USB keyboard and mouse suddenly not recognized

Well, It's déjà vu all over again (Keyboard and mouse not recognized after boot-up!), except this time my USB keyboard and mouse stopped working suddenly while I was working at my desktop PC (as opposed to a post-boot-up failure, as was the case with the infamous Windows update in early 2018 that bricked this same desktop PC). I'm now working from my laptop.*

To summarize: I've tried switching out keyboards (wireless and wired), switching out mice, switching USB ports, and multiple reboots (using the PC's power button). Nothing, no success.
Prior to the occurrence of this problem last night, I had _not_ made any recent user-initiated changes to either software or hardware.
My desktop PC is a Dell XPS 8910. Running Windows 10 with the current standard update configuration. (I used to delay Windows updates in order to avoid the type of problem that I'm now experiencing, but after Microsoft changed their policy for the advanced settings for updates last year, I accepted it, and so have been receiving updates in accordance with their current standard schedule.)

Has anyone else experienced this problem recently? Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks for any assistance.
George
*As of late Tuesday evening, my laptop has also been bricked, apparently by a Dell SupportAssist update that I was prompted to download. (That Dell SupportAssist update was preceded by a BIOS update a few hours earlier, but the laptop booted up OK after the BIOS update.)

EDIT MAR 20: This thread morphed into a discussion about my bricked Inspiron laptop, more so than the original topic, which concerned my XPS 8910 desktop.

I have read the previous thread. However as you know it is rather long at 11 pages, so please accept my apologies, IF I have missed a few points.

1. I am sure you will be aware that there is a widely reported problem with usb ports on the Dell XPS8910 and other models of Dell using that motherboard.
The problem it is reported appears to stem from the fact that a component on the board that is part of the power circuit to the usb ports - fails - sometime completely and sometimes transiently. It is often reported that the problem is found on the USB 3.0 ports first and then sometimes on all USB ports.

2. I recommend- and this is one aspect that I have not seen, but may have missed on your earlier topic, that you check other ports, presuming you have the system booted to windows, perhaps using the on-screen keyboard at log in screen - ease of access icon - of course you would need a working mouse.

3. See if a usb device connected to a port, such as a flash pen drive is recognised by the system.

4. Alternatively make yourself a Linux flash pen - Puppy for example and boot from that, run it in a live session - eg. not installed - running in ram and see if the mouse and keyboard work in Linux - that will, if they do, prove it is a windows issue rather than a board issue.

Puppy Linux Home
How to
Puppy Linux Installation and Usage

5. I use Rufus to make the USB from the downloaded ISO.
Rufus - The Official Website (Download, New Releases)

6. IF OF COURSE your USB ports will not not even work at post - before windows loads, then you must have a NON windows problem.


7. Dell links re problem
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...6069937/page/4

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...k/td-p/6235804

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...g/td-p/7440171

- - - Updated - - -

Further to the above - somewhat of a shot in the dark, but check firmware settings
https://www.dell.com/support/manuals...364&lang=en-us

USB Configuration
Front USB Ports Allows you to enable or disable the
front USB ports.
Rear USB Ports Allows you to enable or disable the
rear USB ports

Macboatmaster said:

I have read the previous thread. However as you know it is rather long at 11 pages, so please accept my apologies, IF I have missed a few points.
1. I am sure you will be aware that there is a widely reported problem with usb ports on the Dell XPS8910 and other models of Dell using that motherboard.
The problem it is reported appears to stem from the fact that a component on the board that is part of the power circuit to the usb ports - fails - sometime completely and sometimes transiently. It is often reported that the problem is found on the USB 3.0 ports first and then sometimes on all USB ports.
Thank you, I was _not_ aware of that issue.

2. I recommend- and this is one aspect that I have not seen, but may have missed on your earlier topic, that you check other ports, presuming you have the system booted to windows, perhaps using the on-screen keyboard at log in screen - ease of access icon - of course you would need a working mouse.
Yes, the PC is booted to Windows. I've tried various ports, but will doublecheck them.

3. See if a usb device connected to a port, such as a flash pen drive is recognised by the system.
Will do.

4. Alternatively make yourself a Linux flash pen - Puppy for example and boot from that, run it in a live session - eg. not installed - running in ram and see if the mouse and keyboard work in Linux - that will, if they do, prove it is a windows issue rather than a board issue.

Puppy Linux Home
How to
Puppy Linux Installation and Usage

5. I use Rufus to make the USB from the downloaded ISO.
Rufus - The Official Website (Download, New Releases)

6. IF OF COURSE your USB ports will not not even work at post - before windows loads, then you must have a NON windows problem.


7. Dell links re problem
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...6069937/page/4

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...k/td-p/6235804

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-D...g/td-p/7440171

- - - Updated - - -

Further to the above - somewhat of a shot in the dark, but check firmware settings
https://www.dell.com/support/manuals...364&lang=en-us

USB Configuration
Front USB Ports Allows you to enable or disable the
front USB ports.
Rear USB Ports Allows you to enable or disable the
rear USB ports

Thank you for all of the above assistance. Greatly appreciated.

I'll do the best I can to reply promptly, but now the Dell Inspiron Win 10 laptop that I've been using today (in place of my non-functioning desktop PC) just failed to reboot after the installation of a Dell SupportAssist update, with a message saying, "No Boot Device Found". So I'm now hijacking my wife's PC to write this. Oh, what fun we're having today!


- - - Updated - - -

UPDATE:
I've just completed a more thorough check of the XPS 8910's USB ports and found that:

• The (4) 3.0 ports on the front panel are bad.
• The (3) 3.0 ports on the rear panel are bad.
• The (2) 2.0 ports on the rear panel are bad.
  But,
• The (1) 3.1 port on the rear panel is good.
• The (1) 3.1 Type-C port on the rear panel is good.

