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User profile for user: mike_74
mike_74 Author
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With USB external devices macOS randomly freezes on Macbook Air 2020

I'm on a new Macbook Air with Catalina 10.15.4. Not even completely sure how to describe this problem, but with anything external connected to the laptop, it's randomly freezing. I have an external monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, and hub that I connect usb drives to. With anything more than the monitor connected (which is hdmi to usb-c cable by itself), the mouse and keyboard will just stop working. If video or audio is playing it continues. If I disconnect the usb devices at the macbook and reconnect after a few seconds, it will often begin to work again, but not always. Sometimes I have to restart before usb works again. This has been happening since the first day I got it (about a week ago) and has continued even after a clean install of Catalina with very minimal additional apps, none of which should be an issue. It can happen several times within twenty minutes or not happen for several hours. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on Apr 18, 2020 1:54 PM

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User profile for user: mike_74
mike_74 Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Posted on Apr 23, 2020 12:19 PM

I just wanted to close this out. I don't know why my MBA 2020 would lose connection with USB devices, but I did purchase what I think is a solution. I bought a CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock, which is really a Thunderbolt 3 Dock that's also USB-C and built for MacBooks. It's been running perfectly for about 48 hrs now, so I'm gaining confidence. I don't know if it's the device itself, the T3 connection, or the CalDigit drivers, but the disconnects are gone.


I'm not thrilled that I spent an additional $200 on top of the MBA to be able to use with peripherals, but it works. I had originally purchased a $50 USB-C dock which didn't work well, then a $100 USB-C dock which worked a little better. Then I tried an unpowered USB-A dock, with the display on a separate cable, which was pretty horrible. Lastly, a powered USB-A dock which was the best of these first 4. With that I still got 6+ disconnects a day, but almost all of those I could just pull and plug in the cable at the MBA and would get the devices back. This was still unacceptable to me, so after some research, I decided the CalDigit might work. So far, it has.

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User profile for user: mike_74
mike_74 Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Apr 23, 2020 12:19 PM in response to mike_74

I just wanted to close this out. I don't know why my MBA 2020 would lose connection with USB devices, but I did purchase what I think is a solution. I bought a CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock, which is really a Thunderbolt 3 Dock that's also USB-C and built for MacBooks. It's been running perfectly for about 48 hrs now, so I'm gaining confidence. I don't know if it's the device itself, the T3 connection, or the CalDigit drivers, but the disconnects are gone.


I'm not thrilled that I spent an additional $200 on top of the MBA to be able to use with peripherals, but it works. I had originally purchased a $50 USB-C dock which didn't work well, then a $100 USB-C dock which worked a little better. Then I tried an unpowered USB-A dock, with the display on a separate cable, which was pretty horrible. Lastly, a powered USB-A dock which was the best of these first 4. With that I still got 6+ disconnects a day, but almost all of those I could just pull and plug in the cable at the MBA and would get the devices back. This was still unacceptable to me, so after some research, I decided the CalDigit might work. So far, it has.

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User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
207,367 points

Apr 18, 2020 3:20 PM in response to mike_74

Have you ruled out the hub? That is do the keyboard and mouse work without freezing or the mouse and speakers again without the hub? Is the hub self powered? If not it may be drawing too much power from the USB port on the MBA.


Have you tried a wireless keyboard and mouse?


What hub are you using?

Is it new just for this MBA?

Have you used this setup before with a laptop?


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With USB external devices macOS randomly freezes on Macbook Air 2020

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