USB cable needed: Dual A to Micro-B USB, can't find online

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Benjip

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#170898 30-Mar-2015 11:59

I have a new Seagate external drive that must be requiring more power than my MacBook Pro (13" Retina) can pump out. When I plug in the hard drive, my Mac gives me a warning that USB has been disabled as the device requires too much power.

I'm thinking an easy solution is to get one of these cables (old school I know) to double the power going to the drive/halve the requirements of each USB port.

Trouble is, I'm having issues finding such a cable online (apart from Amazon with no NZ shipping). Could be that I'm using the wrong search terms.

Any advice from my fellow GZ'ers?

Dynamic

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#1273338 30-Mar-2015 12:06

These were common with USB2 to USB-mini on the other end, but my usual cable supplier does not have these with any other emall end of them.

You are looking for a "USB 3.0 Type Micro B Male", not standard USB-micro. The slim connector pictured is double the width of a normal USB-micro connector.

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geocom

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#1273353 30-Mar-2015 12:22

Can you tell us what the following says

Click on the apple icon in the top left of the screen -> about this mac -> system report -> USB -> Find your external hard drive
Then can you let us know what it says under Current Available(mA) and Current Desired(mA)

USB 3 increased the maximum current allowable. So unless you have ton's of stuff connected. The USB drive should connect or it is faulty or the computers USB port is faulty.

Geoff E

Benjip

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#1273356 30-Mar-2015 12:26

geocom: Can you tell us what the following says

Click on the apple icon in the top left of the screen -> about this mac -> system report -> USB -> Find your external hard drive
Then can you let us know what it says under Current Available(mA) and Current Desired(mA)

USB 3 increased the maximum current allowable. So unless you have ton's of stuff connected. The USB drive should connect or it is faulty or the computers USB port is faulty.

Hmmmmn, interesting. I wasn't even sure it would show up on the list, as the Console Logs make it seem like it's completely rejected. Anyway, this is what is listed:

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 144

So obviously the USB port can put out more than is needed.

geocom

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#1273367 30-Mar-2015 12:48

Benjip:
geocom: Can you tell us what the following says

Click on the apple icon in the top left of the screen -> about this mac -> system report -> USB -> Find your external hard drive
Then can you let us know what it says under Current Available(mA) and Current Desired(mA)

USB 3 increased the maximum current allowable. So unless you have ton's of stuff connected. The USB drive should connect or it is faulty or the computers USB port is faulty.

Hmmmmn, interesting. I wasn't even sure it would show up on the list, as the Console Logs make it seem like it's completely rejected. Anyway, this is what is listed:

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 144

So obviously the USB port can put out more than is needed.

I guess my next questions would be.

Have you tried the USB drive on any other computer?

Have you had any issues on the mac with any other USB hard drives before?

Not sure why the drive would only request such a low amount if it needed more. If I had to take a stab in the dark I would say either its a case that:
Seagate messed up and are requesting too little current(extremely unlikely).
There is a short in the drive that causes the fuse to trip(more likely hence trying it in another computer first)

Geoff E

Benjip

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#1273373 30-Mar-2015 12:54

geocom:

I guess my next questions would be.

Have you tried the USB drive on any other computer?

Have you had any issues on the mac with any other USB hard drives before?

Not sure why the drive would only request such a low amount if it needed more. If I had to take a stab in the dark I would say either its a case that:
Seagate messed up and are requesting too little current(extremely unlikely).
There is a short in the drive that causes the fuse to trip(more likely hence trying it in another computer first)

Thanks, I will try the drive in my flatmate's iMac when she's home. We don't have any PCs in the house but it's not an issue re: format (in fact it's marketed as a Mac drive so is probably already formatted for Mac).

Strangely it also threw errors when plugged into my Time Capsule and when plugged directly into my Vodafone router. Perhaps this points towards it being an issue with the drive itself.

Benjip

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#1273657 30-Mar-2015 19:11

Good news everyone!

Turns out it's just the cable.. I attempted to show my flatmate the error that comes up, to see if it would happen to her as well on her iMac, and magically it worked. Figured out that if I plug the cable in on a certain angle (at the HDD end), it works perfectly.

I had already ordered one of those double USB to Micro-B cables, so will just use that when it arrives.