Mac OS X 10.4.6 Special Report: FireWire problems
Some users have reported an inability to recognize FireWire drives after the update.
MacFixIt reader Jeffrey Lovell writes:
"After updating, I can't find my external FireWire drive."
Another reader reports issues with FireWire-based audio devices.
Randy Knaub writes:
"After updating i am getting flakey behavior with FireWire audio devices with Mac OS X 10.4.6"
Various FireWire issues can be caused by outdated firmware. Run Software Update and make sure there are no firmware updates available for your Mac.
Also, as with previous instances of this issue, some users have reported success with performing a hardware reset that involves holding down the power key for 10 seconds or so while the system is off.
Another fix is to disconnect all FireWire devices from the Mac (and from their external power sources if necessary), shut down the Mac then wait for about 10 minutes. After this period, connect all FireWire devices, turn your Mac back on and check for persistence of the issue
Index:
- Release Notes/Download links
- General purpose workarounds
- List of updated Apple applications
- Update process recommendation
- AirPort network not automatically re-joined after sleep
- Bluetooth: Connectivity issues
- Dock Auto Hide/Show function broken -- fix
- Double restart is expected behavior
- Energy Saver issues -- system will not automatically shut down, etc.
- FireWire problems
- Font issues -- fixes
- Improvements
- iSync Issues -- Issues with hacks for unsupported devices; Sony Ericsson K700i won't synch
- Menu bar items missing
- Networking issues: Problems with proxies
- Photo booth distortion
- Printer issues
- Problems logging in from Windows systems
- Reminder: Have enough free drive space before installing
- Reverting (downgrading) to Mac OS X 10.4.5
- Safari: Image loading problems
- SCSI drives not recognized
- Server volumes cannot be written to -- fixes
- Special permissions messages no longer appear in Disk Utility
- Spotlight issues -- make sure drive is not in Privacy tab
- Startup problems -- will not proceed after update, etc.
- Streaming Audio -- fixes
- Third-party applications: Fix for Photoshop save on crash; Word crashes; more
- Update Installer cannot find destination drive
after updating Combo 10.4.6 I have an undefined behaviour of my LMP Rayo
80G external firewire harddisk connected to my 800MHz G4 iMac.
The harddisk program shows no problems when checking. But when ever I try
to copy several MBs to the drive the copy process just gets stuck at a certain
point. Finally the Finder stalls completely until I unplug the firewire cable.
Any fix already available for this?
Thanks, Steve
success with performing a hardware reset that involves holding down the
power key for 10 seconds or so while the system is off."
Maybe I'm missing something basic... but what keeps the system from just
turning on? My unit doesn't seem to do anything magic if I hold the on
button, it just boots.
You should hear a high-pitched tone, not the usual bong, and then the light on
the front (not sure what system you have) should blink very rapidly about 20
times. That's different from a normal reboot.
--Marc Rochkind
- by May 30, 2006 5:00 PM PDT
- Here's what didn't work and then worked for me:
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(4 Comments)1. Let Applejack do everything it could do on bootup single user -- no help.
2. As Apple and MacFixit both recommended, unplugged everything except
keyboard and mouse, powered down for 10 min. and then held power switch
down on restart (holding power switch down was recommended here, not on
the Apple site) -- that worked!
Now my FireWire drive is recognized.
Note that I have two drives, both Maxtor IIs, and neither worked with FireWire
on two different desktops: iMac G5 and iMac (Intel). Both worked with USB.
That particular combination of facts pretty much rules out the drives, the
cables, and the computers as problems... it could only be the system
software, as both computers were very recently updated.
--Marc Rochkind