USB PORTS STOPPED WORKING

Perhaps the laptop port is designed for a usb 3.0 insert instead of a usb 2.0? Also try using compressed air to clean both connections. The hub male end and the laptop female end.

usb speeds b> A USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is the brainchild of Intel developer Ajay Bhatt. USB is useful for transmitting data and power to devices. USB cables are widely used in 2010 to connect computers to such devices as printers, cameras and flash drives. While the USB port was initially developed for computers, it has become standard for video game consoles, smart phones, PDAs; it can also function as power cords for these devices.
Unit Load Capacity
USB comes in 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 versions. Each provides between 4.75 and 5.25 volts (V) of power that travels between one wired line. Various devices may draw this amount of power from that single, wired line. A maximum of five unit loads can be drawn from a USB 2.0 port, however six unit loads can be drawn from a USB 3.0 port, making it capable of delivering more power to devices. USB devices are configured to support a minimum of 100 milliamps (mA) times the number of powered ports it contains (200mA for one port, 300mA for two ports, etc.). b> Charging Devices b> Many devices can draw power to recharge their batteries or can function off of power currents running through a USB port cord. Superspeed USB ports run off a 3.0 platform and optimize power usage to provide the minimum amount of energy the device needs to recharge or run. New powering modes allow USB ports to supply power and communication (data transfer) concurrently. A USB Charging Downstream Port can supply up to 1.5 amps (A) at low-bandwidth transfer rates and 900mA at high bandwidth rates. A portable device such as a phone or PDA can draw up to 1.8 A from a Dedicated Charging Port on a USB 2.0 or higher device. In 2009, major cell phone manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung agreed upon a standard, universal micro-USB charger for all their phones. In time, this will eliminate the need for manufacturers to provide charging cables with their phones. This micro-USB device has been adopted by the International Telecommunication Union as its universal mobile phone charger solution. When a device requires more power than can be delivered by a single USB port, that device may be charged with a multi-ported USB. External hard drives, for example, can be powered by a USB cable that connects to an external power supply on one end and to a device on the other. b> Powered USB b> A powered USB is a self-powered USB that uses additional power lines than standard USB ports to deliver more electrical current to a device. It uses four extra pins to supply 6 A at either 5 V, 12 V or 24 V to attached devices. Powered USBs are used to power retail devices like barcode scanners, printers, pin pads and signature capture devices. These USBs consist of two ports: a top one which accepts a USB cable and a bottom one which accepts a power cord. The powered USB allows devices to draw more power from a USB and not require an external power source to operate.
USB Power Options
b> According to Everythingusb.com, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a concept that was originally designed as a connection for smartphones to computers in the 1990s. Since then, the USB has evolved from the older USB 1.0 and 2.0 designs to the faster USB 3.0 model, which is also called the "Superspeed USB." A benefit of USB is that it can be used to power devices without requiring any additional power cables or plug packs.

Low-Power USB
Low-power USB devices typically consume 100 milliampere or less from the USB bus. This is called a single-load unit. USB 1.0 and 2.0 devices have a single-load unit of 100 milliampere, and for the newer USB 3.0, the single-load unit is redefined to 150 milliampere. Low-power USB devices can be plugged into any USB host or hub port. Low power bus powered devices use the so-called "V bus" pin to draw its power and run on a voltage of between 4.40 volts up to 5.25 volts. A low drop-out regulator is required for most 3.3 volt devices. b> High-Power USB b> High-power USB 2.0 devices consume between 101 milliampere and 500 milliampere (1 to 5 load units) to run on. USB 3.0 supports power consumption of up to 900 milliampere (6 load units). These devices can be plugged in to any USB port, but if you are using a USB hub, the device will only be able to draw 100 milliampere unless the hub is self-powered. High-power USB devices run on a minimum of 4.40 volts. b> Self-Powered USB b> Two types of self powered USB devices exist: true self-powered devices that rely completely on their own power supply, and hybrid self-powered devices that also draw some current from the USB bus. Hybrid self-powered USB devices typically draw up to one load unit from the bus and use their own external source for the rest of their power. Most of these devices have a safety feature to ensure that they don't try to draw more power from the bus, should the external source fail. High Speed USB Port Since 2002, Microsoft has supported high-speed USB ports in the Windows XP operating system. Prior to 2002, computers and operating systems used the USB 1.1 standard, with its 12Mbps maximum data transfer rates. USB 2.0, also known as "Hi-Speed," pushes the maximum data transfer speed to 480Mbps. To take advantage of the higher speeds, you'll need to install a USB 2.0 card in your computer. In most cases, desktop users will need to install an internal card, while laptop users with PC Card or ExpressCard slots may install external cards.
Purchase an internal USB card or internal USB drive bay. Shut down your computer. Remove all cables and peripheral devices. Remove the left side panel (when facing the front of the case). Remove any screws or adjust any latches. The method of removing your side panel will vary according to the type of case you have. If you are unsure of how to remove your side panel, see your case or computer documentation. Attach the anti-static wrist bracelet's clip to a metal object. Strap the bracelet to your wrist. Locate an empty card slot. Remove the card slot cover by unscrewing the screw and lifting the cover, if applicable. Line up the hardware with the slot to ensure that you are inserting it in the correct direction. Insert the card into the slot until you hear a click. Do not force the card. Remove it if you're having problems. Then line up the card with the slot again and try to insert it again. Secure the card into the slot with the slot cover screw you removed earlier. Replace the side panel. Screw in any screws you removed earlier. Attach all cables and peripheral devices to your computer. Restart the computer. Windows will automatically detect your new high-speed USB port. b> Install an External Card b> Turn on your computer. Locate an available PC Card or ExpressCard slot. Insert the card into the slot. The card will click when seated. Allow your operating system time to detect the high-speed USB port and to install the drivers required. Hope this helps.

