Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if the black bit (sometimes white or blue) breaks out of a USB port, you are up shit creek, pardon my french. The black bit is there to keep the 4 copper leads in the right position and to make sure that when you stick in a USB connector it is kept snugly in place and the copper leads between port and connector make a proper connection. If the bit breaks, plugging in a connector can actually cause shorting which in turn may lead to damage to the electronics inside your equipment!
Usually USB ports are soldered to the mainboard and can not easily be replaced. Check with the manufacturers support desk, but most likely the entire mainboard will need replacing. If you are lucky the port is attached to the housing and connected to the mainboard with a small cable with connector. In that case it could be an easy fix (swap out the faulty port for a replacement part).
It’s a common adn EXPENSIVE problem with laptops and external hard drives as people tend to leave USB sticks, USB network dongles and USB cables in their ports as they stow away their gear).
Point in case and big Heads UP! for all you folks out there:
ALWAYS detach (USB, but also power) cables from your controller, laptop, external hard drives and any other equipment before packing them away and transporting them.
Greetinx,
C.
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