Acomdata 500gb External FW Drive NOT BEING RECOGNIZED!!!

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Acomdata 500gb External FW Drive NOT BEING RECOGNIZED!!!

I have been running an Acomdata 500gb FW External Hard Drive for my data intensive applications such as FCP and it has been working flawlessly for about the last year...

Yesterday I powered up the Mac and turned on the drive along with my external USB drive and the Acomdata drive turns on, lights up, and makes noise like it's working, but it is not being recognized at all by the Mac. I tried unplugging it, switching out the FW cord, changing the FW slot it was being plugged into, and everything else of that nature that I could think of. Of course the USB drive that has non-important work related stuff works just fine :/

So I'm wondering, does anyone think the drive has officially crapped out? It turns on and works so I can't tell. I'm PRAYING this is not the case, but I didn't know if there were any possible FW configuration settings that could have been changed or something like that. Any ideas?

iMac 20" 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iPod 30GB, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Jul 11, 2007 11:23 AM

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Answer 1

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MGW

Level 7

27,041 points

Jul 11, 2007 12:42 PM in response to 30stones

Did you recently update to 10.4.10? Is there another computer that you can plug the external into to see if it's recognized? Have you tried plugging another FW peripheral into your main computer to see if it recognizes it?

Some people have had good results from the following:

1. Downloading and installing the combo updater of the system software update they've just applied via "Software Update...". In your case the update you need is at:

10.4.10 combo updater
2. Another trick is to restart each by zapping the parameter RAM:

Zapping the P-RAM:
After the startup tone, hold down <commandd><option>

<r> until 3 additional startup tones are heard, then release the 4 keys.
3. A 3rd tip would be to do Open Firmware resets on each:
After the startup tone, hold down <command><option><o><f> until the text screen is visible. When text can be entered, type the following commands, followed by the <return> key (there are no space characters in each command):
reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all (the Mac will boot up after this command is entered).
Also, see if anything in this Apple KB article helps:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88338
Please post back with results,
Miriam

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Answer 2

30stones Author

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Jul 11, 2007 1:50 PM in response to MGW

Thanks. I will check the drive on my MacBook when I get home and see if it recognizes it. If so then I will try the P-Ram Zap and the Open Firmware resets.

I'll post results.

THANKS!

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Answer 3

Jul 12, 2007 3:39 AM in response to 30stones

Hi 30stones-

Have you tried it on another machine? Have you tried connecting it to your machine via USB (if possible)?

Sounds like a bad cable or the power supply to the drive may be failing.

Luck-

-DaddyPaycheck

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Answer 4

30stones Author

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Aug 15, 2007 2:47 PM in response to MGW

So I tried everything that you suggested and after no luck with the drive I have determined that it is an issue with the drive itself 😟

Now I am waiting to get a response back from the Acomdata customer service department, which is TERRIBLE. I've filled out customer support requests twice and have had no response both times. (They say they will get back to you within 3 business days...)

Thanks for the suggestions!

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Answer 5

MGW

Level 7

27,041 points

Aug 15, 2007 2:54 PM in response to 30stones

Thanks for posting back, it's important to know what the real problem is. Hope Acomdata is more accommodating than they seems to be at the moment. 🙂

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Answer 6

30stones Author

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Oct 8, 2007 10:00 AM in response to MGW

UPDATE:

Hi, so the problem is still happening. My drive was looked at by Acomdata and the drive is fine so it must be something on the iMac.

I tried the P-Ram zap and I'm wondering if I am doing something wrong. When I do it, the startup tone comes on, then it goes to black and makes another tone (which I am assuming is the P-Ram being zapped) then it fades back up. In one of the responses above it says to wait for 3 tones? I am only hearing one, when I keep holing down <command><option>

<r> the tone will repeat so I waited for 3 tones. I have done this 4 times now and have gotten no results.
I can't get the firmware reset to start are you sure those are the correct keys to hold down at a restart? <command><option><o><r>
Thanks. I really need to get this working now because now I can't connect my video camera to the iMac to import footage...Nothing will connect to FireWire.

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Answer 7

MGW

Level 7

27,041 points

Oct 8, 2007 11:15 AM in response to 30stones

<command><option><o><r>

You should be holding down command Option f. Try that and see if it works for you,

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Answer 8

Oct 8, 2007 12:35 PM in response to 30stones

Hi 30stones

When the company looked at the drive did the power supply go with it?

My reason for asking is that an awful lot of power supplies fail and cause problems like this. If the supply did not go with the drive I would still suspect the power supply brick.

Luck-

-DaddyPaycheck

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Answer 9

30stones Author

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Oct 8, 2007 2:53 PM in response to DaddyPaycheck

Hi, yeah the power supply went with it. The drive powered up, turned on, made noise as usual and the light came on, but the iMac would not recognize it. I hit the message boards hard with this problem and finally came to the conclusion that it was the drive so I sent it to them for service.

Now, NOTHING will connect via firewire so I am thinking the actual firewire ports on the imac are damaged. My USB ports are fine but there is no response at all via firewire...

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Answer 10

MGW

Level 7

27,041 points

Oct 8, 2007 3:03 PM in response to 30stones

Try this:

1. Downloading and installing the combo updater of the system software update

2. Another trick is to restart each by zapping the parameter RAM:

Zapping the P-RAM:
After the startup tone, hold down <commandd><option>

<r> until 3 additional startup tones are heard, then release the 4 keys.
3. A 3rd tip would be to do Open Firmware resets on each:
After the startup tone, hold down <command><option><o><f> until the text screen is visible. When text can be entered, type the following commands, followed by the <return> key (there are no space characters in each command):
reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all (the Mac will boot up after this command is entered)

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Answer 11

30stones Author

Level 1

50 points

Oct 8, 2007 8:15 PM in response to MGW

OK, so I just did EXACTLY as you said. Downloaded the update, then had to restart the computer to install, then i did the PRAM zap.

Should the 3 tones be like ding ding ding right in a row? Because only 1 tone sounds, then it fades back to black then lights back up sounds again and fades to black, etc.

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Answer 12

30stones Author

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Oct 9, 2007 12:00 AM in response to 30stones

The volume will now not work on the iMac after the last P-Ram zap attempt. I can't raise it or lower it. Is this related to all of this?

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Answer 13

MGW

Level 7

27,041 points

Oct 11, 2007 7:36 PM in response to 30stones

Are you sure that you have the F key enabled? Have you rebooted? Do you have one of the new aluminum keyboards?

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Answer 14

30stones Author

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Oct 18, 2007 4:32 PM in response to MGW

OK so after trying everything and still no luck I took the iMac to the Apple store and the the FireWire ports were fried so they replaced them and now everything works. Thanks for all your help!

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Answer 15

MGW

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27,041 points

Oct 18, 2007 5:17 PM in response to 30stones

Thanks for posting back, and hope everything is ok from now on,

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