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Go into device manager and look at your Universal Controller Bus (USB). Make sure you don't have any that has a Question Mark or Exclamation Point on them. It looks like somewhere you don't have the correct drivers. Are you sure your USB Ports are 2.0?

This could be a number of things, lets go over the most likely.
-It is possible if you have an older laptop that you have USB 1.1 ports instead of the needed USB 2.0 port required to provide the device power. (If it has a separate "optional" power supply, use it.) Or all of the USB 2.0 ports are being used. Try unplugging all of your USB devices except for the interface and try it in different ports.
-If this isn't a problem and you have free and powered USB 2.0 ports then the next most likely culprit is bad drivers. Try uninstalling the drivers for the device (if you've installed them) and downloading the newest drivers from the M-Audio web-site and installing those.
Great choice of gear, I use quite a bit of M-Audio equipment myself and it's good quality for a good price...
Hope this helps. Thank you.

You can get USB chargers at a computer shop or on the Internet.
Here are 3 links to the Internet for USB chargers.
I suggest you get a unversal USB charger that can work in different countries with different mains voltage.

http://store.apple.com/au/product/TH404LL/A

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/USB-Charger-Universal-Travel-Adapter-AC-Power-Plug-/120464642889

http://www.amazon.com/USB-AC-MP3-Players-White/dp/B000A2BLEC

There are several things you can try:

1) Try plugging the player into other USB ports. Some players require a "high power" USB port, and most computers/laptops have a mix of high power and low power USB ports. Typically the high power USB ports are found on the back of the computer/laptop.

2) Verify that the USB cable is undamaged.

3) Some players are able to operate in one of two modes, "MSC" and "MTP". Usually you can switch between the two modes via a Settings menu on the player. Some players can only operate in one of the two modes. If your player is set to MTP mode, or can only operate in this mode, you need to have Windows Media Player version 10 or higher installed. (Many older computers have version 9 installed, which won't work with MTP.) You can find this software here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx

Right-Click on My Computer, Properties, Device Manager, then Click on Universal Serial Bus Controllers, u will see the USB port available on your computer there. Also, at the same time you are doing this, try checking all the USB ports on your computer...most times, the HIGH-Speed USB Ports (USB 2.0) are always seperated from the other USB ports...so try the USB port seperated from others.
In your own case, Acer TravelMate 2303LCi has just 3 USB slots, a PC card slot, modem and network slot. No floppy drive, no TV-out, no IR, no Wi-Fi. So check-out USB Ports, the USB port infront of the Laptop beside the Audio Port and and the Speaker, on the extreme-right is your USB 2.0 High-Speed Port.

I have the same issue. I have 4 Simpletech Signature 250GB drives. They all worked fine at first. After about six months two of them started connecting at USB 1 speeds. It occurs on 4 different computers!!! The post about it being the computer assumes is wrong. How can it work fine for six months and then suddenly change. Also it occurs on different computers. I have submitted a tech support request with simpletech and will post the results.

is you universal serial bus driver installed on your computer properly have you try the usb flash drive in more than one usb hub try that vote for me thanx

I fixed the problem by going to "Device Manager," then to the "Universal Bus". Under "Universal Bus" are a list of the individual USB ports. You have to delete each one individually. When you delete each one, a window opens up which gives you various headers; select "drivers" and hit "uninstall". When you hit "uninstall", windows will ask if you want to proceed. Select "Yes". You'll then get a "warning" that the computer may not work correctly if do this procedure. You want to proceed with the deletion of each Universal Bus port. Once you've removed the Universal Bus ports, then reboot windows. Windows will detect the individual Bus ports and find new drivers for them. Once the drivers are installed (automatically by Windows), the USB ports will be operational.