USB plugs are dead, Satellite L355D PSLE8U-00M00WB

Question

I have a
TOSHIBA Satellite L355D PSLE8U-00M00WB
System Serial Number: XXXXXXXXX
Enclosure Type: Notebook
I got from a family member, everything is fine on the pc. but the USB plugs are dead.
the last thing plugged into them was an Android phone, after googling. seems they can kill the usbs on some pcs.
some have fixed the issue by doing a 5v fix to "jumpstart" it back. but i'd rather not, since I dont even know how to acquire the 5v battery.
windows 7 says nothing is wrong with all usb in device manager.
removing and rebooting all usb items in device, to have windows reinstall, does nothing.
i dont know what to do...i want a mouse. attched is the log of belarc advisor. i want to be able to type, without this **bleep** pad picking up the slightest thumb movement thinking its my doing.
edit, after doing a search here. it seems only factory is left option unless I get a...express or pcmcia... can a tech guy who knows, tell me what one I need. a search on google says my 355D is express. http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/toshiba-satellite-l355d-s7815/4507-3121_7-33155829.html can i get a confirm before i buy?

Answer 1

L355D-S7815 PSLE8U-00M00WB Specifications
L355D-S7815 PSLE8U-00M00WB Downloads
First, putting your full model number in your post, which you have done, is a good thing. But, you should never put your serial number on this public forum. This is not a formal Toshiba Support site, but a peer support forum. We're all just users and other Toshiba owners. Edit your original post and remove your serial number.
You've probably done it, but have you made sure the USB ports are enabled in your BIOS?  If not, on a restart, press the F2 key as soon as you see the Toshiba logo to enter the BIOS Setup, surf for your USB ports, make sure they're enabled, save & exit.
If that hasn't helped, click on the 'Start' button, type in 'sys' and click on 'System Information', look for 'BIOS Version/Date'. If you do not have BIOS version 1.80, download this file to to your desktop, after a fresh restart double click on the file to begin the BIOS update, follow the directions in the link:
ACPI Flash BIOS version 1.80 for Satellite/SatPro L305D/L355D
Toshiba BIOS Update Instructions
No joy? Next, you mention that you are using Windows 7, but you don't mention whether you are using the 64bit or 32bit edition of Win7, this could be important. But, from what I can see, it appears you may be using Windows 7 Ultimate, 64bit edition.
Regardless, your system originally came with Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit edition, and is only capable of using 4MB of RAM maximum. Given this, you should probably be using the 32bit version of Win7, as there is no benefit to using the 64bit version, with a 4MB maximum RAM limit.
Next, as it sounds like you have already tried deleting all USB items in Device Manager, and then rediscovering them on reboot. So, let's try to reload your core drivers: the chipset, display & sound drivers. The chipset drivers control the USB ports. You should only be using hardware drivers supplied by Toshiba for your system, as Toshiba notebooks are very finicky about use the their own drivers, not those from Windows Update, etc.
As you have an AMD processor, AMD chipset & AMD/ATI display card, the chipset & display drivers are included in one package. Download to your desktop & double click on each of these files to reinstall them in this order:
AMD/ATI Display & Chipset Driver for Windows 7 (32/64)
Realtek Audio Driver for Windows 7 (32bit/64bit)
Reboot after installing each the above. Try your ports again.
Please let us know what happens.
Good luck
Mike