There are some circumstances where I would like to switch off power to a USB port, but still allow the port to function as normal.
Is it possible to switch off power to a USB port using software settings?
and…
If power to a USB port is turned off, will it still function as normal (ignore devices and functions that require the power usually supplied through a USB port, e.g. external hard drives, charging of phones)?
[edit]
Nobody seemed to read the "circumstances" link I had in the original post. So here it is as it relates to this question:
If your notebook is low on power, and you require a connection to your phone (e.g. for tethering to the internet), the connection with the lowest possible power use that I can think of is a USB connection, but only if the phone does not draw power to charge itself.
Best Answer
The simple answer is no, if you remove power to that USB port it will not function as a USB port.
Part of the specification is for power, and all devices plugged into a USB port expect power.
What is it you are trying to achieve? That may help us provide an alternative answer you can use without trying to breach the spec.