When your Altera USB-Blaster is not working ...

When your USB-Blaster is not working and you have verified that it is neither USB Driver issue nor PCs issue nor USB cables issue, there is no need to feel disappointed, frustrated and throw away the USB Blaster which worth USD$300 market value yet.

There is still hope to salvage your USB Blaster. You can try to replace both the MAXIM low-voltage level translator parts (part number: MAX3378E) on the small USB-Blaster board. Usually, I found that both the MAXIM parts need to be replaced when I came across a bad USB-Blaster. Their reference designators on the small USB-Blaster board are labeled U2 and U5, respectively.

Alternatively, if you can’t find the MAXIM parts, you can use Texas Instruments 4-bit bidirectional voltage-level translator with part number TXS0104EPWRG4. It works equally fine and slightly cheaper, too.