2020 Macbooks seem to have a new widespread issue with USB 2.0 devices getting disconnected

[Broko Fankone]

Just an update:

I backed up, wiped my drive and re-installed macOS completely today, just to make sure it wasn't something about my installation, and the issue occurred again after a few hours of normal use.

Going to be returning it for inspection and hopefully get a full replacement, which hopefully will not have the problem.

I'll update again after I get some kind of a resolution.

 

[disq]

I started a repair with Apple today. Retrieving my work laptop from the office (2019 MBP) in the meantime.

 

[scrl]

I'm experiencing very similar issues with my 2020 MBA 13". I have an external (USB3) drive connected via a USB-C to USB-A dongle (Apple's one, with the HDMI and power input too), and I get random disconnects of the disk resulting in failed backups. Sometimes it stays up for days, sometimes it dies after minutes. I've tried routing the drive through a separately powered USB3 hub in case it was a power issue. No joy.

Until now I assumed there must be something wrong with the disk (although I have two, and they both exhibit it) or the dongle (although I have two of those as well, and they both exhibit it). Now I'm starting to think it might be the MacBook itself :-(

 

[Klaas de Jong]

I'm glad I'm not alone with this peculiar problem! I've been talking to Apple support for two weeks and have tried everything. I have a Dell display U2720q with internal hub which is powered via a ub-c cable. I cannot bypass this hub. I have also tested other hubs, but that does not improve as many already indicate here. I also have an ongoing discussion on the apple community

Dell U2720q Display and Macbook Pro 13" 2… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

I think it is wise to always report to Apple support. The more notifications and logs they have, the better

 

[ibeginner]

I have issue with usb-c hub on Mac mini 2020

 

[filmak]

Are all these USB problems one more gift from Catalina? So are they software related?
Any errors logged in console?

 

[Broko Fankone]

I could not determine anything in the console to be related - although I am not that versed in reading unix errors.

It's worrying to hear people have this problem with USB 3.0 as well. I thought it was "immune" from the issue. Apparently not.

As for contacting support - I wrote to @Applesupport on twitter and they actually responded and asked for details. I sent them a few threads and described the issue as best as I could (although I told them it only affects USB 2.0 since I had no issue with my USB 3.0 harddrive - this could have been pure luck, apparently).

This sucks... I'll return the macbook again if it is not fixed when I get it back (or replaced), and then again, and then I might just go for a refund unless by that time Apple have made a statement clarifying a fix is being worked on. The machine is half-useless to me if I cannot rely on audio cards and peripherals, or if we can't even create a single backup on external storage without the risk of interruption.

 

[Supra Mac]

So I have an el gato thunderbolt 2 dock that I used with my 2011 Mini but now that is now on server duty. I order and got the usb c to thunderbolt dongle. Got my keyboard, mouse and audio DAC to show under USB 3.0 in system report now. Will keep y'all updated, hopefully it fixes it. I'm sure at some point an update will be made to fix 2.0 now that there is some press behind it.

 

[Broko Fankone]

The issue has seen some press coverage at this point:


https://www.tomsguide.com/news/new-...k-pro-models-have-serious-usb-flaw-what-to-do

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...talina-usb-problem-connectivity/#3614c94a455c

https://www.laptopmag.com/news/new-macbook-models-suffering-from-frustrating-usb-bug-what-to-do-now

https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/17/user...issues-with-2020-macbook-pro-and-macbook-air/

https://tech.hindustantimes.com/lap...-this-strange-usb-problem-71592534010471.html

 

[Broko Fankone]

Has anyone had any success so far with apple support over this issue? Has anyone got a replacement unit that did not have the issue? Or some kind of answer from apple as to is this a software or hardware problem?

 

[Raikal]

I got a replacement for a different reason and the new device has the same problem.

I'm pretty sure it's a software thing, since replugging the tb3 cable always resolves it (probably the driver is getting reinitialized that way)

 

[Supra Mac]

So I have an el gato thunderbolt 2 dock that I used with my 2011 Mini but now that is now on server duty. I order and got the usb c to thunderbolt dongle. Got my keyboard, mouse and audio DAC to show under USB 3.0 in system report now. Will keep y'all updated, hopefully it fixes it. I'm sure at some point an update will be made to fix 2.0 now that there is some press behind it.

To follow up, no disconnects going through TB dock.

 

[katmeef]

Has anyone had any success so far with apple support over this issue? Has anyone got a replacement unit that did not have the issue? Or some kind of answer from apple as to is this a software or hardware problem?

Presumably the issue will go away after an upcoming update without any official acknowledgement of the problem itself. I would suggest contacting apple support directly and reporting the problem so you get a ticket opened for tracking.

