The ever popular 'USB Devices Disabled'

[molecularx]

So, I've searched all over the internet, tried all kinds of things... Nothing is working.

I left my USB cord for my iPhone plugged in last night, woke up to the message that my USB was drawing too much power so it was turned off. So, I unplugged my cord and charged the laptop... Now when I try to plug it back in, nothing happens. I get this error message that says 'USB Devices Disabled. Unplug the device using too much power to re-enable USB devices.'

I obviously unplug it and try plugging something else in but it's still not working. I have tried to restart the computer, hold down command, option, r, p upon start up and it didn't help. I also tried sleep, restart, shut down, and that doesn't help either. I also updated to OS X Mavericks which didn't help either.

Is there anything else I could do that I haven't??

 

[caribiner23]

You may also want to try resetting the SMC on the Mac as well, since this is a power issue.

Link

 

[molecularx]

You may also want to try resetting the SMC on the Mac as well, since this is a power issue.

Link

Unfortunately that didn't help either. So, I'll have to make an appointment to take it to an Apple store and see what they have to say.

 

[chscag]

Resetting the SMC usually fixes that problem. Try unplugging your Mac from all power and leave it overnight. Sometimes that will reset the USB ports. The USB ports on portable Macs (MacBook and MacBook Pro models) can not handle a large amount of current draw for any length of time once the warning is displayed on the screen. Protection kicks in and shuts the ports down. Chances are they shut down before any damage occurred but you should let Apple look at it anyway.

 

[molecularx]

Resetting the SMC usually fixes that problem. Try unplugging your Mac from all power and leave it overnight. Sometimes that will reset the USB ports. The USB ports on portable Macs (MacBook and MacBook Pro models) can not handle a large amount of current draw for any length of time once the warning is displayed on the screen. Protection kicks in and shuts the ports down. Chances are they shut down before any damage occurred but you should let Apple look at it anyway.

I'll give it a try, should I leave it on, or off while unplugged?

 

[chscag]

Leave it off. You don't want any current flowing thru the machine at all.

 

[molecularx]

Left it off all night... No luck

The apple store is pretty far so I'll let you know how that goes when I finally get out there

 

[andybratton]

Update

Any updates on this molecularx? This problem started for me today off of a device I've regularly used for months.

 

[molecularx]

Any updates on this molecularx? This problem started for me today off of a device I've regularly used for months.

Yes! I took it in, they ran some tests and it came back that the logic board had failed. Needed to be replaced, took about a week and cost me just under $300

 

[celso20]

status

Yes! I took it in, they ran some tests and it came back that the logic board had failed. Needed to be replaced, took about a week and cost me just under $300

was your laptop under warranty? Same thing is happening to mine

 

[molecularx]

was your laptop under warranty? Same thing is happening to mine

No, it has been fixed for quite a few months now and no more problems so I'm quite positive that was the issue

 

[lenart-l]

Hello,

i have the same popup showing every couple of minutes and it's driving me crazy, i know it's probably hardware related but at the moment i can't afford to service it. Is it possible to somehow disable this popup so it would stop bugging me?

If anyone has a clue on how to do that i would appreciate it!

Take care

 

[greglb3291]

USB Devices Disabled

I am relieved to see that lenart-l posted his query just yesterday. Now I KNOW I am not an imbecile.

I regret reading that molecularx spent $300 replacing a logic board. It is possible that was really the issue in his case. However, I am sure that is not the problem in my case.

I have been having this issue for the past couple of weeks. It started when I updated to IOS 8.1.2 on my mobile devices and to OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 on my Macs.

I regularly back my mobiles up to iTunes in on my iMac. Sorry, I am old school and still do not trust the cloud 100%.

All of a sudden this message started popping up everytime I tried to back up. Ok, so there must be a hardware issue with the iMac. So let me try backing up on my PowerBook (also upgraded to 10.10.1). After connecting, my mobile device disappears from iTunes and I get the same error message.

