hour,supports,etc... i'm so ticked off with my computer :/ thanks for helping

Unfortunately, it sounds as if your hardware has been damaged, probably by a lightning strike causing transient spikes in your mains power network.

If this is the case, you can install a USB card in your machine to restore functionality;

USB pci card - Google-Suche

There are lots of these, so I just gave you a search link.

Regards....Mike Connor

OMG thank you so much Mike my 2 pci slots work fine so i assume i can use the pci usb i'm so happy now to check and buy 2 card. Thanks mike you made my day

If the lightning surge took out your usb ports then there is a chance there could be other hardware damage on your motherboard.

My suggestion at this point is find a local repair shop to see if they can identify the problem, if it turns out to be the board just replace it, for peace of mind if nothing else, if they do a proper check they should check the attached ports work with other motherboards to rule those out as the problem as well.

so to summerize.

fault could be the ports attached to your motherboard may also cause your main board ports to produce errors as well, though unlikely.
fault could be the motherboard, you should replace at this point as continued use may damage attached hardware like your cpu or ram both very sencitive to voltage increases.
if the lightning caused your psu to produce enough voltage to fry your mobo i'd also get yoru psu checked out though fairly robust they aren't that robust to withstand severe voltage increases.

you could be looking at alot of replacments, while i hope your not and you get lucky one should always be prepared for the bad news

my other suggestion is pick up a surge protector if storms like that are common will save you more money in the long run.

edit: typos, i'm tired.

My pleasure.

That should restore your USB functionality, but it is basically a cheap workaround. No problem if it works. If anything else was damaged then you may still have problems. Loss of USB functionality is usually only due to the relevant chip on your motherboard being damaged, but there is no guarantee that that is the only damage.

This was once a common workaround for parallel and serial chips that had died. If you are lucky, then you will once again have full functionality.

I do hope it works for you. Please let us know how you get on.

Regards....Mike Connor

By the way, and because it might be of general interest here. It is not unusual for USB and other chips to be damaged and the motherboard is still fine.

The reasons for this are really quite simple. Most modern switched power units have at least fairly primitive surge protection. External surge protection devices are of course better. So if you use a surge protection device for your machine, then that provides more safety.The better the surge protection device, then the better the protection,.

However, many people use surge protection devices for their main machine, and use plug in "Adapters" to power their external devices like USB drives, printers etc.

The transient spike(s) which kills the chip(s), comes through this path, and only kills the chip, not affecting the motherboard itself.

If you use surge protection, which is a very good idea! It is only fully effective if you have it on ALL devices connected to your machine.

Regards....Mike Connor