How to disable or enable USB ports in Windows. USB ports not working

How to disable or enable USB ports in Windows.  USB ports not working
How to disable or enable USB ports in Windows. USB ports not working

If, when the device is connected via the USB interface, it does not initialize, is not detected by the operating system, and does not display any messages at all, then the reason may be disconnected the controller responsible for this port.

The first thing to do look port status in Device Manager. To run it, enter in the window Run(Win + R) command " devmgmt.msc».

Open section USB controllers and look state USB hub or USB Root Hub.

The picture shows one of them. disabled. Enable it with the right button − Engage.

You can also go to the section properties- tab Power Management, uncheck the box to allow turning off devices to save power.

In the same properties, you can check relevance installed drivers, update them if necessary.

If the controller is marked yellow exclamation mark then try reinstall its driver, or remove all controllers and execute reboot system, after which they should automatically install and work properly.

All ports not working

If all ports do not work at once - reboot computer and go to BIOS(key F2 or del at startup). Depending on the BIOS type and version, the settings may differ, You should find the options " USB function" And " USB 2.0 Controller”, they must be in the position “ Enabled". Most often they are in the section " Onboard Device Configuration»

Only the front connectors do not work

If we are talking about a PC, then we should distinguish front And rear connectors. The rear ones are located directly on the motherboard, the front ones are connected to it using a special plume. Therefore, when the front USB stopped working, in the first place check operation of the device when connected to the rear.

If it is correct, then remove the cover system unit (when the computer is powered off), and then check correct connection front connector cable to the system board.

correct pinout connections can be found in the description of your motherboard, but usually, how to connect is clear from signatures on the motherboard.

Other causes and solutions

If you are using extension or concentrator check the operation of these devices when connected to other ports or on a different computer.

If it's about broken connector USB 3.0, check if its special cable is connected to the appropriate connector on the motherboard.

Check drivers The devices themselves connected through the ports may be the reason for these devices, and not the connectors.

If none of the methods gave results, then this particular port or controller probably has mechanical damage that can be repaired at a service center.

It will certainly be useful for users of laptop computers to know how to disable the touchpad on a laptop, because there are times when this useful device interferes with work a little and it is advisable to deactivate it for a while.

Touchpad Synaptics is a touch cursor control device specifically designed to replace the mouse in laptops.

It looks like a rectangular, and less often a square touchpad, which perceives the touch of fingers to emulate the operation of a mouse.

The touchpad microcontroller uses the same one that is responsible for the operation of all connected peripherals - the south bridge. Therefore, in case of reinstalling the operating system, it is perceived as a standard HID device, which eliminates the need to install drivers.

For decades, this technology has remained unchanged and to some extent even convenient. Surprisingly, some users have become so accustomed to the touchpad that they do not even feel any discomfort, and they are controlled no worse than with a mouse.

Most users still use the touch panel only in rare cases when it is not possible to connect peripherals or in cramped conditions.

It happens that while working at the laptop keyboard, users often encounter the fact that accidental clicks on the touchpad knock down the cursor, which is wildly inconvenient - in such cases it is useful to know how to disable the touchpad on a laptop with Windows 10 and other versions of the operating system.

Therefore, we have collected several methods that will help you deactivate the touch panel for a while.

Attention: If you don't have a mouse nearby, don't try to disable the touchpad using one of the methods below, as you must use your cursor to enable it. Therefore, we strongly recommend connecting a mouse before manipulating the touchpad.

Disable by key combination

Laptop manufacturers use special key combinations to control additional options.

Keyboard shortcut on ASUS laptop

As a rule, you can disable the touchpad on a laptop using the Fn + F9 key combination.

However, the key combination can vary, and instead of F9, any function button (F1-F12) is used, but it must have an image of the touchpad (less often crossed out). By the way, pressing again activates the operation of this device.

For example, to disable the touchpad on a Lenovo laptop, you need to use the combination " Fn+F8" or " Fn+F5". The touchpad on the ASUS laptop is disabled by another combination - " Fn+F9" or " Fn+F7“, and you can generally disable the touchpad on an HP laptop with a separate button.

As you can see, the touch panel control settings are individual and vary from model to model.

Additional keyboard shortcuts on various laptop models:

  • Acer: Fn+F7
  • Dell Inspiron: Fn + F5 or Fn + F7
  • Sony VAIO: Fn + F1
  • Samsung: Fn + F5
  • Toshiba: Fn + F5

Shutdown by a separate button

On some models of Acer, HP and Lenovo laptops, the touch panel control button is placed separately. Just click on it to deactivate or activate the device.

Button in HP laptop

In gaming laptops, the touchpad control key is additionally highlighted for user convenience.

Dedicated button on an Acer gaming laptop

Shutdown by the program

In most cases, Windows comes with a touchpad control program from Synaptics. The software also includes the correct driver and they work together.

