Q: the USB device drawing too much power has been disabled.

Anthony, did the SMC reset change anything?

Courcoul has sensibly reminded the assembled multitude following this thread that the built-in keyboard, trackpad, camera, SD card reader, and possibly other internal things I'm forgetting (because I'm posting from my iPad and not my MBP) are all USB devices, and if one of those is malfunctioning it could be drawing excessive power. The culprit need not be external.

Same problem! 

Plug my iPhone in my 24" iMac and up pops the error. To check I then plugged it in to my 27" iMac and the same error pops up! I then tried a different lead (cable) with the same results). I conclude therefore, (correct me if I'm wrong) that it must be a fault with my phone! But what?

Any views out there?

Thanks

I also just started having the same problem. I've had my macbook pro less just less than a year and about 2 weeks ago started getting this message when I plug anything in. All I ever plug in are my iphone or ipad to sync or recharge them, and never both at the same time. I even get this message now if just the cable is plugged in but there's no iphone on the end of it. Also, it DOES disable the usb port because my iphone stops charging then. Surely an iphone should not be drawing "too much power"...?

I fixed it.  I had the exact same problem, rebooted several times, no Joy.  Just swapped my USB (white) lead and hey presto it works fine again.  Interstingly the plug on the white lead also felt hot.

Good luck

I solved my problem (see earlier post) by checking all the USB cables going into a D-Link powered hub. One of the USB cables going to an external hard drive was just slightly unseated. I haven't had any further warnings or shutdowns. The problem wasn't a lack of power despite the warning - it was simply a loose connection.

I'm getting the same message with my iphone. I tried a bunch of stuff mentioned here, then I borrowed a friends phone, plugged it in and it worked fine. So my problem seems to be with the phone. I restarted it and still is acting the same.

I came to the conclusion that having exhausted all possibilities, i.e. cables, connections and so forth that it had to be a software problem. On trying a restore on iTunes, which hung halfway giving an error message, I headed off to my phone supplier (True Move Thailand). The operative on the service desk who upon hearing my sorry tale simply laughed, connected it to his computer, fiddled with his keyboard, then after eight minutes or so, handed me my phone saying that should be it.  It was!  My phone has worked flawlessly since.

I hope this is of some help!

My wife's Mac pro is doing the same thing when she hooks up our canon camera. She has downloaded 1000's of pictures without problems before and now that message pops up  . Also the SD card reader isn't working. When the card is plugged in nothing happens and we can't find the card in iphoto. So now she has no way to get the pictures on iphoto. It's not the cord or the card because I can download them without any problem on my windows computer. I also have seen a bunch of other post about this problem. Any help would be great. Thanks.

I don't have anything big to add to this, except my MacBook gets the same message when booting up. There is nothing plugged into the two usb ports and they don't work even with a powered hub plugged in. I do have an external, powered, 2.5" hard drive that works, but nothing else works. The internal camera, the keyboard, and the trackpad work, which are all usb. I figure it must be some problem on the logic board. This is a well travelled MacBook, so it looks like it is time to buy a new MacBook Pro after I see what happens on June 11, 2012.

Message was edited by: bbritton

I have a 24 inch iMac Mid-2007.  And I have been getting the same message for some time.  I have my keyboard conntected; my mouse connected to the keyboard.  And a white connector usually not connected to anything; but available for my iPhone or iPod to synch.  I also have a hub that was a freebee from a conference.  It has 4 ports avaialble; but I get the message when nothing is connected to it.  Can these cause a problem even if nothing is connected.   I have no Apple Store near me.   And I am obviously past warranty. 

What should I try?

I ended up having a little bit of foil that had slipped into the jack that was shorting it out. They got it out at the apple store.

Thanks for replying so quickly.  I am going to start with ruling out stuff and keeping it simple.  So I have unplugged the hub as the only change even though nothing plugge in and monitor what happens.  If I can make 1 change a time with the USB cables perhaps I will be able to isolate the issue.

PS: I don't have a single usb connection plugged in any more, and still get the message!

I just had the same problem with my Imac while downloading photos to iphoto.  Got the "usb drawing too much power" message and I too had a white iphone cable with nothing attached, a backup hard drive and the camera.  But the screen then went black and would not power off or power on until I unplugged for 15 seconds.  It restarted fine, but I am wondering if I need to do anything else besides get a new white cable for my iphone.