Help! Dell Laptop Not Recognizing Anything In Usb Ports

odollybird

HI THERE ALL,
I NEED SOME ADVISE I HAVE A DELL LAPTOP THAT MY SON GOT CHEAPISH FROM A FRIEND HIS STEP BROTHER GAVE IT TO HIM . I HAVE TRIED TO SET IT UP WIRELESLY WITH A USB ADAPTOR AND I AM ALSO WANTING TO USE JUST A WIRED USB MOUSE AND WHEN I PLUG THESE INTO IT IT MAKE THE BING BONG NOISE AS TO RECOGNISE THEM AND ALSO THE WIRELESS USB ADAPTOR SHOWS ME THE ICON IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN AND IT IS GREEN SO I KNOW I AM NEARLY THERE BUT JUST CANT SEEM TO MAKE IT 100%:mad: CAN SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT TO GO THROUGH ON THE COMPUTER TO SEE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM
ANY HELP OR ADVISE APPRECIATED
THANKS
EMMA

macman

No need to SHOUT.
Have you installed the driver disks for the wireless adapter and mouse?
If you get the bing-bong when you plug them in then it doesn't sound like the USB ports are dead.
Have a look in Device Manager to see if the 2 devices are recognised, click on them and troubleshoot them from there.
To access Device Manager do this:
Right click My Computer> Properties> Hardware> Device Manager.
If you have access to another machine, try them out on that to estabish if it's the Dell or the devices that are causing the problem.