USB Accessories Disabled

I bought an external CD drive for my Macbook Air but when I plug it in the message USB Accessories Disabled, unplug the accessory using too much power to re-enable USB devices. The other USB port works fine even with this error showing.

The drive was advertised as being compatible for Macs.

Any advice?

MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Oct 21, 2019 2:28 PM

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Reasking the question about "USB Accessories Disabled." My MacBook Air (13-in, 2017) has a message "USB Accessories Disabled. Unplug the accessory using too power to re-enable USB devices" yet there is nothing plugged in. I reset my SMC, but this doesn't fix it. I only have one working USB port, so switching doesn't help. I can use my Macbook, but the message is really annoying. Help! Thanks.
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USB Accessories disabled. Unplug the accessory... This just popped up. A search on the message results in basically useless answers. In my case everything was fine and my 2023 MacBook Pro 16" screen went to sleep. I am running Ventura 13.3.1. I have 7 attached drives with one directly connected to a thunderbolt port and the others hanging off a daisy chain of thunderbolt 4 hubs plugged into another thunderbolt port. None of the drives dropped, or at least I didn't get a message that a drive was disconnected. I see all 8 drives, including my internal one, still mounted on the desktop. I have nothing connected to my third thunderbolt port. So what accessory was disconnected? I should add that all the drives are working properly; not just showing on the desktop. Looking at the USB tree in the System Information app I see all my drives connected. I am going to reboot, but this message makes no sense. It really needs to explain what USB accessory was disconnected. Only the single drive, a Sandisk 4TB, would even be drawing power. The thunderbolt hubs should be providing power.
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1 reply

kaz-k

Level 9

51,102 points

Oct 22, 2019 6:36 AM in response to mumblealice17

Hi,

Probably your DVD drive is bus powered, it eats too much power. You need to get self powered DVD drive or self powered USB Hub.

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USB Accessories Disabled

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