 

[Broko Fankone]

Presumably the issue will go away after an upcoming update without any official acknowledgement of the problem itself. I would suggest contacting apple support directly and reporting the problem so you get a ticket opened for tracking.

I did contact Apple directly and all I got was "take it to an authorized service - they will tell you what the problem is". Even though quite a few people have already done this and got replacements - they wouldn't admit to any problem or even suggest if there's a fix, or it's related to software to hardware. So far the "authorized" service has not been able to reproduce the issue for a week - funny since it happened to me several times per day, and at most I went a day without having it happen.

edit: yeah, in one week the resolution is apparently 'cannot reproduce'. Lucky me with this cool new macbook. Guess I'll be looking into TB3 docks and pray to the apple gods for a software fix.

 

[Capeto]

Does anyone know if this is fixed in Big Sur?

 

[Raikal]

Nope, tried it last weekend but had the same random disconnects as before

 

[Broko Fankone]

No fix in Big Sur or the latest developer beta of Catalina. Apple are still 100% silent on this.

Is anyone starting to think about forming a lawsuit? It's going to be pointless from my side, from where I live, but maybe people with enough resources in USA can start thinking about this, if this is going to be like the butterfly story. Simply suing the reseller for damaging my laptop is going to be enough of a challenge, knowing how any kind of wrongful BS passes so easily in my country against normal people, as long as it's coming from rich people/companies.

What a horrible experience this has been. Should have built a windows desktop, at that price it would have been an absolute beast anyway.

 

[Capeto]

Jeez, that's discouraging and maybe indicative that it's a hardware issue, which no software update will fix :/

 

[Broko Fankone]

UPDATE: I spend 3 hours speaking with official Apple support, ultimately to be connected to some PR Agent girl. She proceeded to explain two things:

1. The physical damage done to my laptop while being held by their premium authorized service is considered "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR"
2. The USB issues are likely "not a problem of the Mac, but something else"

Just so you know ?

 

[Supra Mac]

New update says it addresses this. Downloading now to test.

 

[scrl]

This thread seems to have gone quiet now, with nothing since July. However, I'm *still* getting these problems, at least every few days. Random disconnects of the USB peripherals (a disk and a camera - always both together) that I have connected to my 2020 MacBook Air via an Apple USB-C to USB dongle.

Is anyone else still seeing this? Or did everyone get some sort of fix that I missed out on :-( ?

 

[Raikal]

Apple told CalDigit that this should get fixed in Big Sur, but I’m still having this issue with beta 9

 

[dersimn]

I've a simmilar issue, with the extra catch that I have 2 Thunderbolt docks (1 at work, 1 at home):

Home:
I tried two different setups at home which both result in the same issue:

• Mac Book Pro (A2251) --> Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock (not the "Pro", the older model) --> ASUS PA34VC Thunderbolt Monitor
• Mac Book Pro (A2251) --> ASUS PA34VC Thunderbolt Monitor

All USB devices attached to my Thunderbolt dock at home stop working at random times. When this happens is not reproduceable, but it's at least once every 4h.

The USB devices will still be listed in System Information or the USB Ethernet adapter is still listed under Network adapters etc., they just don't respond anymore in neither direction. Only the USB devices attached over the Thunderbolt cable loose connection. Devices on other ports continue to work.

If this occurs, I can unplug the Thunderbolt cable and plug it back in. Most of the time the issue is resolved then.

The display works fine during all times.

Work:
Setup: Mac Book Pro (A2251) --> Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock (not the "Pro", the older model) --> Display attached over Display Port

Here everything works fine, except for the next section:


Switching from Home -> Work and vice versa

• When switching from Home -> Work or vice versa, USB devices won't work until a reboot is done. Repluging doesn't do anything, except for the display going blank for the moment
• Just sometimes when the Mac Book is closed and I unplug the cable and plug the other dock in at the other place, I open the Mac Book and there's a kernel panic.

 

[scrl]

Thanks for your replies. Interesting (and slightly re-assuring) that I'm not the only one. I also experience the occasional complete freeze and panic, requiring a restart.

Given that I have a Time Machine disk attached on USB, this is more than an inconvenience for me. It's a data corruption risk, so here's hoping this is actually fixed in the upcoming OS release, whenever that comes (even if it not being fixed in the current beta is rather worrying).

 

[Jochheim]

@dersimn this is sadly a new problem with thunderbolt docks which was introduced with the patch for the usb c problem. There is a thread here in the forum. I do not have much hope anymore that Apple will fix this and I am so dissatisfied with how unreliable my MBP is, that I might switch to a windows machine after 10 years.