Broken USB port means replacing motherboard?

Hi

I wasn't sure which section to put this in, so if mods want to move it go ahead.

My dad called me yesterday, his laptop won't boot, it says something about USB devices just after post, before windows loads, and freezes there.

He took it in to the store he bought it from, and they said one of the USB ports is broken, and it will require a new motherboard to fix it!

This can't be right can it? They want $500 for a new motherboard, the laptop isn't even worth that now, so he was going to buy a new one.

Isn't there any way to disable the USB ports, or some other solution? How can one faulty USB port disable a whole motherboard? I just want to be able to boot windows.

I'll be able to look at it tonight, so any thoughts would be good.

The laptop is a leader, bought in Australia, I'm not sure who the OEM is at all, it's a leader brand laptop. This might help.

 

Start in safe mode and disable that USB. No it does not make sense to me but I am no tech.

 

Not sure if this would stop your PC booting, but tyring to disbale it is worth a try I guess.

Whether there is an option to diasbale your usb ports depends upon you motherboards bios. You will need to boot into your bios and look for an option that says something liek USB Enabled and and change it to Disbaled save and exit. Be carefull not to just go changing your bios randomly.
Hope this helps

Rob

 

If you know how to use a soldering iron, there are 4 leads which run to a usb hub. 4 leads per port.
If you need USB headers/ports you can buy them for like $3-5 from Mouser electronics.
You would have to remove your motherboard in order to get a soldering iron in there to heat up the solder on the old USB, and then remove it, and install the new USB ports.
Literally, I dont think a broken USB port would freeze the system, a shorted USB port will, so check to see if any of the ports are physically broken.
If the ports are like new, than the usb hub may have broke, which can either be hardware or software related.
A reinstallation of the Operating system would fix any software problems, but if its not fixed, you basically need a new motherboard.

K-TRON

 

Yeah I don't think it's a software problem, it freezes just after POST, before windows starts to boot.

I can post a picture of the screen in a few hours so you can see the error message.

 

Yes but try and boot in safe mode! But K-T did identify likely causes. But rule out what I said. Second if your dad knows which plug might be at issue (shorting), if it was mine and I wanted things to work, and since it is not known. I would not be afraid to torque that USB jack in the hopes of stopping the short. And if I could not make that work after trying all other options I would accept K-T's USB hub problem and new MoBo. And just for all of you, starting in Safe Mode never was making it a software issue. Other than if you have a failing piece of hardware and don't let it corrupt the software. Not the same thing. Anyway I just want you to rule out so we can move past. I think K-T is on to something. Try what I 1st said to get past (it is free) and when it doesn't work you have ruled out.