USB ports Win 8.1

Big_Graeme

50Twuncle wrote: »

That is what I assumed - there's no hidden option "disable USB" or similar is there ?
Is it possible for the drivers to be OK but the hardware dead ?
Wouldn't that show up in device manager as faulty hardware ?
And No - I haven't had a chance to try Ubuntu yet ....

No.
Yes.
Not always, this is Windows!
Give that a go but I do think you should be getting better support from Currys.

Nilrem

If the USB ports had just stopped working I would probably suggest taking the battery out of the laptop and leaving it unplugged for a while, as sometimes something trips the internal fuse on the usb port and it needs to be completely unpowered to reset (IE no power to the PC/laptop, including the laptops battery).

It may be worth giving it a go anyway as it's not a hard fix to try (it'll probably take about a minute or less to pop the battery out, and five minutes without any power to check), and if nothing else it rules out that option.

My guess is if they've never worked that it's probably a manufacturing fault, possibly something as simple as a ribbon cable not plugged in fully during assembly, or if bought from DSG possibly a return that got put back on sale (I've seen it happen before, read about it happening loads of times, and had it happen to me with a games console, 4+ times).

Strider590

8.1 also has some really dumb power saving stuff that can interfere with USB ports.

Oblivion

Strider590 wrote: »

8.1 also has some really dumb power saving stuff that can interfere with USB ports.

Good point.


OP, go to Control Panel ... select Power Options ... for the active power option click on Change Plan Settings ... then click on Change Advanced Power Settings. This should give you a list of individual items that can be configured ... scroll down to the USB entry and select USB Selective Suspend Settings ... set both battery and plugged in entries to Disabled so that power to the USB cannot be suspended.

50Twuncle

Oblivion wrote: »

Good point.


OP, go to Control Panel ... select Power Options ... for the active power option click on Change Plan Settings ... then click on Change Advanced Power Settings. This should give you a list of individual items that can be configured ... scroll down to the USB entry and select USB Selective Suspend Settings ... set both battery and plugged in entries to Disabled so that power to the USB cannot be suspended.

Thanks - I have passed this on to my Dad !!
I will let you know whether it works ... later.

borse2008

50Twuncle wrote: »

Is there anything that I may have forgotten in getting the USB ports on a Win 8.1 laptop - "live" ?


My father has a problem with a Toshiba - running Windows 8.1 - the USB ports are dead - he has checked in the Device Manager and they have drivers installed - he has also checked that the drives are displayed....(by removing the tick from the "hide empty drives" and also that "show hidden drives" is ticked in the Folder Options) - he is planning on returning it to Currys today to get them to have a look !!


It appears to me to be a dodgy laptop - since the USB ports have never worked.....

Sounds like to me this laptop needs discharging, wouldnt of thought it was faulty if its got Windows 8.1. Toshiba laptops are very stable and well built.

Unplug all usb devices shut down the laptop normally, then once off, unplug the charger then remove the battery, you want to turn on the laptop without the battery in and power cable in. Obviously it wont turn on but this will draw all the power and discharge the devices within the laptop leaving you with a fresh base to work from.

Press the power button for about 10 secs then plug in the battery, then power cable in boot into windows normally.

Try your usb device again then let me know how you get on.

50Twuncle

Assuming the worst - and the laptop is in need of repair ...
Who is responsible for carrying out the repair ?
Toshiba or Currys ?

kwikbreaks

The retailer. Who will probably send it back to Toshiba.

Assuming they accept it is faulty and in warranty of course.

50Twuncle

He has phoned Toshiba where an Indian chap told him NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING - HAVEN'T GOT THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE PROCEDURE - TRY CURRYS - this is appalling customer service from a previously renown company ...

50Twuncle

Update - none of the suggestions worked - my Dad is returning the laptop to Currys and requiring a fix or replacement
Is there any safe software that I can advise him to download to ensure that the laptop is totally clean of all the personal data that it may have gathered in the last 9 months ?
If it was me - I would format it and reinstall Windows - but I wouldn't expect him to do that ...
Ccleaner doesn't appear to be suitable !!