Insufficient power to run USB drives on M1 chip MacBook Pro Max and iMac

Question

Insufficient power to run USB drives on M1 chip MacBook Pro Max and iMac

I have several USB 3.0 and 3.1 hard drives that I've used for years on various Apple laptops and desktops. I recently upgraded 2 machines. I have a 2021 16 inch M1 Max MacBook Pro and a 2021 M1 24 inch iMac.

Both of them struggle to mount SSD hard drives using USB. They also often are unable to charge iPads or iPhones when connected with the USB cable that came with the computer.

With SSD drives the device either will not mount or will mount but will not allow any files to be opened, often causing the entire computer to run slow until I manually remove the device.

I can see the device in System information and the power available exceed what the stated power requirements are, however I suspect the required power is wrong and that the M1 chip machines are unable to determine the correct power requirements and therefore under power the device.

If I connect the the same devices via a powered hum connected to the computer they mount and perform as expected.

Any help offered would be appreciated.

MacBook Pro Apple Silicon

Posted on Oct 11, 2022 4:00 PM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

160,766 points

Oct 12, 2022 4:34 AM in response to Dave Wiltshire

It's not a matter of "USB power distribution" or how much you paid for your Mac. If the USB peripherals you have need more power than the ports can provide, then they need more power. Providing them with power from an external source is the solution.

What I would expect in this forum is an answer like "Apple are aware of an issue and a fix is coming soon".

Contact Apple and make them aware: Get Support.

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

160,766 points

Oct 11, 2022 6:27 PM in response to Dave Wiltshire

If I connect the the same devices via a powered hum connected to the computer they mount and perform as expected.

That's what you need to do.

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Answer 3

Oct 11, 2022 6:54 PM in response to John Galt

The thing about a laptop is that it's portable. The thing about a powered hub is it's not portable. What I would like is the same connectivity I've had with USB devices for the last 10 years. What I wasn't expecting was a $6000 computer that can't use peripherals unless tethered to the power grid or a level 10 "expert" who would think that was a reasonable answer.

It's clear there is a USB power distribution problem with Apple silicon machines by the sheer number of articles related to the issue. What I would expect in this forum is an answer like "Apple are aware of an issue and a fix is coming soon".

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Insufficient power to run USB drives on M1 chip MacBook Pro Max and iMac

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