LebGeeks

rcm005

Member

Is it possible to change the usb ports on my laptop?

I want to fix my old toshiba laptop rather than buying a new one it still has some good specs an i5 4th generation with 16 gb of ram and was wondering if i can change the broken usb ports ? And if so can you recommend where

rolf

Member

Re: Is it possible to change the usb ports on my laptop?

It depends on the laptops and the ports. If the ports are not soldiered on the board but just connected then you can maybe find a replacement (if someone can get it from ebay) and change them.

The first step if you are confident doing it is disassembling the laptop and have a look. Mark the screws to know where to put them when you reassemble it. Look for a video or teardown article online that tells you how to disassemble it, so that you do not risk breaking anything. Also never bend, pull or push the LCD screen even a little bit it will crack in no time.

If the USB port is soldiered to the board it's more advanced.
There is not much in a USB port that fails. In the case of a soldiered USB port, there is a good chance the it is the board that is damaged, not the USB port, unless you can see with your eyes that the port is broken.

Last edited by rolf (May 13 2019)

rcm005

Member

Re: Is it possible to change the usb ports on my laptop?

It depends on the laptops and the ports. If the ports are not soldiered on the board but just connected then you can maybe find a replacement (if someone can get it from ebay) and change them.

The first step if you are confident doing it is disassembling the laptop and have a look. Mark the screws to know where to put them when you reassemble it. Look for a video or teardown article online that tells you how to disassemble it, so that you do not risk breaking anything. Also never bend, pull or push the LCD screen even a little bit it will crack in no time.

If the USB port is soldiered to the board it's more advanced.
There is not much in a USB port that fails. In the case of a soldiered USB port, there is a good chance the it is the board that is damaged, not the USB port, unless you can see with your eyes that the port is broken.

i do know for sure that the ports are soldiered in and as for the port i can see any damage but the problem is when ever i connect a usb i have to wiggle it until it gets connected maybe its a soldering problem

rolf

Member

Re: Is it possible to change the usb ports on my laptop?

i do know for sure that the ports are soldiered in and as for the port i can see any damage but the problem is when ever i connect a usb i have to wiggle it until it gets connected maybe its a soldering problem

Yes, it sounds like a typical soldering problem, maybe the soldering is broken, if you have a soldering iron, you can melt it again.

It is worth a try to clean the USB port and see if it makes any difference, before disassembling your laptop.

I have never done this repair (re-solder the USB port). But I have done many repairs on my laptop, my phone and even my camera, although I don't recommend to anyone to try fixing their phone or camera, because the tolerances on these devices are very small.

Last edited by rolf (May 13 2019)