USB Ports Not Working

The system starts up, the USB keyboard that you lovingly connected doesn't work, you can't enter the BIOS, life isn't smiling at you.

Here are some possible causes of this phenomenon:

• Have you tried changing the keyboard? Make sure you're using a working USB device

• If you're using the front panel USB ports, make sure they're properly connected to the motherboard

• Try changing USB port, maybe the one you're using is just broken

• Before kicking the computer, grab a PS2 keyboard and connect it. If that doesn't work either, you're in trouble

WARNING

PS/2 on most motherboards doesn't support hot-plugging, you'll need to restart

• Check that there aren't any weird BIOS settings preventing USB ports from working

• Locate the southbridge on the motherboard, choose whether to touch it or view it with a FLIR thermal camera. If the southbridge is very hot (60/70 °C right after startup) that could be the cause of the USB problem (the southbridge handles, among other things, peripheral management). The problem is pretty much unsolvable, some motherboards are more prone to developing this problem than others [WinFast I'm talking to you]

• Carefully look at the capacitors near the southbridge, the problem could also be a failed capacitor (unfortunately the explosion isn't always visible from the outside)