For about a week, Windows 11 has been repeatedly playing the USB unplug sound. Sometimes it happens every few seconds, while other times there can be 20 minutes between sounds. I previously removed a USB hub because it seemed overloaded and was causing devices to cut out, and I rearranged the connections so the devices appeared stable.
My setup includes keyboard and mouse dongles, a microphone, a webcam, six Nintendo DS capture cards, and occasionally an external capture card for a Nintendo Switch. The DS capture cards are distributed across a USB expansion card, the motherboard's rear USB ports, the top ports, and the front case port. None of the devices visibly disconnect while I'm using them, but Event Viewer and Device Manager refresh so often that it is difficult to identify the problem device.
What is the best way to find out which USB device or port is repeatedly disconnecting? Could the issue still be related to USB power or bandwidth, even though the devices appear to work?
2 Answers
Start by disconnecting everything except the keyboard and mouse, then reconnect the other devices one at a time. That should help identify whether one device, cable, or port is causing the repeated disconnects. Since the setup has several capture cards, a properly powered USB hub or spreading the devices across separate USB controller sections may also help with power limits.
The fact that the devices charge but are not recognized points toward a data-side USB problem rather than just the devices losing power. Try different data-capable cables and ports, especially ports connected to a different USB controller, and test the questionable capture cards individually. Also check whether the hub is powered externally; an unpowered hub can provide enough power for indicator lights while still failing under a busy multi-device setup.
I reconnected everything and all six capture cards initially appeared in the capture software, and the webcam and microphone worked normally. After restarting, two of the DS units stopped being detected even though their charging lights came on. Changing the USB layout and reconnecting them did not help, so they may be receiving power without establishing a data connection.