Got a used arrive, but USB port appears to be broken. Any options?

[ultramaroon]

Hello all, I recently purchased a used htc arrive on craigslist but turns out I got scammed because the USB Port appears to be broken. Before I bought it, I checked that the ESN was clean and the phone turned on and it appeared to work, but since then I've tried plugging the phone with multiple USB cables into four different PCs, a few Macs, and the computers just don't recognize it as a phone (in windows device manager, it is an unknown device called HTC) even though it will charge. So it looks like I've been scammed with a broken phone.

The unfortunate thing is that it's still on Windows Phone 7.0 and hasn't been updated. It looks like Windows Phone must be plugged into a computer to do a hardware update, and it also looks like I can't even download any older apps because it tells me I have to update the system to download apps.

Does anyone know of any workaround to get the phone updated without connecting it to a computer? Or will i just have to buy another phone / be stuck with WP7 without any apps?

Thanks for any ideas,
Andy

 

[Stig]

Have you installed Zune before plugging it in?

 

[Dave Blake]

Yes you need to download and install Zune

 

[ultramaroon]

Yes I have downloaded Zune, and tried it on various computers with different USB cables, as well as tried a myriad of troubleshooting FAQs on the internets... (though, i have tried them all on Windows 7 machines. If I find a Vista computer, I will try it there.)

 

[Stig]

Yes I have downloaded Zune, and tried it on various computers with different USB cables, as well as tried a myriad of troubleshooting FAQs on the internets... (though, i have tried them all on Windows 7 machines. If I find a Vista computer, I will try it there.)

It sounds like you are correct, and there is damage to the USB socket. Can you see any physical signs of damage in and around the socket?

 

[ultramaroon]

It sounds like you are correct, and there is damage to the USB socket. Can you see any physical signs of damage in and around the socket?

Looking at it, it doesn't really look like there's physical damage around the socket. Of course, even with a flashlight, i can't really see much of anything inside the tiny,though nothing looks conspicuously wrong... The rest of the phone is in really good condition, actually. Almost like new. Just the one, but oh so important, thing!