iMac crashes all the time after connecting hard disks via hub

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iMac crashes all the time after connecting hard disks via hub

I work as a photographer and still have several external hard disks with USB connections. I connected a hub to my iMac 24" (bought this year), but whenever I connect two 'heavier' external hard disks (say a 10TB hard disk and my Sony camera), my computer crashes or freezes, sometimes telling me the USB takes up too much energy. My question: what is a good way to connect several external hard disks? What hub should I use in order to avoid these constant crashes? My system has become very unstable and it's frustrating working this way with a new iMac. Thank you for your advice in this.

iMac 24″, macOS 13.2

Posted on Mar 31, 2023 5:14 AM

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HWTech

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Mar 31, 2023 7:08 PM in response to MirjamLCV

You will need to get a powered USB hub which has its own dedicated power supply. Depending on the devices or drives you are connecting, those drives may need their own dedicated power supply even if you have a powered hub. Some drives may ship with & require a USB cable with two connections...the second connection is used to supply more power to a drive.

A regular hub without its own dedicated power is drawing power from a single USB port on the computer. Each USB port on a computer is only able to deliver just so much power on each single port...usually only enough power for a single device.

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Answer 2

MirjamLCV Author

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Apr 3, 2023 1:11 AM in response to HWTech

Thank you, this makes sense! Will try and find a good hub with it's own power supply. If you know a good reliable brand, would love to hear that. In the meantime, will do my own research (in the Netherlands). Thank you!

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iMac crashes all the time after connecting hard disks via hub

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