Hi,
iI recently bought an arduino uno. When I connect the arduino the rx and tx lights aren't blinking neither does the L led. Only the main power light is on.
The laptop isn't even recognizing the usb device when connected.
Is there a fault with the Arduino?
You may be using a charge only or defective USB cable. Test it on a different device to make sure it works for data.
USB 3.0 ports may cause problems in some cases.
Which OS? In Windows, check what happens in device manager when you connect the arduino; any yellow exclamation marks?