USB Ports.

Does anybody know if you can have USB ports replaced in the tower because the ones in the front are both broken, leaving just one in the back which I use for my camera and I would love to have broadband but would need an extra USB port to plug the broadband thingy into. Also if you can have them replaced how expensive is it likely to be anybody know?

Yes and no.

Graeme

OK the USB ports on the front are simply plugged into the motherboard. Now the problem is that chances are they probably can't be separated from the case. And even if they are you would need to find somewhere that sold them

Options:

1) Replace case
2) Get a USB header that can be fitted in a spare slot in the back if you have one. Can't think off the top of my head where you would get one though. Shouldn't be that hard.
3) Get a USB PCI card that goes in a space slot in the back like THIS
4) If you really want ones at the front get a card as in number 3 and get a front panel (again if you have space) like THIS

Now with 3 and 4 (and I'm guessing this wont mean much) avoid USB cards with a VIA chipset.

HTH,

Graeme

Thanks Graeme although I won't pretend that I understand much of what you have said (as you know I'm hopeless with computers )

Is a USB header one of those things that you plug in the spare port and it gives you four extra ports? If it is then we have one of those which we bought for Currys for £34.99 and for the first few times I used it and plugged my camera in it it worked fine, but then it suddenly stopped working and when I plugged my camera into it nothing happened and I couldn't put my pictures on the computer until the camera was plugged directly into my USB port at the back so I don't know why this happened because it also happened with one we bought from Argos for £14.99, it worked a few times and then it wouldn't work with my camera.

I don't understand all the rest of the things that you mentioned, and it looks like it will be pretty expensive to mend (if it can be mended at all )

I was wondering what the thing is that you have to plug in your port for broadband and how big it is and if it could be plugged out again so that I can use the port to put my pictures on the computer sometime and then plugged back in again or can you not keep plugging it in and out like that

Sorry for all the questions

A usb header isn't the same as what you mean (which is a hub ) It's basically a wire that goes inside your PC to a bit in the back. I don't think i've got any here or I would send you one I'll double check though.

For broadband you'll (most likely) get a USB modem. So basically instead of using the modem inside your PC at the moment you'll use it (no you can't use the one you already have instead ) So yes you could just swap them when you needed.

Graeme