Something stuck in USB port

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Something stuck in USB port

Hello

I have a mid 2010 MBP, and recently i have not been able to plug anything into the USB port closest to the SD slot. I dont remember anything getting stuck in there, it just seems to have suddenly happened.

I was wondering if t is possible to remove the port and clean it out, and see if anything is lodged in there or if the port is broken in any way. Is it possible to replace it if it is?

Thanks

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), serial number **********CATM

Posted on Mar 10, 2013 9:28 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 10, 2013 9:38 AM in response to bomtartlett

Get a small flashlight and look in the working port and then in the non-working port and see if you see a difference. If something is lodged in there, you'll need to get it out by maybe working it out with a non-metal tool of some kind. You need to do a complete shutdown of OSX before you do so and then get yourself something that's not metal (so you don't run the risk of conducting electricity if you touch any of the port connections) and slowly work at getting whatever's in there out.

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Answer 2

Mar 10, 2013 10:08 AM in response to bomtartlett

A bent contact in the port can cause this symptom, so do not assume it is a foreign object.

Be extremely careful, as changing the port is a truly horrible job, IF you can even get the solderable part.

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Answer 3

bomtartlett Author

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Mar 10, 2013 10:17 AM in response to bomtartlett

Ah, fantastic. I looked in it with a light and there was a tiny plastic bead lodged in there. Who knows where that came from! I managed to get it out and everything is working perfectly.

Thanks very much for your help.

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Answer 4

Mar 10, 2013 4:57 PM in response to bomtartlett

Most likely it was at the bottom of the bag you use to carry your laptop in. You might want to do the following two things...

1) Clean and keep your bag clean of stuff that ends up at the bottom of it.

2) Start putting your laptop in that bag with the ports facing up, but if your bag isn't clean you run the risk of now having things get lodged into the CD/DVD slot loading opening and if it gets all the way in there, it'll be near impossible to get out as opposed to the ports on the other side.

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