Article ID: 310591 - Last Review: December 1, 2007 - Revision: 1.6

"USB power exceeded" error message when connecting USB devices

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SYMPTOMS

When you attach a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device, you may receive a "USB hub power exceeded" error message that contains the following text:
The hub does not have enough power available to operate the device driver name. Would you like assistance in solving this problem? If you click No, the device may not function properly.
In addition, the USB device mentioned in the error message does not work properly and the device listing (located in the System properties of the Device Manager properties window for the device) is displayed with the following error message:
A USB device has requested more power than the hub can provide. Windows cannot enable the device. Remove the device and restart your computer.
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CAUSE

This behavior occurs if there are too many USB devices attached to a passive (unpowered) USB hub.
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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, replace the passive USB hub with an active (powered) hub.
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WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, disconnect the affected device from the passive hub and connect it directly to the USB host controller's hub (in the back of the computer).
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REFERENCES

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
885624  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885624/ ) One or more USB devices may not work after you start your Windows XP-based computer
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
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Keywords: 
kberrmsg kbhardware kbprb kbprod2web KB310591
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