Did I Blow My USB Port On My Laptop - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2025, 10:19:48 pm
content: Something weird happened yesterday.My old Win7 laptop has three USB ports that all worked. One had the wireless mouse USB thing plugged in, the second had an Arduino Nano, and the third unused.I used Arduino IDE to program the Nano, and, while programming, or just after it finished, the mouse stopped working.Turns out, the Nano got programmed fine, the port the Nano was plugged into works fine, but the port the (edit: mouse) USB thing was plugged into doesn't work. I tested the port with various USB devices; Win7 beeps acknowledging it's aware something is plugged in, but I get the "USB device not recognized".When I go into Device Manager, I see:Other DevicesBase System DeviceBase System DeviceCoprocessorUniversal Serial Bus controllersUnknown DeviceI tried disabling and uninstalling all four, scanning for hardware changes, and got the message that the latest driver(s) are installed.Not sure if the code that got sent to the Nano had something to do with it. The code basically simulates a piece of test equipment that sends a string of characters to a GUI I made. The code allows me to use the Nano rather than keep the test equipment powered/connected.As stated above, the Nano was only being written to at the time the USB port blew.Does anyone know what could have happened and/or how to fix this?

author: shabaz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2025, 11:03:14 pm
content: Sounds unlikely that a mouse USB wireless adapter, or a Nano connected to nothing else (if that was the case?), could have caused it, but who knows.I've no idea, but maybe something updated on the 'net? Did it have a network connection, or files transferred to the laptop that contained more recent drivers? It's not unknown for drivers not to work if accidentally installed on Windows 7 (which is unsupported). I have one Win 7 machine (to run particular legacy software until I have written a replacement), I have not configured the WLAN interface, since I never want it to connect to the Internet.I've managed in the past to accidentally install a driver version which was unsupported on Win 7, but Win 7 happily installed it, and then would blue-screen for instance. Took ages to wipe out of the registry etc., to get back to a sane state again.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2025, 11:31:44 pm
content: The laptop was offline. Also, the Nano wasn't connected to anything; just connected to the laptop via USB.I've programmed this exact Nano several times, maybe dozens, without an issue. Also, the mouse has been used for a few years now, so nothing new was connected.This issue seems very weird.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 12:40:38 am
content: I don't have the model number at the moment, but Windows beeps when something is plugged in, so it knows a device is there. Also, I tried a thumb drive and wired mouse.In all cases Windows reports an unknown USB device.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 05:20:52 am
content: It is something weird and probably a coincidence.Data sent to a USB device have no effect on USB hardware, so it doesn't matter that you were programming the MCU at the time. And a device with no external connections is not supposed to be able to cause permanent hardware damage, unless it generates some high voltage internally like those "USB killer" dongles.Have you tried power cycling the hardware completely? Turn it off, disconnect the PSU, remove the battery, wait a minute before putting it back.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 06:18:02 am
content: The USB "A" sockets on my ASUS laptop are mechanically poor, in that a USB connector plugged in is often not recognised until I wiggle the plug. The USB "C" socket is good, though.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 06:57:41 am
content: Well sometimes things just fail.I had to replace the USB power switch IC in my old Toshiba laptop before. The USB ports started working intermittently randomly, after looking into it found that the 5V power is disappearing randomly. Replaced the faulty power management chip and it worked great ever since.Another possibility is that you managed to kill something using static discharge. While USB ports should be pretty well protected against ESD there is still a possibility of a severe enough static discharge into the data pins to blow something. Tho usually when that happens the port goes completely dead. If you are lucky there are actual separate ESD didoes on the motherboard that you can replace.But first test is to check if the ports work with an externally powered hub and check the voltage of the 5V power on the port.And yeah another common possibility is the USB connector itself breaking off the PCB and loosing contact on just a few pins. Those are a pretty easy fix too (tho sometimes involves sourcing a very obscure looking connector to fit the PCB footprint)

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 10:37:10 am
content: My ages old HP SFF has started losing a port or two.It has 32bit W10 Pro and been practically in use since it left the factory.Recently an unknown combination of used ports and devices have started failing some ports, Device Manager has some ports cautioned, controller is ICH10 family and driver what MS offers.Solution is to disconnect all devices and tell manager to show hidden devices.Then remove installation of all ports and unconnected devices.Finally go through all ports with a standard device.No idea what the reason is, but Arduino, IDE or device, can be part of it.(directory of arduino-1.8.5 is present)Internal port connection is also unknown, but seems that using only every other port has a better change.32bit OS is clearly not a priority, so it can be also something, like one day startmenu jumplists were gone and one other day they game back, can't say when correction happened since taskbar jumplists worked all the time.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 12:51:27 pm
