USB overcurrent notice - hub disabled

Hello Community,
after plugging an accidentally short-circuited device into the only USB-Port of my MacBook Air 2.1 A1304 (Mid 09), the Mac shut down instantaneously. I got it restarted via a PRAM- and SMC-Reset, but the USB-Port is not recognizing any devices any longer (although my external USB-Drive is at least powering up, but not mounting).
Ever since, the famous Popup „USB device was drawing too much power (…) USB devices have been disabled“ is showing up on every Startup from the installed Snow Leo SSD. System-Message-Buffer (via Terminal: sudo dmesg) shows: USB Notification: The device "EHCI Root Hub Simulation" @ 0x24000000 has caused an overcurrent condition. The hub it is attached to has been disabled. The USB Hub is no longer listed in the Profiler.
I downloaded the Snow Leo Combo-Update and installed it - with no effect. Guess it's a hardware-, not a software-issue, since booting with the Alt-Key won't show any plugged USB-drives either.
Google says: USB-controller failure - Replace your Motherboard.
Can that be true?! "USB-Prober" says in its "Hub Descriptor", the disabled device is a "Gang switched standalone hub with global overcurrent protection". What kind of "protection" is that, if the USB-Port is disabled permanently, upon noticing an overcurrent?
I'll be glad about any advice to re-enable my USB-Port without replacing the motherboard
Thanks in advance,
André

Since I was out of warranty, I had the MacBook checked by an independent mainboard-repair-center to replace a possibly defective chip. I got it back with the comment: "We could not allocate the error-message to a specific mainboard-chip".
So I sold my darling on eBay...
Much later, I received an answer to a post of mine in another forum, saying "the overcurrent could well just have damaged some of the ultra-thin-tracers connecting the chips on the mainboard". Which sounds reasonable in my ears - with the SMC having to spill out its overcurrent-notice, just not for a short-circuit on the USB-Socket, but for one on the MAINBOARD.
So, in the end, it would have saved me lots of time and lots of brain-juice, if OS-X had spared the misleading common-place-solution ("remove the usb-device and restart the system"), and had instead confined to just the things the SMC has undoubtedly noticed (leaving the rest up to me). I would really have appreciated a message like "SMC has noticed an USB overcurrent - contact Apple, if the problem persists after removing all USB-devices and restarting the system...").

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I purchased the software to download the voice recordings from my Olympus DS2 digital voice recorder onto my mac. The DSS program is mac compatible.
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Get a powered USB hub.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents

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oh, and the important info:
Hardware Overview:
OS X 10.5.6
Model Name: iMac G5
Model Identifier: PowerMac12,1
Processor Name: PowerPC G5 (3.1)
Processor Speed: 2.1 GHz
Number Of CPUs: 1
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 2.5 GB
Bus Speed: 700 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.2.6f1
USB Bus:
Host Controller Location: Built In USB
Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBOHCI
PCI Device ID: 0x0035
PCI Revision ID: 0x0043
PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033
Bus Number: 0x0b
USB High-Speed Bus:
Host Controller Location: Built In USB
Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBEHCI
PCI Device ID: 0x00e0
PCI Revision ID: 0x0004
PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033
Bus Number: 0x4b
USB2.0 Hub:
Product ID: 0x0606
Vendor ID: 0x05e3 (Genesys Logic, Inc.)
Version: 7.02
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec
Location ID: 0x4b100000
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 100
USB2.0 Hub Controller:
Product ID: 0x0058
Vendor ID: 0x0409 (NEC Corporation)
Version: 1.00
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec
Manufacturer: NEC Corporation
Location ID: 0x4b140000
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 100

Miriam,
Thank you for your many responses. I have checked the outlet in so much as I checked other devices (stereos, tvs, etc.) and they seem to work fine. Yes, a power strip is used but again, and maybe I don't understand the difference in how USB uses power and Firewire uses power, but the miniStack uses both USB and Firewire connections. When set strictly to Firewire for the hard drive data transfer, the hard drives never "unmount" or dissapear; this seems to be solely a USB problem.
Now, outside of trying other devices, do you know any other way to test the outlet? I am at a loss but I guess I am grateful that no one has suggested that my iMac is dying lol.
Cheers

Can't print to HP Photosmart C5180. getting error mssg that says, "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of our USB devices have been disabled." Never seen this before. How do i fix this?

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Get a powered USB hub.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents

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Message was edited by: blick
Message was edited by: blick
Message was edited by: blick

USB Overcurrent Error

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Re: Is there a USB 3.0 Hub that really works with the Mac Mini?

"Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." HELP!

When I plug in my son's iPad I get this message "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." I only have one charger for this iPad all my other chargers are for iPhone 4s. I have pluggerd it in different outlets around the house and the iPad will not charge. When I plugged it on my lap top to back it up it gave me the warning message. HELP!!

I have the same problem on my Air. The message first came up while my iPhone was connected to it for some time. Since then, it pops up ALL THE TIME, whithout anything being connected to the USB port, at what appear to be random intervals that vary between about one hour and a few seconds. I have tried resetting the SMC and the PRAM, but no results. A quick search revealed that thousands of users are facing this problem, but Apple has yet to provide a solution. Please help!

"Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled.

Here is the total error message:
"Because a USB devce was drawing too much power from your computer, one
or more of your USB devices have been disabled.
To prevent damaging your computer, the USB device drawing too much
power has been disabled. Other devices may have also been disabled.
When you disconnect the device drawing too much power, your other USB
devices will be enabled again."
Now in contrast to every other thread on this i get this error message eveytime i connect my soundcard (interface). Not when i start up the mac or anything, just when i connect the sound card. (the soundcard does not have its own power source but note that this has never happened before and i have had this soundcard for about a year!)
It deactivates so i cannot use it.
I have tried:
Connecting the soundcard to my mothers mac -> it worked!
Connecting an external harddrive to my mac -> it worked!
so basically, i can't be the soundcard or the cable and it cannot be the mac USB port?
I don't know what to do! i really need this to work! anyone got an idea??

Hi, ryankeenanrk.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
I would recommend trying the steps in both articles below and test the results.
OS X Mountain Lion: Reset your computer’s PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/ph11243
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Cheers,
Jason H.

I am having a problem when I plug my iPod into my macbook. When I plug the cable into my mac I get the following message - "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, your USB device has been disabled." PLEASE HELP!

I am having a problem when I plug my iPod into my macbook. When I plug the cable into my mac I get the following message - "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, your USB device has been disabled." CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!

The rest of the message in the pop up window says "To prevent damaging your computer, the USB device drawing too much power has been disabled. Other devices may have also been disabled. When you disconnect the device drawing too much power, your other USB devices will be enabled again."

New iMac 27" and just plugged in a Apple USB superdrive and get message, "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." I am trying to load Office mac2011 what to do?

I have a new iMac 27" and just plugged in a Apple USB superdrive and get message, "Because a USB device was drawing too much power from your computer, one or more of your USB devices have been disabled." I am trying to load Office mac2011 what to do?

If you just bought the iMac and the Sjuperdrive take the superdrive back and get a refund. The by any other brand external DVD drive that connects by USB and try that. Most come with a Y USB cable to allow you to connect to 2 USB ports to supply enogh power to the drive IF Needed.
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USB overcurrent notice - hub disabled

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