Enable USB port

[Gudcat]

Flash drive disabled a USB port on my iMac because it took too much power. How do I enable it again?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

A flash drive usually won't require too much power and overload the current draw of a USB port. However, the iMac's ports can get a bit wonky from time to time.

First thing to try is to reset the SMC (System Management Controller) chip.

From Apple's website:

To reset the SMC on Intel-based Mac Pro, iMac, and Mac mini computers, as well as Xserve:

1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

Also, make sure you unplug everything from all ports after step 1. Try that and see if the port resets itself. Let us know the outcome.

C

 

[honestone]

Cory,

You are the man! I never would have known anything about that. Hopefully, the USB ports on my late 2012 Mac Mini and my mid 2013 13" Mac Book Air are immune to that (I have used some flash drives on both machines, and so far, so good).