Did you restart to see if the Air just went stupid for a moment.
For some reason that i cant think off, my USB port (the one) suddenly stopped working.
Any way i can find out if its software related?
Run a techtools program. It checks for USB functionality.
Mine stopped working as well, about 5 days ago. If I plug in a USB drive (HD or thumb drive), the drive LED comes on, but the drive does not show up anywhere or mount.
Did you try a mouse? Just to see if the pointer functions? Trying to separate drive mounting functionality (which could be software or permissions). Did you try looking at your logs and/or running a permissions repair?
I tried a mouse, it lights up (underneath), but does not move the pointer or scroll. I could not find a "permissions repair" anywhere and the logs did not show anything about USB (when I plug in a usb thumb drive, nothing shows up in the log). This MBA is my first Mac, so I am not as versed in Mac as in PC.
Looks like I have to call Apple. I HATE the thought of having to send it in and be without my computer for who knows how long (the closest Apple store is about 2 hour drive, but even then, if it is hardware, I am sure they can't fix it on the spot). Not a good first impression with a Mac. I never had a windows laptop malfunction in all the years I used windows machines. Maybe I was lucky, but with the MBA basically a top end machines, you would think this would not happen in the first month or so of use.
Repair permissions is in the Disk Utility, which is in
/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
This could very well be a hardware problem. I was just trying to go about ruling out a software configuration issue since the mechanical connection seems to work (you get a light).
I found the disk utility, but I do not see anything in the menus for repairing permissions. I would assume you need to see the drive listed in order to specify what permissions you are trying to repair, but nothing except the HD is shown.
Select the disk icon below your physical hard drive name default is "Macintosh HD" and make sure you are in the "First Aid" tab on the right side. You should have options of:
[Verify Disk Permissions] [Verify Disk]
[Repair Disk Permissions] [Repair Disk] (greyed out)
Verified and repaired disk permissions, but no change to USB behavior.
Bummer. I was hoping it was something easy. When permissions go sideways, things that used to work start failing in odd ways. I have a feeling you will be asked to re-install your OS unless hardware diagnostics can show a fault.
If you want to go back to windows, I will gladly buy your macbook air for $100 dollars and have it up and running in 2 minutes or less.
--Eric Wilson
Did a SMC reset on the Macbook Air, and now the USB port is back. No trip to the Genius Bar tomorrow (couldn't go today as "work" got in the way).