The installed Synaptics software can be identified in the tray - this is a panel in the lower right corner near the clock - there you can see the touchpad icon. By right-clicking, you can call up the program settings, among which there is an option to disable - just activate it.

Synaptics Touchpad Setup

If there is no tray icon, then you can call up the touchpad settings through the settings in the Control Panel.

On Windows 10, you need to go to Start > Settings > Devices, which will open the Peripheral Devices menu. There we select the item "Touchpad" and press the button "Extra options", after which the properties of the touch panel will open, where you can already manage its settings.

Setup in Windows 10

On Windows 8.1, this option is located at a different address: Start > Computer Settings > Computer and Devices > Mouse and Touchpad.

Settings in Windows 8.1

On Windows 7 and Vista, these settings can be accessed from the following path: Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse. Yes, in these operating systems, the touchpad is moved to the mouse settings, and if the touchpad driver is installed, a separate tab with settings will appear where you can disable the device.

Control Panel in Windows 7

Shutdown through the "Task Manager"

There is a way to force disable the Synaptics software responsible for the touchpad. The method is simple and the same for all versions of Windows.

Just press a combination of keys on the keyboard Ctrl + Shift + Esc and the Task Manager will appear. Next, you need to manually search for a program called "Synaptics" or "ETD control center" (in ASUS laptops) in a long list - there is no search provided, so you will have to find it manually.

Shutdown via Task Manager

ASUS laptops use ETD Control Center software

After finding, select the process with the mouse cursor and click on the "End Process" button in the lower right corner of the window. After that, the touchpad will stop working until the laptop is restarted.

If you need a reliable way to deactivate the wheelbarrow, then disabling it through the "Device Manager" will be very helpful.

However, this method is suitable for more experienced users, since accidentally changing the settings of other hardware can lead to unstable operation of the entire system as a whole - be careful not to disable anything unnecessary.

There are two ways to access Device Manager.

First way through option "Run": press key combination Win+R and in the window that opens, write the command "devmgmt.msc"(without quotes).

Run window with "devmgmt.msc" command entered

Second way via keyboard shortcut "Win+Pause/Break", where in the opened menu "System" choose "Device Manager"

Calling the "Device Manager" through the "System"

In the "Device Manager" you need to find the item "Mice and other pointers". The list that opens will show "HID compliant mouse"– turn off, agreeing with the warning.

Disabling through the "Device Manager"

In some cases, the touchpad will continue to work even after being disabled, but then "HID Compliant Mice" there are usually 2 or more - so you need to iterate between them, turning off each one in turn, until the result is achieved.

This method is reversible if you need to turn the touchpad back on - right-click on the deactivated device and simply turn it on.

Turn it back on

Disable via BIOS

It is also important that disabling through the BIOS is the most reliable way to deactivate. The fact is that the BIOS is directly connected with all the hardware parts of the computer, in particular with the south bridge, which is responsible for controlling the connected peripherals.

Important! You should not enter the BIOS if you do not understand why it is needed and how it works. Careless behavior and disabling important options can affect the loading of the operating system and the failure of individual computer components.

If you are determined to use this method, then read carefully.

First, turn off your laptop completely. Then turn it on again and after the POST logo appears, quickly press the "F2" or "F10" or "F12" or "Delete" key. It may not work the first time, because there is little time to choose, and different buttons are responsible for entering the BIOS under different models of laptops.

Disable Internal Pointing Device in BIOS

If the login was successful, then use the keyboard to go to the tab "Advanced"(the input is confirmed with the "Enter" key), and then select System Properties. Further, depending on the model of the laptop, the function will be displayed Keyboard/Mouse features or "Device Options"- go there.

Find the line that reads like "Internal Pointing Device"- press "Enter" and in the window that appears, select the item Disable- This option will disable the touchpad.

You can exit the BIOS with the button Esc: exit to the main menu, then use the arrows to go to the menu "Save & Exit", select an item "Save Changes and Exit" and confirm the exit with the button Yes.

Exit the BIOS, saving the selected settings

If the item you are looking for is not found, do not be discouraged - not all laptop models support the function to disable the touch panel. We have another way to disable.

Shutdown using third-party programs

There are a number of small utilities that block the operation of the touch panel forcibly. They were created just in case the above methods did not help you or are not suitable.

We recommend a universal utility - TouchPad Blocker. A small free program has a large set of useful functions for working with the touchpad: autoloading at the start of the operating system, disabling the pointer for a while, disabling multitouch and scrolling, as well as your choice of key combinations to turn it on and off.

The program does not distract during operation and is located in the tray, but is called by right-clicking. You can download it from this address.

Settings for TouchPad Blocker

Functions and settings of the program:

Automatically run on startup– automatic start of the program upon login. Check the box to start the program immediately after Windows starts.
Show system tray notification- option to turn on and off notifications in the system tray.

