Troubleshooting loss of USB function - software or hardware & why

Hazel123 said:

Well you could do an image now - of it in its current state - so at least you could put it back to that again, after trying a clean install. It would be process of elimination. It sounds odd that all usb ports would stop working, but it is possible if it's the bit of hardware that controls them. But you did say it happened after a windows update.

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I'm

Hazel123 said:

Ok, how about taking the drive out, putting another drive in that's clean/formatted and try clean installing on that. If that doesn't eliminate the issue then you just put the original drive back in and you're back where you started.

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Terrified that if I remove the one working drive (BOOKS/TOSHIBA) that it won't work the next time it is plugged by in. But you are right. The system won't create a backup image on BOOKS, probably because it is the default for all my files.

I've already posted about this [Portable Drive not showing in File Explorer but works on other pc &Do I have a Windows or a hardware problem?] but before I condemn my Lenovo ThinKCentre M720s Type 10ST to the electronic waste heap, I just wanted to ask if anyone sees any possibility that some change in my Win11Pro set up has or is a factor. Prior to my discovery of a problem with usb ports I had completely missed that the Windows automated updates had actually been failing. Odd things had happened that were puzzling, i.e. despite selecting shutdown after update I would notice my PC had rebooted. Also a new icon notice appeared in the systray saying there were important updates for features and safety but since nothing was showing in Start, I feared clicking on that lest I introduce some other horrid features that I would have to learn how to remove. However, when attempting to add Bluetooth speakers which I could only get the system to recognized as devices and never speakers I eventually saw a note, maybe in Settings window, saying that there was an updating error & I followed directions I found online (see previous posts for steps) to correct the error. Never was able to use the speakers despite upgrade. Following that I attempted to do a routine backup to an external drive. At first the drive letter was missing though it was recognized as a drive. My subsequent troubleshooting ended it being recognized as a drive though still recognized as a device. An old My Passport drive worked successfully when I plugged it in, though ultimately ceased working. There are two usb devices/ports still in use & functional. I use a Toshiba external hd as the default for all file storage. It has never been unplugged. The other is a USB C connector, with a cable plugged in that has never been unplugged, that still works to trannsfer data from my iPhoneSE to my PC. For the external drives recognized as drives in Device Manager, it says they are working properlly and lists the drivers. This is true of the Toshiba drive which actually works and the "My Passport" drive that does not. Down below, under devices, when I click on the passport drive it says it has no drivers installed and even when I manually try to link it to the drivers listed for it in the earlier drive info, it fails. All drives, old and new, flash or external, fail to find drivers (error 28). Have searched through the schematics for this system in its manual, hoping to spot a part labeled "USB something-or-other". No luck. Don't know what BIOS setting should be. Anything here? This PC works great otherwise,. I just don't know enough to solve this puzzling behavior. I'm definiely working with an analog mind.