I recently upgraded to a Surface Pro 8 for work, and I’m using a USB-C dock to connect my monitor, keyboard, and an external SSD. The dock is powered, and everything works fine most of the time, but whenever I plug in my external 2.5" HDD (which needs a bit more power), the whole system freezes and I have to force reboot. I’ve tried different USB-C cables and ports on the dock, and even swapped the dock for a similar model from another brand, but the problem persists. Interestingly, if I plug the external drive directly into the Surface’s port (bypassing the dock), it works fine. I want to keep using the dock to avoid cable mess but also need the external drive connected reliably. Has anyone else experienced power-related freezes with a USB-C dock on a Surface? Are there known dock models that handle higher power draw better, or should I consider a separate powered USB hub just for the drive? Any suggestions on troubleshooting or specific hardware that works well in this setup?

On 02/15/2026 at 2:05 AM, TechGuru42 said:

I recently upgraded to a Surface Pro 8 for work, and I’m using a USB-C dock to connect my monitor, keyboard, and an external SSD. The dock is powered, and everything works fine most of the time, but whenever I plug in my external 2.5" HDD (which needs a bit more power), the whole system freezes and I have to force reboot. I’ve tried different USB-C cables and ports on the dock, and even swapped the dock for a similar model from another brand, but the problem persists. Interestingly, if I plug the external drive directly into the Surface’s port (bypassing the dock), it works fine. I want to keep using the dock to avoid cable mess but also need the external drive connected reliably. Has anyone else experienced power-related freezes with a USB-C dock on a Surface? Are there known dock models that handle higher power draw better, or should I consider a separate powered USB hub just for the drive? Any suggestions on troubleshooting or specific hardware that works well in this setup?

That freeze when plugging in the 2.5" HDD definitely sounds like a power delivery hiccup through the dock. Even if the dock is powered, some docks don’t handle the sudden power surge from spinning up a mechanical drive well, especially if the dock’s power supply isn’t beefy enough or if the dock’s USB controller can’t negotiate power properly.

Since you mentioned the drive works fine directly on the Surface, a powered USB hub dedicated just to that HDD might be your best bet. It’ll isolate the power draw from the dock and prevent the whole system from freezing. I’ve had luck with Anker’s powered hubs for similar setups. Also, double-check if your dock’s firmware is up to date - sometimes manufacturers release fixes for power management bugs.

One last thing: some Surface docks are optimized mainly for peripherals like monitors and keyboards, not high-draw drives. So if you want to keep cable clutter down, a small powered