Block accidental taps and clicks- blocking accidental clicks, in other words, turning off the panel when entering text on the keyboard. When this item is selected, a drop-down menu becomes available in which you must specify the time for which the touchpad turns off after pressing any key.

For example, if you set it to 3 seconds, then during this time the touchpad will not respond to your actions.

Also block move and wheel event– blocking page scrolling if available on the touchpad.
Beep when click is blocked- sound notification when the touchpad is locked.
Turn blocker On and Off– setting up hotkeys to enable/disable the program.

Quite often, people come to us with a question - why the USB ports on a laptop or computer do not work. USB ports may stop working after reinstalling Windows, after updating drivers, or at any inopportune moment. Of course, the problem may be a malfunctioning USB port, but before taking the laptop/computer to a service center, you should check the settings to make sure that the software is not the problem.

So, let's see what you can do in a situation where USB ports do not work on a computer or laptop.

Check USB ports

The first thing you need to do is check the USB ports for physical damage.

A simple test is as follows: insert a USB device into a port on a laptop and see if the connected device moves up and down easily. Be careful! You shouldn't pull hard on the USB port to avoid breaking it.

In case the USB port moves too freely, the problem is probably physical damage. You should contact the service center to replace the USB port.

To restart a computer

You can also try the good old method of any technical support department: turn it off and on. Sometimes this actually works as the operating system rescans the hardware, including the USB ports, making them work.

If that doesn't work and the USB ports are still not working on your computer, then it's time to check Device Manager.

Check device manager

you can run device Manager in several ways, but we will talk about the fastest: press the Win + R keys, and enter devmgmt.msc. Click "OK" or key « Enter». Device Manager should immediately appear on your computer screen.

In this window, we are interested in the section " USB controllers". Click on the arrow next to this label to expand the section. You will see something like the window below:

Here you should find a device that has the words USB Host Controller in its title. For example, in my case it is Intel(R) 5-Series / 3400 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller. Some letters may differ for you, but in general you should have a similar device. If it just doesn't exist, this is probably the problem why the USB ports on the laptop don't work.

In this case, you should right-click on " USB controllers» and select "Update configuration". The computer will recheck the hardware and you will see the USB Host Controller listed.

Remove USB Host Controller

Next, you need to be careful. If you are working on a computer, then most likely you have a USB mouse and keyboard connected. After you remove the USB Host Controller, your mouse and keyboard will not work. This is not a problem as they will work again after restarting the computer.

So, as you understand, you should right-click on the USB Host Controller device, and select " Delete". Perform this step for all devices named USB Host Controller.

After removing the USB Host Controller, restart your computer or laptop. After restarting, the computer will automatically install the necessary drivers for the USB ports to work.

Find registry key DisableSelectiveSuspend

If the USB ports are still not working, then we will go one step further and make some changes in the Registry Editor.

To go to the registry editor, press the keys Win+R, enter regedit, and press the " Enter". The registry editor window will open.

Next you need to find the registry key DisableSelectiveSuspend. It is located in the following folder: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Services -> USB. Next, in the right window, right-click on the file " DisableSelectiveSuspend", and select " Change».

In field " Meaning» enter number 1 . This way you will disable the selective suspend feature and power will always be supplied to your USB ports.

If there is no USB folder

If the USB folder doesn't exist in your registry, it's easy to create it. Just go to the Services folder, then on the toolbar click " Edit»> « Create»> « Chapter". name it USB.

Users of computer technology are constantly faced with various problems and malfunctions. And one of the most common cases is a broken USB port. In all computer devices, the USB port is an indispensable element of communication. If it malfunctions, the use of, for example, a laptop becomes very limited due to the loss of functionality.

These inconveniences can be eliminated only after diagnosing the cause of the breakdown. Of course, at the same time you need to find a way to eliminate them. Consider the possible options for repairing an Asus USB laptop, as one of the most popular brands of computer equipment.

The laptop USB port may not work for the following reasons

There are 3 types of USB faults: operational, system and hardware.

1. Connector damage

Modern Asus laptops usually have 3 usb ports. This is very convenient, since the owner can simultaneously work with several devices. For possible localization of the malfunction, use a different connector. If a USB device is detected in it, check the idle port. Make sure that it is free of debris and mechanical damage.

2. Malfunction in the operating system

2.1. The most common reason is hidden in a virus attack, as a result of which the laptop does not see the USB device. To verify this, scan your system with an up-to-date anti-virus program and delete infected files if they are present. Next, restart Windows.

If an anti-virus program is not installed on the computer or it has not been updated for a long time, then it must either be installed or updated.

2.2. Check the operation of the drivers in the "Device Manager". Make sure there are no unrecognized devices. Otherwise, download the driver for an unknown device, install and restart the laptop. After a reboot, the problem should be fixed.

