Strange problem with USB ports

[nanobyte]

I have a weird problem with my USB ports. At first, it was only one of them, but later it 'spread' to two of the others, and now there's only one that works.
The thing is, when I plug something in, the monitor just turns off. And when I take it out, the PC turns off.
What could be causing this? Is there a way to fix it without changing the motherboard? Could the motherboard itself or other parts be at risk?
And most importantly: can these ports, or the one that still works, damage an external device such as an MP3 player? I bought one (of low quality) a while ago; it worked at first, but after I transferred a few songs (through the good port) it started to turn off by itself when I tried to access its files. Then I changed it for another one, and something similar happened; but this time instead of just turning off, the screen completely faded. I thought it could have been because of their bad quality, but some people I know have similar products and nothing like that happened to them.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Frank Smith]

If you have a corrupt driver... you might try this.
control panel __> system__>hardware__>Device manger__> USB
the delete every one you find.... then delete the USB icon.

Now reboot and let XP find and reinstall... 99% of the time this seems to work... then go to MS update site and see if there are any upgrades...

 

[nanobyte]

I don't think it's a driver issue... anyway I recently reinstalled everything and it persists.
What worries me most is the mp3 player thing... is there any chance at all that it would get damaged? I'm going to buy a good one and I'd like to know that there's no risk...

 

[Frank Smith]

What worries me most is the mp3 player thing... is there any chance at all that it would get damaged? I'm going to buy a good one and I'd like to know that there's no risk...

take it to another computer and try it..
it if works its your drivers.. if it fails its the player... 90% of all computer repair stations fix by substitution... DOH.

 

[nanobyte]

I don't have any players now, I got my cash back for the bad ones. And they had stopped working at all, regardless of the computer.
What I'm asking is a generic question, can a computer DAMAGE an mp3 player through their connection, if there's something wrong with the USB/motherboard?

 

[Frank Smith]

What I'm asking is a generic question, can a computer DAMAGE an mp3 player through their connection, if there's something wrong with the USB/motherboard?

YES, it normally under most times. 99.6% it electric items should SHORT and BURN apart... therefore the item would not WORK. 0.4% of the time the item shorts, and the voltage is more than needed and can BURN damage destroy the item... (suggestion) stop using the USB ports on the computer, buy a small addon card, thru the pci slots, and install new USB ports...2/4 ports are cheap... and lots cheaper than a NEW MOBO.