Why Aren't My Motherboard's USB Ports Working in Windows?
Asked by
TechWizard92
I recently installed a new ASUS X870 F motherboard and tried to set up Windows 11. Unfortunately, none of the USB ports functioned during the installation, including my mouse, which shut off completely. I updated the motherboard's firmware via USB and retried, but the same issue occurred. I verified everything in BIOS, where all USB ports worked fine and were enabled. To troubleshoot, I also attempted to boot from an existing Windows hard drive but ran into the same problem. Finally, I tried Linux Mint, which worked perfectly with my USB ports. I've also experimented with toggling the legacy boot option in BIOS, but nothing has changed. I've dedicated over 15 hours to this problem, so any help would be greatly appreciated!
Answers
You might want to check if you need firmware updates specifically for USB management from the motherboard's support page. They're usually found under BIOS downloads. Installing them can help with USB issues, and you can update them the same way you update BIOS, using a USB stick in the BIOS menu.
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Have you uninstalled and reinstalled the USB controller driver in Windows? Sometimes, when setting up a new motherboard, the drivers don’t install right. You should download the latest chipset drivers from the manufacturer’s site, and that might solve your problem. My last board had a similar issue until I did that.
TechWizard92: Unfortunately, I can’t get into Windows due to the USB ports being unresponsive.
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Don’t forget to install the motherboard drivers once you’re in Windows! You might need a PS2 keyboard to do this, though, since your USB ports aren’t working at the moment.
TechWizard92: Sadly, this motherboard doesn’t even have PS2 ports, so I’m out of luck there.
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That’s a bummer! It sounds like you’ve done a ton of troubleshooting already. Usually, USB ports should work with the generic Windows drivers. Have you thought about giving Windows 10 a shot? Some folks find it more compatible with certain hardware.
FixItFelix74: I tried Windows 10 too, same results—just dead ports!
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TechWizard92: I guess I’ll look into that—it could be the missing piece!