not enough USB resources error with the docking station

Anonymous
2015-02-18T16:51:23+00:00

Split from this thread.

Was there ever resolution to this? I've got a surface pro 3 with the microsoft dock and have the same error. No hubs, no usb display ports, just the dock ports and am getting the same error.

I'm in the same boat. Running Surface Pro 3 i5 w/ the docking station. Have a all of my USB devices plugged in directly through the docking station and I get this error on a regular basis (typically when I'm plugging in my USB headset). For a while I though it was my StarTech.com MST hub for my monitors seeing how I hadn't had this problem until I started using it - but that plugs into the Mini Display Port and shouldn't have anything to do with USB resources, correct?

I have a few other strange things that happen on a regular basis. Sometimes I'm unable to even log into my machine seeing how I get a resource error issue and have to fully reboot. Wondering if this is related. Sometimes my graphics driver (suspecting the Startech MST hub as the culprit) comes to a halt and I can't watch anything video related  (even Youtube etc.) as the machine can't handle it. Lastly, I'm frequently battling with constant flickering (that lasts 2-5 seconds) with my two external displays that are connected to the MST hub.

I work for Microsoft and am going to post this thread (and the other one) into our Yammer site to see if I can get any hits.

Surface | Surface Pro | USB-C

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Anonymous
2014-09-11T19:43:42+00:00

Hello VicCooper142,

Thank you for posting to the Microsoft Community. I am sorry for the inconvenience. Rest assured, I am here to help.

Please do try the following:

  • With the Surface connected to the Docking Station and network, unplug the Docking Station from the power outlet, leave it unplugged for 30 seconds to a minute, then plug it back and try to see if you have audio and USB functionality.
  • While the Docking Station is connected to the Surface pro 3, please check for Windows updates one last time,.
  • Do you have the possibility to test a different Surface Pro Docking Station? If you have a Microsoft Store in your area, please try to do so. This is the best way to determine if the issue is indeed with the Docking station or hardware related.

 Additionally, please read the following support article:

If the issue persists after the performing the previous steps, we highly suggest you contact our Technical Support Team for further help and options.

Depending on what is most convenient for you, you can:

  1. Open a service request yourself, using our **Online Service Center**
  2. Contact our Technical Support team**here**

We hope this helps. Please let us know!

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-10-06T11:17:53+00:00

    No, my understanding is this can be fixed by buying a powered USB 3.0 hub. They are not expensive and can be purchased from amazon.

    Nope...

    See this post from Page 2 of the thread:

    "Hello,

    This is Josh at Plugable Technologies. We've been working with Microsoft behind the scenes and rest assured they are aware an issue exists. That being said, when and if we will see a solution is hard to say. We don't have any direct involvement in driver development, but we've been reporting our findings to Microsoft and hopefully they will be able to analyze the data and come up with a solution.

    We're involved mainly because our primary product line is comprised of USB docking stations and hubs and we have run into this issue. (It also helps that we're basically next door neighbors as we're both located in Bellevue, WA).

    At first we suspected it might have been an issue with the firmware on our hub chipsets but after many different test cases we have narrowed this down to what we believe is a driver issue. This issue does not appear to happen on Windows 7 but can eventually be reproduced on the same computer with Windows 8 equipped with an Intel USB 3.0 controller. You just need enough USB devices to make it happen.

    My main workstation is a 128GB Surface Pro 2 and I too have run into this issue many times. I have to be very selective about what devices I have attached. I believe the reason us Surface users see the issue is because almost every device in the Surface Pro 2 is attached through USB. I've also had this issue happen on an older Sony Vaio but far less frequently (less built in USB devices).

    1. Bluetooth
    2. WiFi
    3. Audio
    4. Touch sensor
    5. Gyro sensor
    6. Ambient light sensor
    7. Micro SD reader
    8. Front webcam
    9. Rear webcam

    I'm sure I'm forgetting some other possibilities...

    I currently have the following connected to my Surface:

    • Plugable UD-3900 universal docking station
    • Plugable USB3-HUB4AC1 4 port USB 3.0 hub
    • Plugable PSS-SDH1 hard drive dock with integrated 4 port USB 3.0 hub
    • Two flash drives, keyboard, mouse
    • USB 2.0 external touch screen DisplayLink monitor

    By my count here is the total number of actual devices (including hub chipsets) attached:

    1. DisplayLink DL-3900 chipset - integrated dual video outputs, gigabit Ethernet, & audio controller (UD-3900 dock)
    2. VIA 811+ 4 port USB 3.0 hub (UD-3900 dock)
    3. Terminus 4 port USB 2.0 hub (UD-3900 dock)
    4. VIA 812 B2 USB 3.0 hub (USB3-HUB4AC1 hub)
    5. VIA 812 USB 3.0 hub (PSS-SDH1 dock/hub combo)
    6. ASMedia ASM1051e SATA to USB (PSS-SDH1 dock/hub combo)
    7. Sandisk Extreme 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive
    8. Plugable USB2-OTGTF Micro SD card reader
    9. Keyboard
    10. Mouse
    11. DisplayLink DL-125 chipset (for the additional touch screen display)
    12. Touch screen HID device (for the additional touch screen display)

    Excluding hub chipsets, I only have 8 devices attached externally. If I try to attach just one more device, I get the resources error. It doesn't seem to matter if I attach a USB 2.0 or 3.0 device. It appears to be a total device limit.

    I'm not sure what we've learned here, this is just a lunchtime ramble."

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-10-07T17:36:56+00:00

    Just throwing my hat in the ring here saying this is a huge issue for those who want to "replace their laptop with a Surface"  My MacBook Air had no such issues/limitations I ran into.  I replaced it with my SP3, and bingo, I am to the point I can only plug one extra thing into my USB hub (powered hub) or I get the "Not Enough USB controller resources" error.

    Intel and Microsoft need to get their heads around this...   This is pretty bad for an "enterprise" device.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-10-08T13:04:32+00:00

    I have been able to work around the problem on my Surface Pro 2 by switching devices rather than leaving them plugged in the way I would like to. I have been satisfied with the Surface in every other aspect including service and support. I just don't understand why Microsoft is leaving the issue unanswered while customers are spending extra money buying hubs and replacing devices when there is an obvious problem with the drivers. If they are working on it they should just say were working on it. If it can't be fixed that should just say it can't be fixed. I think they are hoping that there will not be enough people trying to use more that one or two devices at a time to cause a large problem. Now it appears to be even more of a problem with the Surface 3. As much as I love the Surface, my next computer purchase will have to be something other than a Surface if this issue is not fixed in future models. 

    For those that keep saying try a powered hub, The Surface Docks are powered hubs.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-10-09T03:11:59+00:00

    No, my understanding is this can be fixed by buying a powered USB 3.0 hub. They are not expensive and can be purchased from amazon.

    This error has *nothing* to do with power resources.  It has everything to do with the number of internal and external USB devices (including hub & docks), the aggregate number of pipes opened by those devices, and the undocumented limits of the Intel 8-series xHCI (USB 3.0) controller.

    A UEFI hook to disable xHCI would help support additional devices, since the EHCI controller on Intel 8-series doesn't have the same limits.  But you would be limited to USB 2.0 on all ports.  

    There's not really much else Microsoft can do, but maybe to add a 2nd USB controller in the next Surface Pro, or what we all really need is to convince Intel to build a controller with greater device capacity.  This will have to come with Intel Broadwell, since Surface Pro 3 uses the same generation chipset as Surface Pro 2.  It's not surprising it has the same limitations.

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