USB ports Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Why won’t my external USB hard drive work in a front USB connector?

Posted on November 6, 2014

Question from Dreama L.: I have a Lenovo desktop computer with Windows 7. I bought an external USB hard drive to make backups with, and it works great when plugged into one of the USB connectors on the back of the PC. It won’t work at all when it’s plugged into the front connectors though.

I’d really like to be able to plug the drive into the front of the computer, make the backup, then unplug it and set it on a shelf until I need to use it again. Can you tell me how to get the drive to work with a front mounted USB connector?

Rick‘s answer: [Read more…]

Charge your iPad from any computer with a USB port

Posted on February 18, 2013

meritline-usb-ipad-charger The USB ports in a typical laptop computer simply cannot supply enough current to charge an iPad, but now there’s an awesome little device from Meritline allows you to charge your iPad from any computer’s USB port, including your laptop.

As you can see in the photo, the dongle looks somewhat like an over-sized USB drive. Just plug it into a USB port, then plug in your iPad and you’re all set!

While I haven’t tried it personally, the customer reviews I’ve read on the Meritline website give it high marks, and independent testing by at least two national computer magazines seem to confirm that the praise is warranted. And the best part is you can get your hands on one for just $4.99 – and that includes the shipping fee!

Click here to check it out at the Meritline website.