Guys hi again...

OK my laptop running XP Sp2 recently does not want to play well with USB disk-drives, Before everything ran smooth when i pluged in a USB thumb drive it just searches for the drive then wala you get to open the drive and see the contents etc.....

Recently when i plug a USB thumb drive I get this error message something along these lines "Power surge on one of the USB ports" and also nothing (USB disk drive/thumb drive) is connected or loaded.
I did not change any settings whatsoever before these problems started....

I checked the "Device Manager >Universal Serial Bus controllers>USB Root Hub>Properties>Power" and it says 2 device connected. I think the 2 drive connected are Floppy drive and the DVD-ROM. The 3rd device was supposed to be the USB thumb drive.
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Has anyone experienced this similar scenario and later able fix it?

Please i need your help.

Cheers.:(

If anything connected to the USB port has it's own power supply

I'd look at that first or unplug it and see if you get the same error message when you connect your other devices

I'd also look at the connection on the thumb drive especially the contacts both the drive and the port
Look for any shorts, or broken contacts that may cause a cross or short circuit

Did you perhaps connect the Thumb Drive the wrong way round in the socket?

A faulty power pack was implicated here (http://analogik.com/electronic_music_gear.asp). But do see if you can determine whether it is one particular port, all ports, one particular drive, etc.

If on the other hand the exact message is ""A USB device has exceeded the power limits of its hub port" it is a lack of power supply and not a surge that is the problem. In that case you may need to use an external powered hub for your peripherals.

But do see if you can determine whether it is one particular port, all ports, one particular drive, etc.


How can i determine that ?

If on the other hand the exact message is ""A USB device has exceeded the power limits of its hub port" it is a lack of power supply and not a surge that is the problem. In that case you may need to use an external powered hub for your peripherals
Yes i did and still do see this message whenever i plug in a USB flash drive.

I used to plug in a USB device with an external power source and neva come up with this messgae. After the message started comming up i never tried to plug in a USB device which uses external power source....only USB device that power up using the Laptops power source...


Did you perhaps connect the Thumb Drive the wrong way round in the socket?
I am sure i plugged the device correctly...

You determine which port or device by trial and error. Since you are getting the message I mentioned it is not a power surge but inadequate power from the ports.

Ok after finding a USB device which powers up using external power sources I pluged in the USB device, but no chance of it being loaded, Instead i get the same old message "A USB device has exceeded the power limits of its hub port"

This now makes me even more confused.. why is there not enough power source when the USB device i just connected gets its own power from external sources not the laptops power source....?
:
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While the USB device is still pluged in the usb port i go to "Device Manager >Universal Serial Bus controllers>USB Root Hub>Properties>Power" i see 2 items appear on the list of connected.. One of the items is labled "Unknown" with a big yellow question mark. I am guessing it is the USB device that is plugged in. But nothing USB or removable device is shown in windows-explorer or "My Computer"
:(

If this is only happening with an "Unknown Device" then its possible you will need the correct drivers before the power problem is resolvable. There is a Catch22, I guess, in that without adequate power a device might not be correctly identified.

There is a Catch22,
:( Yeah it seems so....