5 Ways to Overcome Power Surge On The USB Port

 If you get the error message Power Surge on the USB Port, you don't need to worry. Because this error can be fixed with a few practical fixes.

Power surge on the USB port is one of the rare errors Windows users face. According to the error message itself, the unknown USB device requires more power than the port can provide.

By looking at the error message alone, anyone could assume that one of their peripherals has a problem, but that's rare and most operating systems are to blame. In this article, we'll look at why this error occurs, how to fix it, and, if all else fails, what alternatives we have.

What Is Power Surge On The USB Port Error?

There is a limit to the amount of power or current that a USB port can provide. All USB 2.0 ports can supply 500mA of current, meaning a maximum power output of 2.5W. For USB 3.0 and 3.1, the values are 900mA and 4.5W.

USB devices are designed to work within these limits. However, if you buy cheap headphones that are selling at a very low price, their internal circuitry may not meet those limits. Because of this, it may start to draw more power than the USB port can handle.

If this happens, the Windows operating system detects a potential power surge in one of your USB ports. Then the port will not turn on and you operating system will disable it automatically. Even so, it's possible that a crash has already occurred before the operating system even detects it.

So here's how to fix the power surge on the USB port error in Windows.

How to Overcome Power Surge On The USB Port

1. Find the Peripheral Causing the Problem

Since the OS disables the USB port experiencing a power surge, check if any of your peripherals are automatically disconnected after the error message appears. If you find it, try unplugging it from the connected USB port and see if the problem goes away.

If neither device is disabled by the OS and the message keeps appearing on the bottom right corner of your screen, start unplugging the other peripherals connected to the USB port one by one. If the message stops after unplugging a particular device, that device may be causing the surge.

To confirm that the surge is caused by the device, not the port, plug the same device into another port and see if the error still occurs there. If the surge occurs on other ports as well, then you can be sure that the device is the cause of the problem. You can also plug it into another computer or device just to be sure, but the result will probably be the same.

After checking it, you can unplug the peripheral or replace it with a new one. However, if the problem only persists on one USB port and the error persists even though no device is connected to the computer or one USB port, follow the steps below.

2. Tweak Power Management Settings From USB Controllers

This fix is useful if the error message keeps popping up repeatedly on your computer. By default, the computer can shut down the USB controller if it starts using too much power, preventing errors from appearing on the screen. However, if you have disabled it before, the error message continues to appear on the screen because Windows is unable to disable the port that is causing the power spike.

Therefore, enabling the USB controller settings can help you solve the problem. To do this, follow these steps:

Tweak Power Management Settings From USB Controllers

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button and select Device Manager.

2. Expand the category for Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

3. Right click on the first USB controller driver and select Properties.

4. Navigate to the Power Management tab and check the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power box.

5. Repeat this process for all drivers.

If you enable this setting, Windows will disable the USB port in the event of a power surge. This should prevent the error message from appearing repeatedly. However, that doesn't address the root of the problem. To solve the problem, you have to apply the following fix.

3. Update Or Reinstall USB Controllers Drivers

Out-of-date USB controllers drivers can also be the cause of the Power surge on the USB port error even if you don't have a hardware problem. To rule out this possibility, consider updating the USB controllers drivers. To do this, follow these steps:

Update Or Reinstall USB Controllers Drivers

1. Open Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button in the lower-left corner of the screen.

2. Expand the category for Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

3. Right click on any driver and hit Update driver.

Repeat the same process for all drivers to see if the problem goes away. Alternatively, you can right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device to remove it. After deleting everything, restart and the computer will automatically install the new drivers. If neither of these fixes work, try the next one.

4. Use the USB Troubleshooter Help

Recent releases of Windows don't include a built-in USB troubleshooter. Microsoft used to have a USB troubleshooter on their official website, but that's gone now. In order to download the utility, you have to rely on third-party sources.

Use the USB Troubleshooter Help

You can download it from the official Majorgeeks website by visiting the download troubleshooter page. Once downloaded, click on it, and the troubleshooter will start scanning for USB port problems. On-screen instructions will guide you through the repair process if found.

5. Make Sure the Problem Is Not Hardware Related

If none of the solutions above solve the problem, you should seek computer service from the nearest technician. There may be a short in the motherboard or other connections causing the power surge.

Conclusion

So that's how to deal with Power surge on the USB port. When the problem persists even after applying a fix, and even technicians can't solve it, you can buy a powered USB hub.

Using this, your device will be able to use the power it needs to function, preventing power surges in the USB port. If you are going to buy it, make sure it is well made and comes from a reputable company.