USB ports on Mac keep on connecting/disconnecting - Any ideas?

[bigsmile01]

I have a MacBook pro (mid-2015) where the USB ports keep on connecting/disconnecting when you plug something in. But it happens intermittently.

Any ideas on what could cause this? I've noticed it happen both with plug-in an iPhone or iPad (even when I use the original cables).

I recently had the battery replaced in the MacBook via a product recall. Could Apple have damaged the USB ports when they switched the battery?

I contacted the Apple store and they said they will do a diagnostic. Would a diagnostic pick this problem up, especially because it occurs intermittently? Is the diagnostic same as the Apple Hardware test or something more advanced?

(PS I know I made a tangentially related thread about this, but that was just about an iPhone disconnecting. I have now seen it occur with other devices, so I know the issue is not the iPhone, hence the new thread).

 

[jav6454]

The ports are unrelated to the battery, so I doubt they were damaged. I would go with the diagnostic for now as there is not much else to do as it seems like a hardware fault.

 

[Slartibart]

Which version of MacOS? if you have access to a powered hub - do the problem persist? Do peripheral devices - which exactly? - just disconnect or do the reconnect then again? More details please 🤓

 

[bigsmile01]

Which version of MacOS? if you have access to a powered hub - do the problem persist? Do peripheral devices - which exactly? - just disconnect or do the reconnect then again? More details please 🤓

Thanks! I am using MacOS Monterey (12.5). It happens most commonly with connecting an iPad or iPhone XR. It just connects and reconnects in the finder again and again (and if you look at the iPhone/iPad, the lightning bolt on the charging indicator keeps on appearing and disappearing, which also shows the power from the MacBook is not consistent).

I've also noticed it happens with some USB pen drives, but this is far less common.

I do not have access to a powered hub.

 

[Slartibart]

Try resetting the SMC and NVRam.

If this doesn’t help: connect the iPhone or iPad to your Mac. Open a terminal and type (copy paste from here)

sudo killall -STOP -c usbd

Press return. Type your password. The iPhone/iPad should be listed in the Finder sidebar and connection should be stable and you should nothave any dis/reconnects when charging, transfering data, etc.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Have you ever tried cleaning the ports?

 

[bigsmile01]

Try resetting the SMC and NVRam.

If this doesn’t help: connect the iPhone or iPad to your Mac. Open a terminal and type (copy paste from here)

sudo killall -STOP -c usbd

Press return. Type your password. The iPhone/iPad should be listed in the Finder sidebar and connection should be stable and you should nothave any dis/reconnects when charging, transfering data, etc.

I had tried SMC and NVRam.
However, I had not tried the terminal, so I will give that a try! Thanks!

Have you ever tried cleaning the ports?

I will give that a try too!

 

[paul_bace]

This has become an issues for me now that I want to use a Wacom tablet over the holidays it definitely seems like a power issue.

 

[Herbert6394]

Try resetting the SMC and NVRam.

If this doesn’t help: connect the iPhone or iPad to your Mac. Open a terminal and type (copy paste from here)

sudo killall -STOP -c usbd

Press return. Type your password. The iPhone/iPad should be listed in the Finder sidebar and connection should be stable and you should nothave any dis/reconnects when charging, transfering data, etc.

the terminal trick worked in my case usb is with this trick usable again but every time when I shutdown my mac the error is the same and my USB is connecting and disconnecting til I put Your command in the terminal.
Is this problem a software bug so I can fix it if I restore my OS? or if it's not can I build a routine so it types this command every time when I start my mac.

I wanted to install Windows on my Mac but with this USB Problem it's not possible.

Thanks in common.

 

[ericsvl]

I have EXACTLY the same issue now with my iMac (5k 27inch end 2014 - Big Sure / iPhone XSmac / old iPad Pro) for its usb ports 😱
Have you find any solutions ?
I am afraid this is not a software issue.

 

[Herbert6394]

Problem for me is with this annoying issue it’s not possible to install windows.

But You can try to fix it non permanent with the terminal command.

It fixes the problem til You shut macbook down.

It’s a problem with the usb charging for devices.

I want to try to make new software reset of smc and everything else didn’t help to solve my issue.

It’s in my case on all usb ports of my mbp 13 2015

If it will also not work I will try to follow the lanes for find an issue or cut the USB lanes for charging in hardware if they are separated.

But I can shut it down in command so I hope still it’s prob with software

Hope this will help You

 

[ericsvl]

Hope this will help You

After havng read this : https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...onnecting-and-reconnecting-to-macbook-via-usb

I've tried with another cable, and the issue seems solved. So most probably my cable has too much electrical resistance.

 

[bigsmile01]

I can confirm that the issue is the cables. Apple Lightning Cables don’t seem to last long when it comes to syncing. They last a long time for charging. But with syncing, after a few months they start having this problem (of connecting/reconnecting).

 

[Ed.Schaider]

I have a similar but different version of the problem on a MacBook Pro with an M1-Max CPU.

My external Time Machine drive is periodically disconnected from the MacBook Pro without removing the connecting USB cable. When the disconnect occurs, a dialog box appears on the screen that looks like the attached pic.

When this occurs, I need to run disk first aid to check for and repair any damage to the Time Machine drive’s data structures. If I do not, the disk will become unusable after one or two more disconnects.

I thought the problem may have been USB port related, so I have rotated the Time Machine drive to different ports, however, the problem persists. I have bought new USB cables, and the problem persists. I have bought a new external HD to use with Time Machine, and the problem persists.

I own two identical MacBook Pro laptops with the M1-Max CPU. Both laptops have the identical problem, and I have not been able to find a set of operating conditions on either machine that will cause the problem to occur. The appearance of the problem does not appear to correlate with any particular series of events I can identify.


Thoughts? …