Front USB Ports Not Working: A Guide To Identifying Causes and Fixes

Front USB ports not working can be a concerning and difficult issue to figure out since many problems in a system can cause its reasons. This article is going to discuss all of the main problems and also show how they can impact the functioning of ports.

There will also be an assessment of various changes that can be made to a system so that its USB ports can work effectively. With this article, you will be able to pinpoint the exact reason why your ports may not be working and, as a bonus, also find out how to solve it.  

Why Are the Front USB Ports Not Working?

The front USB ports are not working due to several reasons:

• Faulty USB device and hindrance in the USB port.
• Issues with USB drivers. 
• A broken or loose internal connection.
• Hardware changes within the controllers. 
• Controllers malfunction as part of the power settings. 
• An outdated system or a laptop with an inefficient power supply.

– Faulty USB Devices

Software or hardware problems that can be common in both Mac and Windows systems can cause many problems, and one of them is not working USB ports. In most cases, the device is usually the culprit instead of its ports on the system as it can be faulty due to several reasons. It is possible that the relevant device is corrupted or contains bugs, therefore your system may not be recognizing it. 

Whereas it may also have undergone serious mechanical damages that have disabled it from being read by the ports.

– Hindrance in the USB Port

There can be various kinds of hindrance present within the port that are preventing your USB device from effectively plugging in. Due to their wide opening, ports can easily collect food, dust, and other particles if devices are not plugged into them for a long period. It doesn’t seem a problem at first, but later it will cause a lot of serious issues.

– Issues With the Drivers for the USB Device

There can be issues with the relevant drivers as well that prevent them from functioning properly so that the USB ports can work. They may have become corrupted or unstable due to being constantly loaded.

In other cases, they may also require updates to remain synced with modern devices getting plugged into the relevant system.

– Broken or Loose Internal Connections

There are internal connections between a system and its ports that can be either broken or loose, which can draw two conclusions. One of them corresponds to a physical problem existing with either the USB port or the relevant cable. The other cause can involve the relevant controller that is either broken or bent on the board. No matter what the reason is, it will lead to not working USB ports.

– Hardware Changes Within USB Controllers

There are certain hardware changes as well that can take place within the controllers of a system and can lead to the unresponsiveness of ports. These changes take place due to the rapid and repetitive insertion and deletion of a device. With this, the device is no longer recognized by that port, and its functioning is stopped.

– Malfunctioned Controllers in Power Management Settings

Modern systems are equipped with a technique of saving power in which controllers are switched off by Windows when they are not being used. In addition, they automatically switch on again whenever they have to be used. On some occasions, this technique is not executed properly, and the controllers fail to switch back on in the settings. So, the malfunctioning controllers, without a doubt, can cause this issue as well.

– Outdated System

You are also likely to experience issues with the USB ports if you have an outdated system that is not optimized for modern devices. It can fail to provide device connectivity with them and, in turn, prevents augmented functionality. Your system may not be reading the device, which can also be perceived as the ports not working.

– Inefficient Supply

In addition, the issue is also possible if you have an outdated system or a laptop with inefficient power. Keep in mind that this issue is applicable for laptops if only as their supply is responsible for providing the required power to its ports. There can be fluctuations in the flow of power that can result in an inefficient supply reaching the ports.

This can have a direct effect on their functioning as they may not be able to establish a smooth connection between the system and the relevant device.

How To Fix the Front USB Ports Issues?

Not working front USB ports issue can be solved by trying these actions: 

• Diagnosing a faulty device. 
• Removing any hindrance from USB ports.
• Using a driver updater. 
• Fixing the position of the relevant device.
• Disabling and re–enabling the controllers.
• Stopping the management of malfunctioning controllers. 
• Update the system
• Reset the supply of the laptop.  

– Diagnosing a Faulty USB Device

You must always diagnose the possibility of a faulty device in the beginning before moving on to more complex solutions to the issue. Most of the time, the issues lie here and can be easily solved. The diagnosis involves unplugging the device from the current system and plugging it into another one. 

With this, a device can be confirmed as faulty if it does not work or if the new system also does not recognize it. In this case, the ideal solution is to replace it with a new device that aligns with your data requirement and system compatibility.

– Removal of Hindrance in the USB Port

The removal of various kinds of hindrance from USB ports can also result in their smooth working. Upon sighting the hindrance, you must conduct an instant shutdown of your system to initiate the removal. Food, dirt, and other types of particles can be easily removed by a gentle flow of a thin wooden or plastic implement. In such a case, a toothpick can be an ideal tool as it is usually thin enough to reach the tight spaces of USB ports.

However, another method involves the usage of canned air as its blow can be concentrated directly towards the ports. With it, you have to ensure that the hindrance is not shoved further in but rather carefully removed to not harm the internal mechanisms. You must be careful with this solution to not damage your device further.