content: QuoteI recycled power but didn't remove the battery; thought the power cycle would be enough but never hurts to go the extra step.The coincidence is extremely odd that the port stopped working for no reason. My initial reaction was the incorrect port was selected and the Arduino code got programmed onto the wireless mouse USB thing (although I didn't think that was possible). After it worked on another port, I realized the mouse was fine but the port wasn't. At that point I tested the port by plugging in various USB devices. In all cases Windows reported not recognizing the USB device, on some thumb drives that have an LED, the LED would be illuminated, Windows would beep when the device was plugged in, etc...Odds of a bad connection (in my opinion) is slim. The wireless mouse USB wasn't leaning on anything, the laptop was sitting at rest, and the port blew exactly while programming the Nano or just after it finished (I didn't need to move the mouse while it was being programmed, so I don't know which stage the port stopped working).Obviously I had to move the mouse to click in the IDE to program the Nano, and went to move the mouse after it was programmed; thus why I'm uncertain if the port blew during or just after programming.I'm not ruling out any assumptions and will remove power/battery today. Next I'll gently wiggle a thumb drive and see if Windows sees the device.

author: golden_labels
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 02:08:13 pm
content: bostonman: are you accustomed to using any Linux distro and have any at hand? System journal contains a log of what the kernel module does with the device and the related errors. While 75% of these errors require knowing the kernel and the devices, and with another 20% we can only help by pointing to somebody else having a similar issue, this might still shine some light on what is going on.Also see (extra:1) below ­— likely unhelpful, but the post would be incomplete without it.Stopping working for “no reason” is the most expected way of any IC to end its life. There usually is no external, observable factor that could be linked to a chip becoming a fancy rock. Even ESD is a latent killer: it claims most of the victims weeks, months, even years after the zap. However, when that happens, it coincides with many events, some of which are meaningful to humans, and our ape brains are wired to love finding patterns and cling to them. But there is nothing odd in such a coincidence.If there was a plausible, reasonably straightforward and clear explanation accompanied with such a coincidence, then the story is very different. But so far nobody here could come up with one.(1)Which means we’re left with nothing but statistics. And statistics do not work too well with sample size N=1.To conclude the post: don’t be afraid of programming Arduinos.(extra:1)I don’t think it will be of any use in this thread, but the post would be incomplete without mentioning it. It’s also possible to capture USB traffic using libpcap with usbmon, though this is a bit more complicated setup and would require you to understand the USB protocols. Even with a tool like Wireshark as the frontend.Wireshark authors also mention it’s possible to capture USB traffic under Windows, however this requires installing 3rd party drivers I don’t know anything about, hence I can’t give any opinion on its security and safety. And Wireshark authors themselves mention there were notable bugs in that package, leading to Windows failing to recognize USB devices. In most modern computers and in particular virtually all laptops this would be catastrophic. In laptops a large number of elements, including the keyboard, are in fact connected over USB.(1)I can imagine a hidden damage manifesting itself this way. Everything but the physical connector and safety features are shared by the ports. It’s possible for one to affect another in an extreme, convoluted case. But I’d call that a very far fetched explanation, way too far for me myself to accept it over a plain coincidence with no casual link. And even if, it should not be interpreted as being related to Arduino, but just to any other device being used at the time.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 05:52:04 pm
content: I agree with golden_labels above: No causation between Arduino firmware upload, and an USB host port giving up its ghost. None.That just does not happen, because the programming uses bog-standard USB control and bulk messages that all USB devices use. There is absolutely nothing special on the host side when programming targets, no special APIs used, just bog-standard USB messages (or serial port data and configuration). That includes even resetting the Arduino (by toggling DTR or setting zero baud rate, depending on the board). The firmware upload has nothing special in it, it is only perfectly ordinary USB comms.On laptops, the USB ports are often on a small, replaceable daughter board, just because the physical connectors do wear out (often much faster than the actual electrical contact surfaces in those connectors). We humans tend to use a rather lot of force when plugging stuff in and pulling them out, transmitting torque and twisting to the small PCB holding the USB socket, and that tends to wear them out "prematurely". Multiple ports tend to be on the same PCB, and where the cracks and such happen on the small PCB depends on the PCB shape and mounting to chassis with respect to the USB port sockets, so it is often not the exact port that gets most used or most force exerted on it that stops working.(I do use USB isolators, but only to protect my USB ports from power problems when connecting to externally mains-powered USB devices, or when poking a screwdriver at a live USB circuit while it is connected to my computer; i.e. when I do something I shouldn't. They are not needed with USB-powered, standards-compliant devices like Arduinos and such, as the host ports ought to be able to handle even shorting 5V to ground. The "USB killers" use energy storage and high voltage to provide enough power to kill the protections, the electronic equivalent of putting a small amount of explosive in the device and firing it when inserted.)

