How Do I Fix a Dell Latitude C600 USB Port?

The expansion capabilities of the Dell Latitude C600 laptop include a CD-ROM drive, a PCMCIA slot, and a USB port. The USB port has become a fairly universal standard for peripherals and storage. If your C600 laptop's USB port is malfunctioning, there are a few steps you can take to repair it without opening your laptop's case. If these don't work, you can insert a PCMCIA card to add USB ports.

Cleaning the USB port

• 1

  Turn off your computer and close the lid. Remove any power or data cables from the computer. Turn the computer over, pull the battery tab to the unlocked position and remove the battery.

• 2

  Open the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Push a single corner of the microfiber cloth into the bottle just far enough to dampen it. Remove the cloth and squeeze out any excess alcohol; it needs to be just barely damp.

• 3

  Gently apply the cloth to the inside of the USB port. Rub the top and bottom of the plastic tab, removing any residue. Spray the canned air into the port to remove any dust or fibers left by the cloth. Let the computer sit for ten minutes.

• 4

  Replace the battery and any power or data cables you removed in step one. Turn on your computer and log in.

Inserting a PCMCIA Card

• 1

  Insert the PCMCIA card into the slot on the side of the computer. Press the "Eject" button on the CD-ROM drive and insert the driver CD that came with the card. Close the drive.

• 2

  Click the "Start" button on the computer desktop, and then "My Computer." Click the CD-ROM drive, and then double-click the "Setup.exe" file. Follow the instructions in the new window until the set-up process is complete.

• 3

  Restart your computer and log in. Insert a USB cable or drive into the USB port on the new card.