Xbox 360 Controller Adapter for Windows

I've been using the wireless adapter for Windows with a 360 controller on my PC for awhile now, but it seems to have died. Yesterday I unplugged it to clean my PC and this morning when I plugged it back into the same port it isn't coming on. No green light,
no messages on the PC and it's not in Device Manager. I've tried it on several known working, powered USB ports and on 3 PCs. Basically, I'm confident the thing is dead. If anyone has any suggestion on possible fixes, I'd love to hear them. I've seen a lot
of people pulling the thing apart and soldering across the F1 fuse, which apparently is very common for blowing. That seems dangerous to me, bypassing a fuse entirely is never a good idea.

:)