Macbook Pro 15 2017 - Safely disconnecting USBc hub?

[draculr]

I just purchased a MBP 15 and this USB c hub:

https://satechi.net/collections/usb-type-c/products/satechi-aluminum-multi-port-adapter-4k

It all works well when connected and the laptop is in clamshell mode. However, I want to be able to disconnect the hub when I want to take the laptop off my desk. If I just pull the plug things seem to get a bit wonky. For example:

- The macbook screen doesn't want to turn on requiring a hard reboot. If I reconnect the laptop it works fine through the HDMI monitor without a hard reboot.
- When reconnecting the macbook, my USB audio interface is in a bad state requiring me to pull the power cord and reconnect it.

Surely I'm not the only one using a USB c port as a dock, any way around this? Can I set it up to "safely" disconnect and reconnect properly?

 

[english_mac_in_ny]

That must be a problem with the hub. USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 are both plug and play, you can plug them in and unplug them at any point in time as your heart desires, it should not lead to any issues whatsoever. Especially since your Mac is brand new, it is unlikely that there is an issue with it (unless you already filled it up with a bunch of applications where one might interfere). The adapter does have a few bad reviews saying it is unreliable, but I haven't found one with your exact issue. The new USB-C port thing is still in its infancy and might have some compatibility issues.

 

[draculr]

So after a bit more investigation, it seems so far that if I open the lid before disconnecting and reconnecting the hub it seems to work well. But it doesn't like it when the lid is closed so much.

 

[killawat]

Are you disconnecting with the lid close? When you disconnect the adapter the largest two things going on (amongst other things) is that the display is being detached and the power source disappears. Your machine is trying to rearrange the windows on the internal display, but its also asked to sleep since the lid is closed.

You may want to just try putting the machine to sleep first and then disconnect, leaving the lid down.

 

[draculr]

Are you disconnecting with the lid close? When you disconnect the adapter the largest two things going on (amongst other things) is that the display is being detached and the power source disappears. Your machine is trying to rearrange the windows on the internal display, but its also asked to sleep since the lid is closed.

You may want to just try putting the machine to sleep first and then disconnect, leaving the lid down.

It looks like it's problem solved! It must of been that race condition. If I disconnect when the lid is open or when the computer is asleep it works fine.

Cheers!