USB ports not working

[Great-Deku-Tree · Accepted solution]

Hey Sibehblur,

Try manually installing another driver instead of letting Windows find them for you.

1. In Device Manager expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers or Other Devices area containing the devices with missing drivers.
2. Right click on the device and choose Update Driver

3. Choose Browse my computer for driver software
4. Choose Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
5. Choose any entry for USB Host Controller. If you have USB 3.0 ports make sure it says Enhanced in the name.
6. Click Next / Finish.

I had a similar issue on a custom desktop PC after updating to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8. The only drivers that would work were the generic drivers but I needed to force them to install. You may get a warning that the drivers may not work but they worked for me and let me use my 3.0 ports again.

You can also try using the HP Recovery Manager to restore the drivers for the USB ports. I'm not 100% how the Recovery Manager will respond to an unknown device but it's worth a shot. You can see how to do this here: Using Recovery Manager to Restore Software and Drivers (Windows 😎.

It's also possible that because the issue started after a shut down that this is the result of a Windows update. I see you don't have any restore points (which I suggest turning that on ASAP) but you can still try uninstalling recent updates manually. Here's how:

To do this follow these steps:
1. Boot into safe mode: Windows Startup Settings (including safe mode)
2. Press Windows Key + X.
3. Click Programs and Features.
4. Click View Installed Updates on the left hand side.
5. Click on the Installed On heading to sort by date installed.
6. Click on the update that was recently installed. (From the list above in bold.)
7. Click Uninstall at the top.
8. After you've uninstalled the updates test the startup.

If it works, block the Windows updates that caused the issue: (Windows 😎
1. Press Windows Key + X.
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click System and Security.
4. Click Windows Update.
5. Click Check for updates to rescan for available updates.
6. Click on # important updates are available. Where # is the number of available updates.
7. Right click on the update and choose Hide update. If the update is not shown, click the Optional tab on the left.

Let me know if any of that works.

[Sibehblur]

Oh Great Deka Tree

My HP laptop took me on a re-starting spree when I forced installed the USB drivers like what you suggested. It keeps saying that it ran into some error, asked me to note down a "bugcode_usb_hub", and keeps restarting itself with the same error code. 

Until it hit a point when it asked me whether I wanted a Windows Refresh. I thought things can't get any worse, and so I clicked yes.

Spent the whole night refreshing windows, and viola the windows were reinstalled by the time I woke up this morning and the usb hubs are working. 

What an incredible journey. 😄

Thanks anyway!! I'm just glad that it works. Didn't realise I was so dependent on USB nowadays..