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jredecop

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 20, 2009
601
15
I'm getting an error saying that there is a USB device drawing too much power as soon as I plug in the cable! I got two phones and both cables do this, but it's working fine on my macbook air.

Anyone else with this issue.
 

Ishimaru

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2009
510
0
Los Angeles
What iMac do you have? If it's an older one, it probably doesn't have the added power that Apple added to later models. Time to upgrade?
 

jredecop

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 20, 2009
601
15
What iMac do you have? If it's an older one, it probably doesn't have the added power that Apple added to later models. Time to upgrade?
Its the 2009 model. I unplugged everything and rebooted it and now just one cable does it, looks like I got a bad cable:confused: The bad cable wont work on my macbook pro either, its a 2012
 
Last edited:

Ishimaru

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2009
510
0
Los Angeles
They started adding more power to the USB ports after the iPad. Yours unfortunately isn't included in there. So with your other devices connected, it is drawing too much power. You don't have a bad cable.
 

rmwebs

macrumors 68040
Apr 6, 2007
3,140
0
The iOS Devices have always been pretty crap when it comes to USB power. I remember the first iPhone blowing the USB hub in my old iMac - needless to say Apple fixed it free of charge, but it never did work properly.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a thunderbolt cable on offer for it soon. You wont be able to draw power, but it'll work fine for data.
 

jredecop

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 20, 2009
601
15
They started adding more power to the USB ports after the iPad. Yours unfortunately isn't included in there. So with your other devices connected, it is drawing too much power. You don't have a bad cable.
Same cable acts that way on my 2012 MacBook Air.
 
Last edited:

mofunk

macrumors 68020
Aug 26, 2009
2,421
161
Americas
I get that warning when I plug my iPod Touch and iPad 3 to my Macbook Pro. So I switch the ports and its fine. On my MBP the usb port that is closet to the power port is the one (I think) is causing the error.

Try switching the ports.
 

jredecop

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 20, 2009
601
15
Don't you mean 2012?

Lol, yes...getting my f150s and macbooks confused.

Its confirmed, its just one cable. Does it on both computers. I thought that both cables did it but one is working fine on my computers and the other is giving the error.
 

simontay78

macrumors newbie
Apr 26, 2009
6
0
This happened to my iPhone 5, suddenly my mac mini USB lost power and can't connect to my iPhone 5 & even my USB mouse lost connection to my Mac Mini!

Then I tried using the plug to the power directly, no luck.

I tried rebooting the iPhone...and booting it up...no luck...but after a while of not charging...I tried another plug for my iPad (The new iPad 3rd gen) it works!

Not sure what happened...

Then just now, it happened again...iPhone 5 not charging :(
 
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