Lenovo laptops are especially a great option to go with when it comes to affordability as well. Now, let’s say that you decided to get one of their ThinkPad series laptops.
Of course, you’d be expecting an outstanding performance from it, and you most likely will get it as well. However, what about the ports on your laptop?
Lenovo confirmed that due to some problems with the firmware and it being buggy, many of the ThinkPad series had their Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB ports not working. Since it’s an issue with the firmware, you should be able to fix it by yourself in just a few minutes.
As you’re here, your Lenovo laptop is most likely facing issues with its Thunderbolt 3 Dock or the USB C ports. You don’t need to panic over this since it can actually be fixed pretty easily.
Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB Ports Not Working: Problems and How to Fix
One of the common things in the latest laptops, whether or not from Lenovo, is that they’re all cutting down on their available ports. It has pushed a lot of users to make the most of what they have or just carry a USB dongle if they really need the extra ports.
Some of the Lenovo laptops, especially the ThinkPad series, from 2017 to 2019 came along with some severe issues that threatened their position as one of the best laptop manufacturers. The laptops came along with defective or non-functional USB C ports. Keep on reading to fix yours.
| Reasons for Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB Ports Not Working | Possible Fixes to Try |
| The USB drivers are outdated | Update the USB drivers |
| The firmware is faulty | Install latest firmware updates |
| The USB ports may be damaged | Get the USB ports changed |
Above is an overview of some of the reasons that can cause your thunderbolt 3 dock USB ports not to work and some possible fixes. We’ll talk about all the reasons and fixes in more detail as you read on through.
The Outdated USB Drivers
This case is seen with many laptops and even computers or monitors every now and then, especially the monitors that come with USB ports on them. This mostly happens because the USB drivers on your laptop are not on the latest update, so they tend to be non-functional.
To fix this, you can either use third-party software that scans and recognizes your system and the drivers. It should also give you all the necessary updates that are needed for all of your drivers, not just the USB drivers. This can be an added bonus since all your drivers will be updated.
If you want, you can also manually update your USB drivers. To do this, you need to check the manufacturer’s website and look for the latest USB driver update from there and install it on your computer.
Do this, and your computer should now have some working USB ports ready for use.
Now, if this doesn’t work for you and you couldn’t fix your USB ports, you can just give the second fix a try to solve your USB problem.
Fixing the Faulty Firmware
As we mentioned before, many of Lenovo’s ThinkPads from 2017 to 2019 had faulty firmware that Lenovo themselves also addressed.
If the ThinkPad laptop you got has similar issues with the thunderbolt 3 or USB C USB ports not working, you should try updating the firmware.
You can easily do this by visiting the Lenovo Support Page and scrolling down to the bottom, where you can find the drivers for your computer. Select the appropriate drivers and download them.
According to Lenovo, these firmware packages and drivers are specifically designed to fix issues that you may be facing with your USB C or Thunderbolt 3 ports. Check to see if your USB ports are all working, which they should by now.
Even if this solution isn’t fixing your USB port problems, then you should check if your USB ports are damaged in any way. It could be due to receiving a faulty unit or even from dust being jammed inside.
Damaged USB Ports
If the two solutions above didn’t fix your computer, you should consider that your USB ports might be damaged or that you received a faulty unit, to begin with.
In this case, you can always take your laptop apart and disconnect the faulty USB ports from the laptop. After this, you can get a bunch of good-quality USB ports and install those on your laptop instead.
This may be a bit too work-intensive and require not just a lot of time, but also need you to be a bit more technically advanced to be able to do it properly on your own. You may end up cutting open an essential circuit in your laptop.
If you aren’t confident in your technical skills and think you might mess it up, leave it up to professionals or ask someone who knows what they are doing to help you out.
We suggest that you take it back to your nearest Lenovo store if your laptop has a valid warranty and ask for a replacement unit rather than going through all the trouble of installing brand new USB ports.
Note: If none of these worked for you, then you should contact the support team of Lenovo for proper professional technical solutions to fix this issue. Lenovo themselves have asked their users to contact their support team in case the firmware updates or the driver updates did nothing to help.
Final Words
Lenovo is a great company that is doing very well with many of the top contenders in the laptop industry. They make some of the best business laptops and also offer some fantastic gaming laptops.
The issue of Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB ports not working is often related to an outdated USB driver, faulty firmware, or just a faulty unit. The solutions we provided should be able to solve the issues on your laptop.
We hope that these fixes worked for you, and now you have a working set of Thunderbolt 3 dock USB ports.
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