USB Port Dead

Every time I boot up I get a message saying something isnt booting and to hit F1 to continue. I assume that its because I have a USB port that is not working at all. I have two on one side and one on the other, the one that is alone hasnt been working for months. I talked to someone else in the Army today who works with computers and he told me that is't probably a driver problem. I think that it's just dead. So how can I figure out which it is? And also if it is a driver problem how do I fix it. And if it is just dead in the water like I think then how do I disable it so that I will quit getting that annoying message when I boot up? Thanks in advance, this has been bothering the hell out of me for the longest.