I think this is a problem relating to the computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System, little chip on the motherboard that controls some of your computer's basic features like USB). If you're confident enough, enter the BIOS (turn your computer on, when it starts up, you should see on the screen "Press Del/F2/F10/some other key to enter Setup". Press the specified key, and you'll go into this rather low-tech looking setup panel. Read the navigation instructions carefully (they should be on the screen somewhere at this point), and hunt around until you find a "USB ports" option (or something to that end), and make sure the option reads "Enabled" or "On" or "Actitvated" or something to that regard. If it doesn't, turn the option on - in the BIOS, things can get turned off like this, and it's baffling why because Windows tells you nothing. BIOS panels differ from computer to computer - it could read rather differently to my example. If you do take this route though, be very careful - don't touch anything else in there. A wrong setting and much worse could happen than a few broken USB ports. I.e. don't touch anything relating to Primary Master, Secondary Master, or anything else you don't know, and if you don't change anything, Exit Without Saving Changes. If you do find the USB setting and change it, Exit Saving Changes (making sure that's the only thing you've modified). Good luck!
I_F
