I have a Toshiba Satellite pre-loaded with Vista. I have had this laptop for approximately 4.5 years.
About a year ago my SD card reader stopped working. When I say it stopped working, I mean that if I inserted a disc into the slot, the entire machine would freeze and I would have no choice but to reboot. So I started to use a USB cable to transfer my photos to the laptop rather than using the SD disc.
Now, all 4 of the USB ports on the laptop are doing the same. It freezes only when I select ‘My Computer’ to open up whatever I have plugged in.
The funny thing is that if I plug in my cell phone or iPod, it will charge them … but if I try to open up the device through My Computer, the laptop freezes and I have to physically hold down the Power Button to turn off the laptop.
I have run several scans and there is no virus/trojan/malware on my laptop.
I checked Device Manager and there are no yellow exclamation marks. The drivers for the ports are up to date and everything is installed properly. I have checked the BIOS settings and it is all normal. The device is ‘Functioning Normally’ in Device Manager and the Drivers are all up to date.
What else can I do to make this work?
Since the phone is charging when plugged in, I am assuming there is power in the USB ports. It’s just not recognizing the device or allowing me to open it.
If I got a powered USB hub, would that make a difference? I don’t want to reformat my laptop, and from what I read, it will make no difference.
When I plug any USB in, the computer makes the “ding dong” sound as usual. So it recognizes that new hardware has been inserted. I just can’t open the device through My Computer or any other way.
Queer, that is the one step I have not tried yet. Tonight, I guess I will be doing that!
TLK, I have read that article. I found another article that suggested getting a powered USB hub. It was half price, so I got it, only to find out that it doesn’t come with the AC Adapter and they no longer make it.
Incorrect piece of advice that doesn’t help the OP or any of the readers.
There is no such thing as a “best” laptop or a “worst” laptop. I still have a Pentium1 Laptop that is about 18-20 years old and works. Trust me, at the time it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Point being, Laptops tend to work for even a decade or more as long they’ve been taken care of.