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 08:32:50 pm
content: To be honest the "power cycle" trick I suggested probably won't fix it, but it could if the problem is some logic error in the USB controller.Nominal's point that it could be simple physical damage makes sense. A few obvious checks can be made: verify ground continuity to other grounds on the laptop, check if 5V is there (this probably works if device LEDs turn on, but maybe it's not quite full 5V). The D-/D+ lines are supposed to be pulled down to ground with 15kΩ each when the computer is on and nothing is connected. So if you measure between D-/D+ and VBUS with an ordinary 10MΩ impedance DMM you will read ~5V, or you will read zero if the line is open circuit. Connecting a 10kΩ resistor between VBUS and D- or D+ should pull the line up to ~3V and trigger "unknown device" notifications, on each of those pins.

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 08:46:04 pm
content: I'm quite sure my problem survived a power down.It's also power based, since regular optical wired USB mouse stays dim.It also happened to that mouse and its port, the one where it has been connected for quite some time.For now I'm also pretty sure its neighboring port went also off, moving the mouse didn't make it go.So the cause was in the other port, means also that those two ports must be sharing their power source, if power off is a safety feature.Can't say why the feature survived the power down and was released when port reinstalls.The Device Manager caution was port, not the installed peripheral.Can't reproduce it by just connecting and disconnecting devices.But when opening the Device Manager first time before doing anything one port was cautioned, just a simple reinstall solved it.This time fiddled devices were Arduino UNO clone, STM8L Discovery and ATSAMD21G R3, as CH340, removable disk and combined device.Earlier case included at least UNO's serial controller as standalone support for some other ESP8266 shield that didn't work.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 11:30:39 pm
content: If the Nano was connecting to anything else, and the laptop was connected to something else which provides a ground, like a monitor, then I might suspect a ground loop which could damage a USB port. I blew the ground trace off of an RS-232 card once this way.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 02:50:09 am
content: When I get time, I'll take measurements on the USB as suggested above.The laptop was connected to the charger, and the only things attached was the USB wireless mouse thing and the Nano via USB to type C (?).Keep in mind, the port that "blew" had the wireless mouse thing connected, and, when moved to another port, the mouse worked.Setting aside an odd coincidence such as the internal IC blew at that exact moment, ESD struck something at that exact moment, or a connection came lose at that exact moment, the only way that port could have blown was threw the IDE or the Nano somehow feeding back to the other USB port; and somehow not blowing the wireless mouse USB thing.I fully agree with everyone that an IC is bound to blow (or an ESD incident or a bad connection) at any point and time... so I'm not doubting the feedback from anyone. This is just such an odd problem; although others have experienced similar issues.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 03:20:16 pm
content: Arduino Nano uses FTDI FT232RL for USB, according toofficial schematics (PDF). Thus, programming an Arduino Nano (that is only connected to the USB) is no different than using an USB-to-serial cable.However, that does not mean a hardware or driver issue can be ruled out.FTDI chips are notoriously often faked, and FTDI itself is known to do stupid stuff with their Windows drivers in particular. The fact that fiddling with the Device Manager as described has fixed it for some indicates that it indeed is a driver issue, which to me sounds quite possible since it is FTDI we're talking about. (They are much more concerned with protecting their own products than end customers, really, so I would not put it past them to do stupid stuff in the driver in the mistaken belief it helps them fight fakes and clones — explaining why a driver might affect a different USB port not directly under its own control.)It would have been extremely illuminating to reboot the computer into a live Linux distribution off an USB stick, and see if the USB ports work there okay. If not, thedmesglog would likely have told why. For the issues that are fixable via Windows Device Manager, it definitely sounds like a Windows driver issue to me, even if it takes a reboot to fix and was not the port controlled by said driver; if it had worked in Linux right after before Device Manager fiddling, that would have been confirmed.