I have a Powerbook 550mhz titanium. One of the USB ports has started to sputter and may completely be out. The other one works most of the time. Does anyone know what might be causing this problem. I asked a local shop and they said it is probably the logic board and that it would be a $600-700 repair. I no longer have a warranty on this but would like to think that these laptops are built better than this. Any suggestions?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
USB not working PLEASE HELP
- Thread starter stuuke
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
well, if it's worn out and broken, it just won't work...
i assume you've tried different angles, devices, etc. to isolate the problem to one of the ports?
since ports are connected to the logic board, it's difficult to just fix the port - it may require the entire logic board replacement...
i'd invest in a compact hub and try to get by with your machine until you are ready to replace it...
i assume you've tried different angles, devices, etc. to isolate the problem to one of the ports?
since ports are connected to the logic board, it's difficult to just fix the port - it may require the entire logic board replacement...
i'd invest in a compact hub and try to get by with your machine until you are ready to replace it...
how old is your machine? if its more than 4 years then its probably not worth having it repaired unless you dont have the cash to buy a new one right away but only have enough to repair; but logic board replacement isnt cheap.
but i agree the hub idea is great.
but i agree the hub idea is great.
The machine is just over 3 years old. I was just about to sell it and upgrade to a new 12" but I was hoping to at least get $800-900 for it. I have tried different USB devices and it is apparent that one usb port is completely out. So would Mac's stance on this just be ***** happens?
stuuke said:
it could be just wobbly or a loose connection... who knows. i hope it stays working for you...
another thing i've noticed (not applicable here) is that usb ports on hubs, like the one on apple keyboards, can become disabled (until a restart or re-plugging) when it tries to draw too much power - plugging in some high speed devices, as an example.
Another thing to think about is the PCMCIA slot - maybe you could find a card with 2-3 ports on it. Less attractive with the card sticking out, but much less expensive than a motherboard replacement.
cpjakes
cpjakes
If your model has a expansion card slot I would get a USB2 card
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=6624&Item=IOGGPU202
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=6624&Item=IOGGPU202