This establishment of connection ensures they work in conjunction with each other and there is a constant flow of data and input that takes place whenever it is necessary.
However, for whatever reason that might be, sometimes, this connection is severed resulting in improper, abnormal, or downright malfunction causing external devices to stop establishing a connection.
No matter from which perspective you see this fiasco, addressing it as soon as possible should be your utmost priority otherwise, you may end up with a laptop that has virtually useless ports.
In this brief guide, we will discuss how a USB port can get damaged to the point it stops working and how to replace a USB port on a laptop, even if it works normally and you just want to try it for recreational purposes.
Why USB Ports Malfunctions
Even though these ports are quite sturdy and are made to last from the rigorous push and pull, oftentimes they could end up in abnormal behavior. This could be the result of a couple of reasons such as,
- Damaged Pins
- Janky Cable Connection
- Dust And Debris Stuck On the Port
- Short Circuit
Confirming You Have A Malfunction At Hand
Before we proceed to the steps, make sure that your issue isn’t a false positive and rather an actual one by stress testing it against multiple other external peripherals.
Although a USB port could be of many types, almost all of them have the same criteria to test them, here is how to do it.
- Make sure you plug in your storage device or any other cable in the port firmly without applying too much or too little force.
- Now, it will send a signal to your laptop, if your USB port has some sort of issue, it will simply give a connection error such as “USB Device Cannot Be Recognized”
- Remove the connection and make sure you plug it in another port, if it doesn’t give you the same pop-up error, it means that a specific port has some issue.
- You can also try multiple other external peripherals to confirm that the port is messed up rather than the peripherals you are using.
- Moreover, turning off your laptop and turning it back on, and repeating these whole steps can eliminate any sort of software glitch you may have.
- After you have confirmed your suspicion, it’s time to move on to steps on how to fix it.
Steps On How To Replace USB Port On Laptop
Before we proceed to do the deed, kindly acknowledge the fact that any mistake could result in further damage to the whole system or even brick it, it is best advised that you take it to your local repair shop and let them handle it.
If the product is under warranty, it’s always best that your original manufacturer fix it because in this way you won’t have to spend extra cash.
However, if you still want to take lead, here is how you can do it,
- First of all, locate the back panel screws by either consoling to the manual that came with your laptop or doing a fine inspection by yourself.
- By using a Phillips screwdriver, gently unscrew all the screws that are holding your laptop in place and remove the back panel.
- Now locate the USB port that you want to fix, it will have wires and cable following up to the motherboard and PCB.
- Check if any cable connection is loose, if that is the case, simply solder it back and you will be good to go.
- However, if you want to replace the Port altogether, Gently remove the “PCI Slot” the USB port is connected to, and buy a similar one off the market in order to replace it.
- Take that said “PCI Slot ” to a local repair shop and let them give you an appropriate USB Port slot so you don’t end up with an incorrect one.
- Now Insert the PCI Slot into the USB region and make sure the interface faces the correct way and tug it in firmly.
- Solder the connection if it actually has any, screws the back panel shut, and turn on your laptop to confirm that the whole method works.
Wrap Up
There are some things in life that require great patience, focus, and sheer will, and fixing your laptop might be one of them because of how complex these things are usually made, one mistake could result in great catastrophe.
Although my guide on how to replace a USB port on Laptop will surely act as a beacon of hope and provide you with a path to enlightenment and success, taking proper precautions is still up to you.
