Desktop Motherboard on Laptop with Dead USB

Good day,
I have an ACER Aspire 1705. I tried to connect once a hand made usb
cable and since then 3 out of the 4 usb are not working, possibly are
burned. One of them was giving still power until last week but couldn't
read.
The 4th one kept working for 3 years, until last week, where something
happened and both stopped working.
Not having a USB, I tried a PCMCIA to USBx4 card. The card freezes my
PC when I'm using a USB stick, no mention for something better. I
attached the extra 5V power, I installed the correct drivers but
nothing.
I need your precious advise on the following:

1. Is there any way to see what really happened to my 4 USB?Even if
they were fried, is there a software who will show that, so I could talk
with evidence and not with assumptions? Any way to repair these USB?
2. Is there a way to make the PCMCIA work perfectly? I have seen many
people having the same problem with USB-PCMCIA cards
3. Is there any other way to get a more reliable USB from anywhere
(parallel, floppy, touchpad, anywhere, anywhere) to mount my external
sound card?

Please advise, you are my last faith.