So, with these two remaining good 3.1 ports and a Type-C to Type-A adapter, the XPS 8910 is minimally acceptable, for now. I'll probably add a PCIe USB 3.0 card in the near future to add some ports.

Thank you again, Macboatmaster!

Next up: solving the new problem that Dell created with their update to my Inspiron laptop earlier tonight.

George

Cheers
The Dell support assist update has somewhat of a history of causing problems on 10.
When you get it sorted I would uninstall it.

I suspect you will find that Dell Support assist update has reconfigured your firmware to take out the windows boot manager
https://www.dell.com/community/Inspi...5972739#M13722

The first step is to enter setup and check that you have Windows Boot Manager - as the boot device OR if on the post screen you have chance see the key for boot options - that is a one time boot only and check there to see if Windows boot Manager is shown

Re the dell inspiron boot it from a windows 10 installation usb and run a startup repair
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10
At the option Using the tool to create installation media
Follow this section
Follow these steps to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10.

You are NOT going to use it to reinstall you are going to use it as here.
The tool will automatically create your usb pen to boot the Inspiron

Then when you are booted with that you follow this
Run Startup Repair in Windows 10

Note the recommend to run it three times if necessary.

You will also see that you may be able to access the advanced options to run startup repair from option 6 on here
Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10


========================================================
Re the USB ports on the XPS8910

I suggest you go here
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en...esktop/drivers

install the chipset driver reboot and then install the AsMedia USB driver
Intel Chipset Device Software
REBOOT as advised.
then the Asmedia
ASMedia USB3.1 xHCI controller Firmware Update Tool
Reboot
and check performance.

Windows 10 sometimes installs a USB port driver that is not the ideal one for your computer and this MAY be your problem.

In device manager are there any warnings shown for the USB controllers and hubs entries when you expand the USB heading

Dell Inspiron

Macboatmaster said:

Re the dell inspiron boot it from a windows 10 installation usb and run a startup repair
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10
At the option Using the tool to create installation media
Follow this section
Follow these steps to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10.

You are NOT going to use it to reinstall you are going to use it as here.
The tool will automatically create your usb pen to boot the Inspiron

Then when you are booted with that you follow this
Run Startup Repair in Windows 10

Note the recommend to run it three times if necessary.

You will also see that you may be able to access the advanced options to run startup repair from option 6 on here
Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10

I have a USB thumb drive with the installation media already on it, created back in March 2018. I'm assuming that it's still good, so I'll begin booting to that right away.

========================================================
Dell XPS8910

Re the USB ports on the XPS8910

I suggest you go here
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en...esktop/drivers

install the chipset driver reboot and then install the AsMedia USB driver
Intel Chipset Device Software
REBOOT as advised.
then the Asmedia
ASMedia USB3.1 xHCI controller Firmware Update Tool
Reboot
and check performance.

Windows 10 sometimes installs a USB port driver that is not the ideal one for your computer and this MAY be your problem.

In device manager are there any warnings shown for the USB controllers and hubs entries when you expand the USB heading

I went here and found five chipset drivers, including two by ASMedia. But after I entered my Service Tag number, and clicked on "Show downloads for only this PC", the ASMedia items disappeared.

The remaining three are (1) Intel Serial IO Driver, (2) Intel Management Engine Interface Driver (marked "Urgent", but dated Aug 2020), and (3) Intel Chipset Device Software. I'm thinking that you might have the third one in mind, but it's dated March 2020. I'm not sure as to exactly how to proceed here.

Re Device Manager, no, there are no warnings shown there for the USB controllers or hubs.

Thank you again. I'll continue to work on this. Any further thoughts/advice will be appreciated!

- - - Updated - - -

Dell Inspiron

Macboatmaster said:

Re the dell inspiron boot it from a windows 10 installation usb and run a startup repair
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10
At the option Using the tool to create installation media
Follow this section
Follow these steps to create installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows 10.

You are NOT going to use it to reinstall you are going to use it as here.
The tool will automatically create your usb pen to boot the Inspiron

Then when you are booted with that you follow this
Run Startup Repair in Windows 10

Note the recommend to run it three times if necessary.

You will also see that you may be able to access the advanced options to run startup repair from option 6 on here
Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10

So, I ran Startup Repair from my USB thumb drive, and received the message "Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC".


I have no idea what Dell's updates that broke this laptop specifically did, but would using System Restore in Advanced Options be a good option at this point? So it looks like System Restore is not an option, either. Just tried it and got a message instructing me that I would need to "specify which Windows installation to restore" and "Restart this computer, select an operating system, and then select System Restore", which I'm not able to do. I now recall seeing this message years ago in a similar situation when I tried this particular Advanced Option. I don't know what kind of situation this System Restore option is supposed to be used for, but it's useless to me now.

Re the startup repair not working for the no bootable device
Is the Windows Boot Manager the first entry in the boot order
Is there by any chance a connected device on the inspiron - memory card or such =

On the dell when it boots and displays that message - does it include the message - Press F5 key to run onboard diagnostics which as I am sure you know is the Dell Diagnostics.

If it does try it, if it does not work OR you do not have that option go back to the recovery options, choose advanced options and cmd prompt

At the X prompt
type
C:
then type dir
check that the C lettered drive which can change in the recovery environment contains windows
then run a
chkdsk /f
at that C prompt

If that does not fix it we will proceed further.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Re the USB ports on the XPS
Have you checked on power options etc to see if suspend is set
Turn On or Off USB Selective Suspend in Windows 10

I do not think it will help with the ports that do NOT work, but it may with the ports that are now slow

I've just followed your instruction, but then got this message: ".....Cannot lock current drive.....Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. [their "all caps", not mine.] Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?"

Answer Y
and run the chkdsk