– Usage of a Driver Updater

A driver updater can be used if the issue is caused by the drivers for devices. It can be the solution for almost all prominent problems related to the relevant system drivers. Your system can be automatically recognized, and the drivers can be easily located with an updater. With this, the problem can be solved even if you are not technical and do not know your way around drivers. 

An updater saves you from the downloading and installation of an incorrect driver and smoothly conducts the procedure. 

A driver updater can be downloaded from the internet so that it runs and scans a system for the detection of issues related to the device drivers. After this, it can flag the drivers that are causing the issue, and you can update them so that their correct versions are downloaded and installed. In addition, there are certain advanced updaters as well that can work on all of the outdated drivers of a system.

– Diagnosing Broken or Loose Internal Connections

Solving this issue requires an accurate diagnosis of internal connections between a system and the relevant device. The device is inserted into the port, and its connection is gently wiggled to conclude how much it is broken or loose. The conclusion of the diagnosis can constitute your course of action. 

Brief instances of connection and disconnection mean that the connection is minimally damaged. You can continue to wiggle it until its position is fixed within the port and the device starts functioning. An enhanced movement caused by the gentle wiggle indicates serious damage to the connection. In this case, a system requires technical inspection, therefore you must take your system to a professional. They will identify the problem and eliminate it. 

– Disabling and Re–enabling Controllers

Controllers can be disabled and re–enabled in the system so that their hardware changes can be reversed. The solution for hardware changes within controllers involves opening Device Manager in Windows and scanning for them. You can do that by right-clicking your computer name and selecting the “scan for hardware changes” option. After the scan is complete, you can diagnose the working of the relevant device by again plugging it into the port.

 If the issue persists, you can continue to the next stop for the disabling and re-enabling of controllers. Follow the steps below to achieve the goal:

• Firstly, you have to select the arrow adjacent to the USB cable and ensure that it is pointing down and not towards the right. 
• After this, the initial controller is to be right–clicked in the list, and then the “Uninstall device” option is selected. 
• This step is to be repeated for every controller found, followed by restarting the computer.
• With this, the controllers are automatically reinstalled by Windows, which completes the procedure to solve the issue.

– Stopping Management of Controllers

The management of power for controllers by Windows has to be stopped if they are malfunctioning so that the ports can work normally. For this, follow the below steps:

• You have to type “Device Manager” in the search field of Windows and press Enter so that it is opened. 
• Then you have to expand the branch of the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option and double-click the initial “USB Root Hub” device present in the resulting list. 
• You may find that there is a single “USB Root Hub” device present only, and that is fine as well. 
• After this, the management button has to be clicked, which shows a checkbox titled “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”. 
• It has to be unchecked, followed by the selection of the “OK” button. 

These steps are to be repeated for all of the remaining Hub devices present in that list of “Universal Serial Bus” controllers.

– Updating a System

Your system may require a complete overhaul to be updated so that its ports can work smoothly. The updating procedure can be different for the installation of updates on different operating systems. A Mac system can be updated on Mojave with the selection of the Apple icon on the top left position. With this, you have to click the “System Preferences” option followed by the “Software Update” button and finally the “Update Now” option to check the availability of updates.

A Mac system can also be updated on High Sierra and earlier versions by opening the App Store. After this, you have to select the “Updates” option present on the toolbar. This presents a list of all currently available updates, and you can either click the “Update” or “Update all” button based on your circumstance.

– Resetting the Supply of Your Laptop

Smooth delivery of power to the ports can be enabled by resetting the supply of the relevant laptop itself. For this, you have to initially disable its supply by unplugging the charger plug from the source. After this, the laptop has to be restarted, followed by the connection of the device with its port.

Finally, the supply of the laptop can be plugged back into the source to restore an efficient supply.

FAQ

1. How to Enable USB ports?

USB ports can be enabled with Device Manager by selecting the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” option. It displays all available USB ports that have to be right-clicked. After this, you just have to select the “Enable” button.

Conclusion

This article inspected prominent reasons that can disrupt the functioning of the USB ports of a system and examined their potential solutions as well.

Take a look at the following selection of its important points:

• Various kinds of hindrance can settle within the ports over time due to their wide opening and prevent your device from effectively plugging in.
• The relevant device drivers can have issues like corruption, outdated framework and instability that can affect the working of the ports.
• You can gently use a thin wooden or plastic implement like a toothpick or even blow canned air into the ports to remove any potential hindrance.
• A driver updater can be removed to solve almost all the issues of the device drivers as it updates them and ensures optimized functioning.

These are the potential reasons and their solutions that can be important for your issue with the ports.