[HELP/SUPPORT] USB ports dead! (3)

I am thinking there are probably some pretty smart guys here on 4-ch so maybe you guys can help.

Okay, about a year ago my built-in USB ports suddenly stopped working. The memory card ports no longer show up under My Computer like they used to, and when I plug a device into any of the USB ports, the computer doesn't respond. However, the devices I plug in still receive power. I've tried reinstalling countless times, and my USB drivers are up-to-date. I've also tried turning off the power-saving option.

Also, based on what other people have asked me:

1. The USB ports are shown as working properly in Device Manager.
2. The only USB-related option that seems to be in the BIOS is Legacy USB Support, which is off (I've tried turning it on -- no effect).

try using a linux live cd such as knoppix. you can use the live cd to rule out if the problem is an operating system problem