Single USB port not working

[Danoumas]

Hi everyone, I have an HP Pavilion dm4 laptop that's about 6-7 months old. Today one of the USB ports just up and died on me... I had my wireless mouse plugged in there and it literally worked one second and then didn't the next, didn't move the computer or do more than type in a chat box in between.

USB port layout is two on the right side and one shared with eSATA on the left. ONE of the two on the right is the one that died. The other two are working perfectly.

I called HP, they had me uninstall and reinstall about everything they could, but next they want me to reinstall Windows, then send it in if that doesn't work. Any chance this isn't a hardware issue, and I can do something less invasive than a total wipe? I'm prepared to back it up and be without my laptop for however long, but I want to try everything else first.

Thanks!

 

[Danoumas]

Here's an update that, sadly, only further convinces me there's some sort of loose connection internally that I can't fix myself (don't think I ought to tear apart this laptop while it's still under warranty):

- The port still delivers power. When I plugged a small lamp into it, it lit up immediately and steadily.
- When I held the notebook sideways, such that the right-side ports were facing literally up, I could get a USB stick to briefly get recognized if I wiggled it just right. When it's about halfway in, the LEDs blink a few times and then stop, as if it's got enough power to know it's there but not enough to read it, so it gives up. I can reproduce this, but *only* at that angle.

Anyone think I have any choice but to send this in if I want this fixed? I'd love to be pointed towards at least a diagnostic that can actually tell me it's disabled... again, the drivers have been uninstalled/reinstalled and are all fine.

 

[PreferLinux]

Would definitely seem to be hardware.

 

[Shaun o]

Looks like you may have a few dry solder joints from the mainboard to the usb port, send it back for a fix.
Go on use the warranty.

 

[Danoumas]

Thanks for the responses... guess I'll be getting by without my laptop for a couple weeks.