If the methods mentioned above did not help and USB still does not work, we recommend that you reinstall the operating system.

2.3. A possible reason for not recognizing USB devices may be an error in the BIOS system. This problem is fixed by updating the firmware of the motherboard.

3. Damage to the south bridge

The south bridge of the Asus laptop, despite its small size, is a very complex device that is responsible for the operation of many functions, one of them is responsible for the operation of the USB ports.

It is very easy to disable the south bridge: for this, it is enough, for example, to spill coffee on the keyboard or a short circuit in the connected USB cable or device. If such negative factors took place, then the operation of the USB ports stops, and for their further functioning, the south bridge should be replaced in the service center.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to disable USB ports on a computer or laptop in order to restrict access to connecting flash drives, hard drives and other USB devices. Disabling USB ports will help prevent the connection of any storage devices that can be used to steal important information or cause a computer to become infected with a virus and spread malicious software over the local network.

Restricting access to USB ports

Consider 7 ways, with which you can block USB ports:

  1. Disabling USB through BIOS settings
  2. Changing registry settings for USB devices
  3. Disabling USB ports in device manager
  4. Uninstalling USB Controller Drivers
  5. Using Microsoft Fix It 50061
  6. Using additional programs
  7. Physical shutdown of USB ports

1. Disabling USB ports through BIOS settings

  1. Enter BIOS settings.
  2. Disable all items related to the USB controller (for example, USB Controller or Legacy USB Support).
  3. After you have made these changes, you need to save the settings and exit the BIOS. This is usually done with the key F10.
  4. Restart your computer and make sure the USB ports are disabled.

2. Enable and disable USB drives using the registry editor

If disabling via BIOS does not suit you, you can block access directly in Windows itself using the registry.

The instructions below allow you to block access to various USB drives (for example, flash drives), but other devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners will still work.

  1. Open the Start menu -> Run, type " regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
  2. Proceed to the next section

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

  3. On the right side of the window, find the item " Start” and double click on it to edit it. Enter value " 4 » to block access to USB storage devices. Accordingly, if you enter again the value " 3 ”, access will be re-opened.

Click OK, close Registry Editor, and restart your computer.

The above method only works if the USB controller driver is installed. If the driver has not been installed for security reasons, the value of the "Start" parameter can be automatically reset to "3" when the user plugs in a USB drive and Windows installs the driver.

3. Disabling USB ports in Device Manager

  1. Right click on the icon " Computer” and select the “Properties” item in the context menu. A window will open on the left side of which you need to click on the link " device Manager».
  2. In the device manager tree, find the item " USB controllers' and open it.
  3. Disable the controllers by clicking the right mouse button and selecting the Disable menu item.

This method doesn't always work. In the example shown in the figure above, disabling the controllers (the first 2 points) did not lead to the desired result. Disabling the 3rd item (USB mass storage device) worked, but it only allows you to disable a single instance of the USB drive.

4. Remove the USB controller drivers

Alternatively, you can simply uninstall the USB controller driver to disable the ports. But the disadvantage of this method is that when the user connects a USB drive, Windows will check for drivers and, if they are not available, will offer to install the driver. This in turn will open access to the USB device.

5. Prevent users from connecting USB storage devices using the application from Microsoft

Another way to disable access to USB drives is to use Microsoft Fix It 50061(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823732/ru - the link may open in a few minutes). The essence of this method lies in the fact that 2 conditions for solving the problem are considered:

  • The USB stick has not yet been installed on the computer
  • The USB device is already connected to the computer

Within the framework of this article, we will not consider this method in detail, especially since you can study it in detail on the Microsoft website using the link above.

It should also be noted that this method is not suitable for all versions of Windows.

6. Using programs to disable / enable access to USB storage devices

There are many programs for setting the prohibition of access to USB ports. Consider one of them - the program USB Drive Disabler.

The program has a simple set of settings that allow you to deny / allow access to certain drives. Also, USB Drive Disabler allows you to configure alerts and access levels.

7. Disconnecting USB from the motherboard

Although physically disabling the USB ports on the motherboard is almost impossible, you can disable the ports located on the front or top of the computer case by unplugging the cable that goes to the motherboard. This method will not completely close access to USB ports, but it will reduce the likelihood of using drives by inexperienced users and those who are simply too lazy to connect devices to the back of the system unit.

! Addition

Deny access to removable media through the Group Policy Editor

In modern versions of Windows, it is possible to restrict access to removable storage devices (including USB drives) using the Local Group Policy Editor.

  1. Run gpedit.msc through the Run window (Win + R).
  2. Go to the next branch " Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access»
  3. On the right side of the screen, find the item "Removable drives: Deny reading."
  4. Activate this option ("Enable" position).

This section of Local Group Policy allows you to configure read, write, and execute access for different classes of removable media.