USB won't fit in any laptop USB ports!

LadyMorticia

Hello.

I have a Seagate 1TB Backup Plus drive.

I've just got my new laptop (a Lenovo Ideapad Y510p) but I have a big problem.

My external harddrive USB won't fit in any of the USB ports. How is this possible? It only fits in one out of my three USB ports on my Vaio too.

I don't understand how a USB cable can't fit in any of the slots. It has 2 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0 port but as far as I can see this just refers to how fast data can be transferred and not different USB slots.

Can someone help me please? I need to get some stuff off my harddrive quickky.

John_Gray

Turn the USB plug through 180°, and try again...

iltisman

Has the plug been trodden on/damaged compare it with a known good one and look for bends etc in the metal surround.

LadyMorticia

John_Gray wrote: »

Turn the USB plug through 180°, and try again...

I'm not stupid. I've tried it both ways.

LadyMorticia

iltisman wrote: »

Has the plug been trodden on/damaged compare it with a known good one and look for bends etc in the metal surround.

No damage or anything. It has the blue bit, and then above it in the USB it has 4 holes.

Like the bottom one in this photo, but blue instead of white.

John_Gray

My statement was ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek!

From what you say, the problem seems to lie in the USB plug leading from the external hard drive. Have you got another similar cable you can try it with? Have you looked at the end of the plug to see whether there's anything loose?

Edit: I now see the photo - does the External Hard Drive have an ordinary female USB socket, like on the laptop? The plugs on the cable look a bit ropey...

Mankysteve

LadyMorticia wrote: »

I'm not stupid. I've tried it both ways.

My guess is damaged\missformed plug

LadyMorticia

John_Gray wrote: »

My statement was ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek!

From what you say, the problem seems to lie in the USB plug leading from the external hard drive. Have you got another similar cable you can try it with? Have you looked at the end of the plug to see whether there's anything loose?

Sorry. Sorting out new laptops gets me stressed.

I don't have a similar plug, unfortunately. It's a darn awkward one like this:

http://www.e-topshopping.com/ebay/Cable/USB3.0/USB3-Blue-Mciro%20B-1.jpg

John_Gray

I assume the "B" plug fits into the external hard drive, and the other plug is the one for the laptop. This is a USB3 plug because of the blue baffle, as you know. That should fit into a USB2 socket or a USB3 socket.

I'm tempted to think that somehow the plug is malformed, although sometimes you have to put more effort into plugging a USB plug into a USB socket than you might wish to exert.

I can only suggest getting another special cable, but that will take several days...

LadyMorticia

It fits in one port of my Sony Vaio because the port has 4 prongs that fit into it.

It won't fit in my husband's Macbook either. I'm going to buy a new cable but no idea what to do if that comes with the same type of cable.

LadyMorticia

I've just googled and no-one is having this problem with the external harddrive so maybe I was supplied the wrong cable with it. :think: