What is the meaning of USB? USB Stands for “Universal Serial Bus.” USB is the most common type of computer port used in today’s computers. It can be used to connect keyboards, mice, game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, and removable media drives, just to name a few.
What is the use of USB? USB is used to attach keyboards, mice, printers, external storage and mobile devices to the computer. It is also used for charging a wide variety of portable products
What is USB Port
A USB port is a standard cable connection interface for personal computers and consumer electronics devices.USB stands for universal serial bus an industry standard for short-distance digital data communications. USB ports allow USB devices to be connected to each other with and transfer digital data over USB cables. They can also supply electric power across the cable to devices that need it
Types of USB Ports
| Port | Color | Type | USB Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | White | USB-A or USB-B Micro USB-A | USB 1.x | |
 | Black | USB-A or USB-B Micro USB-B | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed | |
 | Blue | USB-A or USB-B | USB 3.0 SuperSpeed | |
 | Teal | USB-A or USB-B | USB 3.1 Gen 1 | |
 | Red | Sleep-and-Charge USB-A | USB 3.1 Gen 2 USB 3.2 | Usually denotes an “always on” port |
 | Yellow | Sleep-and-Charge USB-A | USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 | Higher power or “always on” port |
 | Orange | Sleep-and-Charge USB-A | USB 3.0 | Charging capable Sometimes charge only |
Features of the USB Port:
- It supports plug-and-play: Once connected, the device is configured automatically without any user input.
- It supports hot swapping: Devices can be plugged and unplugged while the computer is powered on. Note that it is always recommended to eject manually using the “safely remove hardware” instruction before unplugging from the computer.
- It supports 127 peripheral devices (you can make use of a USB hub for more additional ports).
- It provides power to connected devices.
Using a USB Port
Connect two devices directly with one USB cable by plugging each end into a USB port. (Some devices feature more than one USB port, but do not plug both ends of a cable into the same device, as this can cause electrical damage!)
You may plug cables into a USB port at any time regardless of whether the devices involved are powered on or off. Follow the instructions provided with your equipment before unplugging USB cables. In some cases, unplugging a USB cable from a running device can cause damage to the device or the files being used on the computer. For this reason, it is good practice to always safely eject your USB device before physically unplugging it.
Multiple USB devices can also be connected to each other using a USB hub. A USB hub plugs into one USB port and contains additional ports for other devices to connect subsequently. If using a USB hub, plug a separate cable into each device and connect them to the hub individually.
Both wired and wireless versions of the USB standard exist, although only the wired version involves USB ports and cables.
How to Fix USB Port Issues
When your USB ports suddenly stop working, the problem can always be tracked down to either a hardware or software failure. Some of these problems are the same across both Windows and Mac, while others are unique to just one or the other.
- Restart your computer Sometimes you get lucky, and the easiest solution ends up fixing the biggest of problems.If restarting doesn’t do the trick, then you’ll want to move on to more complicated fixes.Why restarting something tends to fix most problems
- Look for debris in the USB port. These ports are wide open whenever you don’t have a device plugged in so it’s easy for debris, like dust or food, to get wedged inside.If you see anything stuck inside, shut your computer down and gently remove the obstruction with a thin plastic or wooden implement like a toothpick.In some cases, a product like canned air can be useful in blowing obstructions out of a USB port. Just be careful not to shove the obstruction further in.
- Check for loose or broken internal connections. One way to test this is to insert your USB device and then gently wiggle the connection. If it briefly connects and disconnects, then there is a physical problem with either the cable or the USB port.If you feel a great deal of movement when you gently wiggle the USB connector, that indicates it may be bent or broken off the board. And while it is sometimes possible to fix this type of problem, you’re probably better off taking it to a professional.https://e858ea580d3b3b2df9df1482c9d7f9f1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
- Try a different USB port. Many computers have more than one USB port, so a good way to rule out a single broken port is to unplug your USB device and try it in different ports.Plug the USB device into a few of the ports on both the front and back of your computer. If the device doesn’t work in any of the ports, there’s likely a problem with its hardware.If your device starts working when plugged into different ports, then the first port probably has a physical problem that needs to be fixed.It’s also possible that there’s a connection problem with all of the USB ports on the front or the back, which is why it’s important to try more than one on both sides.
- Swap to a different USB cable. USB cable failures are more common than USB port failures, so make sure to swap in a different cable if you have one handy. If your device suddenly starts working, then you know that the problem was a broken wire inside the other cable.
- Plug your device into a different computer. If you have another computer or laptop handy, then try plugging your USB device into it. This is an easy way to rule out a problem with the device itself.If your USB device springs to life the moment you plug it into your backup computer, then you know for sure that you’re dealing with a USB port problem.
- Try plugging in a different USB device. If you don’t have a spare computer, but you do have an extra flash drive laying around, or any other USB device, then try plugging that in before you move on to anything more complicated.If your other device works just fine, then you’ll know that your ports are in good working order. In this case, you may need to fix or replace the device that failed to connect.
- Check the device manager (Windows). There are two things you can do with the device manager in windows to get USB ports working again.Scan for hardware changes by right-clicking the name of your computer, and then clicking on scan for hardware changes. When the scan to complete and then check your USB device to see if it works.Another option is to disable and re-enable the USB controller. In the device manager, click the arrow next to the little USB cable so that it points down instead of to the right. Right-click on the first USB controller in the list and select Uninstall device. Repeat for each USB controller you find.Turn your computer off and then back on again. Windows will automatically reinstall the USB controllers, so check to see if your device works.Some of the steps may be slightly different depending on your version of Windows, but these work on Windows 10.
- Reset the System Management Controller (Mac). If you have a Mac, then resetting the system management controller (SMC) may fix your problem.
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