External Drive: Power Surge or Exceeded on Hub Port Message

Description

An error message of Power Surge on Hub Port or USB device has exceeded the power limits of it's hub port is displayed when connecting a USB device to a USB port on a computer or Hub.

Under some computers, USB devices are only allowed to draw a maximum of 500 milliamps (mA) per connection from the USB port on the computer system or from a USB hub. After the release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Operating System (OS), if a device attempts to draw more than this (500 milliamps), a USB port balloon message is displayed to indicate this over current condition. When connecting a USB device that draws power from the USB bus, a very brief over current condition is sometimes detected by the OS, and the warning message is displayed.

Resolution

This message has no affect on the functionality of the USB port. The USB hard drive should still function correctly on the USB port regardless of the error message. For more information, please refer to Answer ID 12455: Cannot Find USB Flash, NAS, External or Internal Drive on Windows or macOS.

To prevent the USB Power Surge Alert message from displaying, please complete the following steps:

Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Double-click on the System and Security Icon.
4. Under the System section, click on Device Manager.
5. Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers by clicking on the arrow to the left-side of it.
6. Right-click on any listing that displays USB Enhanced Host Controller, and select Properties .
7. Click on the Advanced Tab.
8. Check the box that says: Don't tell me about USB errors and click Ok.

Windows XP

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Double-click on the System Icon.
4. Click on the Hardware Tab.
5. Click on the Device Manager button.
6. Click on the + next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers to expand the selection.
7. Right-click and select Properties on any listing that displays USB UNIVERSAL HOST CONTROLLER.
8. Click on the Advanced Tab.
9. Check the box that says: Don't tell me about USB errors.

If using a WD Passport , or WD Elements Portable 2.5" hard drive, please ensure that the computer's USB ports supply at least 650 milliamps through the USB ports. If the USB controller or USB hub is limited to 500 milliamps of power draw, USB 2.0 Power Booster Cable may be needed.