Assuming that your MacBook Pro is not physically damaged and you have been using it normally, if any of the USB ports becomes non-functional or non-responsive, it’s easy to bring it back to life.
To fix a non-functional USB port, all you need to do is, reset System Management Controller (SMC) and Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) a.k.a. Parameter Random Access Memory (PRAM) on your MacBook Pro.
Here’s how:
Reset System Management Control (SMC)
On a MacBook Pro without Removable Battery
- ■Shut down your MacBook Pro
Click the Apple logo, click Shut Down, and click Shut Down in the box that appears. This turns off your MacBook Pro. Since you can’t reset SMC until your MacBook Pro is turned off, shutting it down is an essential step.
■Isolate your MacBook Pro
Disconnect your MacBook Pro from the power supply, and disconnect all the peripheral devices connected to it via USB ports. This leaves your computer isolated. Disconnecting your device from the power supply and removing all other USB devices ensure that the computer has no current in it, and no accidental damage is to any USB device respectively.
■Reset SMC
Press the Control + SHIFT + Option (Alt) keys together with the Power (Eject) button for 10 seconds, and release the buttons after that. This resets the System Management Controller (SMC) on your MacBook Pro.
■Confirm the solution
Once done, connect your MacBook Pro to the power supply, press the Power (Eject) button, log in to your account upon booting, and connect a USB device to the culprit port. If the SMC reset was successful, the port should recognize the USB device. You can use different devices to check if the port is able to detect all of them without any issues.
On a MacBook Pro with Removable Battery
- ■Shut down your MacBook Pro as explained above
■Isolate your MacBook Pro
Unplug your MacBook Pro from the power supply, pull out its battery, and disconnect all the peripheral devices connected to the USB ports. The additional step involved here is to remove the battery from your Mac. This ensures that the computer is absolutely out of power, and no damage can be done to any of the external devices or data.
■Reset SMC
Press and hold down the Power button for 5 seconds, and release the button after that. This resets the System Management Controller (SMC) on your MacBook Pro. Resetting the SMC puts all the power management configurations back to defaults, thus killing the issues any of the power-operated components may have.
■Check the solution
Once done, put the battery back, plug your MacBook Pro to the power supply, press the Power button to boot your computer, and check if the culprit USB port works correctly this time.
Reset Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) or Parameter Random Access Memory (PRAM)
Sometime resetting SMC alone doesn’t help, and you need to reset NVRAM (PRAM in older MacBook) as well to repair non-functional power-operated components. Here’s how you can get this done:
- ■Click the Apple logo, click Restart, and click Restart again in the box to reboot your MacBook Pro (or power it on if it’s turned off)
■Immediately press and hold down the Command + Option (Alt) + R + P keys together until the gray screen goes black for a moment and gets back to gray
■Release the keys
■Wait while your MacBook Pro boots normally
■Check if the culprit USB port becomes functional
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