Usb port does not work on laptop

Check to see if you can tell if the pins inside the damaged port are shorting on each other. If they are, with the power off, use a toothpick or other small pick to separate the pins so they are not touching each other.

Turn the laptop back on and see if the second port works. If it does you probably got lucky.

If it still doesn't work, when the first port was damaged, it may have killed the usb controller chip. If that is the case, you probably need a new motherboard.

As an option, if you have an external expansion port (express card slot) you could by a usb adapter card and use it in that slot.

edit: Use a card similar to this one....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I'm not necessarily recommending this item, just showing what the item is.