Man-wai Chang wrote:

What most likely kill the hub? Could it be repaired in general?

It's a Samsung PUH-7000NB.

Zapped by static electricity, despite the 12,000 volt rating of the
chips?

A surge of current? I had an NEC-based USB 2.0 card lose 2 of its 4
ports because the tiny chip that was supposed to protect against
current surges was damaged by one.

I'd try resoldering the connectors, including the one for the cable.
Also there may be a blown fuse, which could look like a resistor or a
surface mount part.

Sometimes Windows just won't recognize a USB device, so try booting
the computer with an Ubuntu Linux CD.