I removed the bottom half of the laptop, didn't spot any loose connections, put it back together and tried connecting usb keyboard and mouse.... the
laptop won't recognize any usb device.
I've decided not to let the computer spoil my weekend so I dropped it off at the repair shop where they will take a look at it and then let me know what the problem is.
I'll post an update when I hear back from shop.
Thanks for your help, and have a nice weekend!