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 05:49:14 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on August 28, 2025, 02:50:09 amWhat I was thinking is that a ground loop from the charger, through the laptop, through the Nano, to whatever the Nano was connected to, or any other external connection, could blow a trace going to the USB port that the wireless mouse thing was connected to, but you are confirmed that there was no ground loop, and it would have affected other ports which did not happen.It seems like coincidence to me, which includes ESD although USB ports are suppose to be very ESD resistant.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 07:11:16 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on August 28, 2025, 05:49:14 pmIn such cases, I do recommend the cheap ADuM3160-based USB 2.0 full-speed isolators. Most Arduino-class boards have an USB 2.0 full-speed (12 Mbit/s) and not a faster (high-speed) interface, be it integrated or external bridge chip, so the isolator won't affect data transfers at all. My typical use case is using my computer to connect to the Linux terminal console on an externally powered appliance/TV-box/router/SBC.The only thing I absolutely recommend with those isolators, is to carefully check the isolated DC-DC converter circuitry on them. They often do not have a polarity protection diode on the downstream side, so something backfeeding the converter could fry something. The data stuff is always per application notes. When connecting to an externally powered device, I use a special USB 2.0 cable where the USB 5V line is completely disconnected, with only GND, D+, and D- connected, between the isolator and the target device. (If you do your own cable, D+ and D- should have about 90Ω differential and 30Ω common-mode impedance.)I do have multiple USB 2.0 high speed devices (Teensies, RISC-V SBCs I'm using as microcontrollers), and have looked at making my own isolator based onAnalog Devices ADuM3166orTI ISOUSB211as the ones sold are way too expensive and not very good in my opinion. There are just some details on powering the device-side 5V that I haven't worked out yet. The isolated DC-DC converter is the weak point in these, so it would be nice to be able to select between host USB power (very limited current, maybe 350mA max. to device using a DC-DC converter), a 5.5/2.1mm DC jack from an isolated AC/DC supply or known-good USB charger, or being completely disconnected.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 08:59:34 pm
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on August 28, 2025, 07:11:16 pmI would absolutely use USB isolators on any computer, laptop or desktop, connected to other test equipment.I learned that lesson long ago with RS-232.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 10:50:45 pm
content: Most of my Linux-based gadgets don't have proper RS-232, but the equivalent using 1.2V, 1.8V, 2.5V, or 3.3V CMOS logic levels (UARTs). I like to use TI ISO6721FBDR (RX+TX only, only needs two 100nF bypass capacitors) for those, because it not only provides reasonable isolation, but also handles the logic level conversion. If hardware handshaking is supported (most of mine do not), then two of those. I only need to use a multimeter to find a point on the target that provides a few milliamps at the desired logic level voltage, since each side of the isolator needs their own power supply. At about 1€ to 1.5€ in singles at Mouser/Digikey/LCSC, it's a no-brainer for me — but the last time I brought up the subject here, I was implied to be an idiot who sprinkles isolators willy-nilly, instead of using a proper lab power supply like a smart person would...

