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Level 1

5 points

WiFi Disable = Hard Lockup!!

Hello,
Could anyone else please confirm that disabling WiFi under XP/Boot Camp on a Santa Rosa Macbook Pro causes a hard system lockup?!
I then have to re-boot using "Previously known good configuration" to get back to the desktop.
Its driving me nuts as the Wireless card seems to conflict with the Firewire bus (disrupting Firewire audio), plus also I'd like to be able to extend battery life, be able to run XP/Boot Camp on flights etc.

Thanks for your time guys.

Macbook Pro 15" 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Dec 2, 2007 9:32 PM

170 replies

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 9, 2008 9:59 AM in response to maybeapreacher

Great stuff Thomas. See if this issue pins down your problem and report back if you can!

rjaudio

Level 1

0 points

Jan 9, 2008 10:05 AM in response to maybeapreacher

Hi Guys,

This is all very interesting. We all seem to have slightly different variations on the same problem. In my case, my machine (for now) is "lock-up" free as long as I do not start up or restart with the wifi disabled. Once I'm up and running I can disable and enable as many times as I like without any problem. I just need to remember to enable before I shut down or restart. Does anyone else have this specific issue??

Thanks again. Hopefully we can solve this once and for all.

Jan 10, 2008 11:40 PM in response to Gr8h8m

hallo again. just to update, I haven't had any lock-up problems since last time. all pretty stable for the time being...

Jan 11, 2008 2:09 AM in response to alpha4321

Me neither since I have re-activated the wifi all time.
So I let it like this.

😝

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 11, 2008 3:53 AM in response to rjaudio

Hey who marked this problem as "solved"?
For the avoidance of doubt - AS OF 11th Jan 2008 THIS IS NOT SOLVED!
Thx.

Jan 11, 2008 3:59 AM in response to Gr8h8m

THIS IS NOT SOLVED !

Keeping the wifi turned on is just a STUPID workaround.

THIS IS NOT SOLVED !

Jan 12, 2008 2:12 AM in response to alpha4321

f.y.i. still enabling disabling wifi and seems to be working ok... for now

& I did NOT mark this problem as 'solved'.

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 13, 2008 9:04 AM in response to alpha4321

Hey there - just about to check that WPA hotfix. Good news that you seem to be ok -
further suggests that its a solely a Santa Rosa issue (Nvidia graphics).

Vedekito

Level 1

0 points

Jan 13, 2008 12:47 PM in response to Gr8h8m

WPA hotfix seems to work for me!!!

Thanka!!!

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 13, 2008 1:59 PM in response to Vedekito

As a consequence of trying to resolve this issue, a while back I installed the Beta of XP Service Pack 3.
This includes newer versions of the core files involved in this Hotfix (which dates from way back in 2005). Trying to install this Hotfix gives me a message that "It is not necessary as your service pack files are more recent".

This does NOT solve the lock-up problem for me.

Ok - just to be sure:

Vedekito,

Can you confirm,
1). You're running Windows XP Service Pack 2?
2). You have a Santa Rosa Mac Book Pro with nVidia graphics?
3). That you have onboard Atheros AR5008 WLAN, and Texas Instruments Firewire? (you can find all this out from the device manager within XP).
4). Which Atheros drivers you're using?

Many thanks.

Vedekito

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2008 12:42 AM in response to Gr8h8m

Yesterday, I found this thread looking for my problem. I installed the HotFiz mentioned and I disabled my WIFI withouth any lookup (also 1394, cable network and Bluetooth). I restarted Windows and no problem.

I have a SantaRosa MacBook bought in late october 2007 with NVidia 8600. I haven't my laptop at work, at night I'll see my Atheros version.

Greetings!!!

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 14, 2008 2:33 AM in response to Vedekito

Very interesting. One thing I'll be interested in is your Firewire chipset, (which is why I asked) as I know Apple have recently changed over from a TI to Aegere chipset (which is currently causing its own problems within the Pro Audio world.) - just trying to do as much detective work as possible!
One last thing - are you just disabling the radio from within the driver dialog in device manager, or actually disabling the whole card? Just to be sure! 🙂 And if so, you're ok to boot XP with the card disabled completely? You'd be the first I've heard of that can do that with the Santa Rosa MBPs, so it'd give me hope!
Cheers.

Vedekito

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2008 2:43 AM in response to Gr8h8m

I'm at work, and I've no my laptop here. I will see it at night (I'm writing you from Spain).

I've disabled whole card (from the Network Settings, right-click on WIFI and Disable). And after it, I rebooted Windows normally (still was disabled my WIFI).

😉

Vedekito

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2008 2:09 PM in response to Gr8h8m

Yes, I can confirm I've:
-Atheros AR5008 WLAN (6.0.3.94 Drivers)
-Texas Instruments 1394
-Windows XP Pro SP2
-Santa Rosa with nVidia Graphics

I can confirm this via Windows Device Manager and with Everest.

Greetings!!!

Gr8h8m Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 15, 2008 1:06 AM in response to Vedekito

Very interesting. I wonder what else is different about your set-up to everyone else's? Unfortunately the WPA hotfix does nothing for me. 😟

WiFi Disable = Hard Lockup!!