Hmmm, must be that **** Yosemite upgrade that so many are b****ing about. I know! My son has a PowerBook even newer than mine and has not yet updated to Yosemite. Let me try to back up on his laptop......SAME RESULT.

I am baffled. I have 3 relatively new Macs that cannot have possibly had a logic board go bad simultaneously. Any suggestions??

Also, for those of you that gave earlier advice on resetting the "SMC", can you please translate the acronym for us old farts who are not as savvy?

I will make an appointment with the genius bar, if I must. But where I live, the Apple stores are zoos. It's like getting an appointment with Obama.

 

[chscag]

First: SMC = System Management Controller How to reset

And you don't own a Powerbook... Powerbooks can not run an Intel operating system. You and your son own a MacBook Pro.

Now, how about telling us exactly what it is that you're plugging into the USB port(s) and getting an over current message? (You said mobile devices.) It sounds like whatever device you're trying to plug in may actually be drawing too much current from the USB port. If it's occurring on three machines, it may be the device.

Also if you are using a wired Apple keyboard on your iMac, you can not attach either an iPhone or iPad to the USB ports on the keyboard. They are not designed for high current and will very definitely give you an over current warning.

And that by the way, has nothing to do with Yosemite or iOS 8.1.2.

 

[greglb3291]

Thank you for the helpful link on resetting SMC, chscag.

Thank you for also correcting my lack of correct terminology on the laptops that my son and I own. They are indeed MacBook Pro's.

Your explanation on a wired keyboard on my iMac is well taken, because that is indeed the case. However, I have manually backed my iPhones to iTunes on my iMac (with a wired keyboard) for a couple of years with no issues until recently. Regardless, this is obviously a moot point on two laptops displaying the same error message.

As far as what I am plugging in.... very specifically several different iPhone 5s' and one iPhone 6.

I will try resetting the SMC and re-post as to the results.

 

[lenart-l]

Is it possible to just disable this warning somehow?

 

[chscag]

The answer is no. You can not suppress the over current warning until you repair the problem causing it. You can try the SMC reset to see if that works.

 

[gabo]

Hello,

I arrived on this page desperateto find solution for the usb devices disabled between ipad plugged to macbook air, both beeing my wife's, sleeping next to me, already preparing the defense speech : "hum i dont know, i just did as usual, i didnt break anything" [im PC guy]

So no solution here so far huh?

well angry that i could charge with no problem before, i went to find a different usb cable wich i knew it worked and recognisable cuz its black taped [****ty twisting wire...].

and its charging, no problem.
then i went tryng all the 4 cables i haves, 2 are working 2 arent.
i then tried to see what differences between those, no voltage or anthing written on it
the only apparent difference is that the usb end of the cables working are rounded corners
while the ones not working are perfectly squared,

since its only an empiric solution i would like to know if anyone notice the same
i need more statistics than 4cables to know if im just lucky or rational while apple beeing tricky on accessories

 

[tdp1]

I am also having this problem. I am trying to charge my iPhone 5S through my MacBook Air (Yosemite 10.10.2). I keep getting this error message. Most of the time, my iPhone will not charge.

My iPhone is the only thing I have plugged into the MacBook Air, other than the Macbook Air charging cord.

I have tried using different USB ports on my Macbook Air. All of them have this problem.

I have tried different iPhone charging cords. All of them have this problem so far. Some of them are official Apple cords and others are cheap ones I got through Groupon.

I also have trouble charging my iPhone through other power sources, including straight to the wall AND using my car charger. I think there is something wrong with the iPhone 5S.

If I wiggle the plug I can sometimes get the iPhone to start charging. I just have to do it 25 times and then be careful not to bump it.

 

[bobtomay]

get a new cable

I buy them 3-4 at a time from Amazon as I no longer take cables with me, but keep a cable in all the locations (5 locations currently) that I use for charging. Have tried everything from Apple branded to $1 no name. I seem to have the best luck (last longer than others between replacements) with cables at around the $10/ea price point.

Other than having an issue charging, having to wiggle the plug is the very first sign that you should get a new cable.