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 04:30:03 am
content: I will put a USB isolator on my list.I'll admit to measuring voltages in the past on items plugged into the USB port and assumed the laptop had protection against shorts.Earlier I wiggled a USB device and applied pressure in hopes of it being a bad connection without any luck.After reading the suggestions, it occurred to me I should have loaded Ubuntu long ago to rule out driver issues. While in Ubuntu, It seemed the port still didn't work (I used the wireless USB mouse thing), I pushed to apply force inward and suddenly the mouse began working. At that point I tested it several times with thumb drives and it continued to work without applying force. This made me assume dust was in the port and now it's able to make a connection.Loaded Win7, the port continued to work; including testing several thumb drives. After a few hours of it working with a wired mouse and having a Nano plugged into another port (the single USB on the right - the other day when the port blew the Nano was plugged into one of the left two ports), the port decided to stop working again.Thinking it needed force to work, I applied force but it didn't start working.This time the Nano wasn't getting programmed, it was actually running the program I programmed it with when the port stopped working before. It was in the middle of sending data into a program via the USB port.

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 03:17:12 pm
content: So a mechanical thing.Don't expect that you can do the same many times.If it's a cracked solder it can act very intermittently.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2025, 04:12:09 pm
content: Quote from: bostonman on August 29, 2025, 04:30:03 amThey are supposed to be able to handle shorts, but it's not something that happens often, so better spend that extra $10 when you do poke at an active USB circuit, or when you connect an USB device to both your computer and something that is mains-powered.For audio, there are quite cheap galvanic isolators — audio transformers — like Triad Magnetics TY-250P (under 5€ atMouserin singles) with 1kΩ input and output impedance and 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range.For UART and SPI, I like to use TI ISO6721 and ISO6731, as they handle both isolation and voltage level translation, each side being powered from their own supply at the desired CMOS logic level (1.8V or 2.25V to 5.5V), and they're quite cheap even in singles. And only need a 100nF supply bypass capacitor on each supply, like dual supply voltage translators do anyway. Current draw depends on the signal switching rate, but is on the order of milliamps. Even for I2C, there are well-known reliable cheap isolators like TI ISO1640, but with more limited range of voltages on each side.Here in Finland, we use CEE 7/3 ("Schuko") mains sockets, which are not polarized, and most USB chargers and similar wall warts are not grounded and do not reference their output to true ground or "neutral" (because there may not be a true neutral in some cases, like when wall sockets are two legs of a three-phase circuit), and 0V/"GND" on different gadgets often do not agree, so ground loops can be common. Some people never see them (because of how their house is wired), but especially in some older houses it can easily happen. To me, isolation is just another tool in avoiding the risk of such ground loops, even when they are only via Y-class capacitors and tiny currents that do not harm anything but may cause signal issues (like audio buzzing). The fact that for my typical needs (UART) they also include voltage level translation, makes them Duh! -level obvious tools for me.But, be warned: when I started theWhy not use digital isolatorsthread, these use cases were not particularly "embraced", with the dominant response being "just use proper lab power supplies, stoopid". Which is not an option for me, because the devices I use have their own mains power supplies, so replacing hardware for debugging issues is not a real solution. I don't think my mom would like to power her router from a lab power supply three times the price of the router and double the size, for example.Quote from: bostonman on August 29, 2025, 04:30:03 amThis soundsexactlylike the physical PCB issues I described.On my previous laptop (HP EliteBook 830 G3), I had exactly the same issue with the 5.5×2.1mm DC power socket. The socket is very firmly soldered to a cutout in the PCB, but has a central pin that easily gets broken, so the laptop will only charge when pressure is applied to the DC jack, until even that stops working. It is basically a crack in the conductor caused by mechanical motion, not dust or anything like that.The USB port PCB is often very narrow rectangle, with the main board connections on one end, the connectors along the board, and just two mounting screws at each end. When the connectors are pushed, the PCB can develop cracks in the copper layer near the middle of the PCB, so that the connectors at the other end from the connections to the main board stops working, even if they themselves were never stressed.I would warmly recommend you check your laptop model for replacement parts. Even if an older one, you can usually find them at eBay or AliExpress by sellers specializing in laptop parts. If you'd have mentioned your laptop make and model and variant, I would've already checked, because I did that only a few months ago for that EliteBook of mine. (I switched to a new lappy, because it started having clock and throttling issues as well, but did get replacement cooling and DC socket for when I get the hankering to try and get it working again.)