You can learn how to reset the SMC on all Macs here in our detailed tutorial. So, you’re confident a USB port is the problem and not the device itself? The first thing you should do is reset the Mac SMC, a simple process which is slightly different depending on the Mac hardware. The Solution to No-Cause Random USB Failure on a Mac: Resetting SMC And yes, this can apply to any and all Macs, whether a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro. If multiple USB devices are not working on a particular port, or all ports, then it’s obviously less likely to be a device issue, and more likely to be related to the Mac itself.
The easiest way to determine if the USB device itself is the problem versus the Mac USB port, is to try and use at least two different USB devices and switch their ports. This is particularly true with cheap low quality USB devices and cables. First and foremost, keep in mind that sometimes a USB device itself can fail, which may have nothing to do with the Mac itself.