Q: External Hard Drive spontaneously ejecting after upgrade to Snow Leopard

I have resorted to this: I am running a RAID mirroring two 320GB 7200 rpm drives in a sleek raid controller you can find in the link. It uses it's own external power source and it has yet to eject, since it is constantly mirroring the data the ejections can not cause corruption.

It is a bit of an expensive solution depending on how you look at it, all and all with the two drives and the RAID enclosure about $180, but it does prevent me from loosing data which as a developer is simply not an option for me.

Here is a link to this killer rig I am running, drives not included:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250391013544&ssPageName=STRK: MEWNX:IT

Message was edited by: cole7aff

Message was edited by: cole7aff

Similar problem, but the drive is definitely not going to sleep before it ejects. Seems to happen during backups (with TM or using Backup), so the drive is very active when it happens. Did permissions repairs. Got a video ram failure message running Techtool. Disk is plugged directly into iMac USB port (not hub).

Possibly related?: Also getting error 36 message when I try to do a drag and drop backup of iPhoto (indicating a corrupt file, so I've read). Tried rebuilding iPhoto to fix permission issues, etc. Happened really fast, so I'm not sure it worked. Read about using iPhoto Library Manager to rebuild iPhoto library but haven't done it yet. Seems like the error 36 issue may have also caused the disk to eject.

I know these may be unrelated issues, but they seemed to start after I installed Snow Leopard, as some of the other posters.

Looks like most of you are having a problem similar to the one I've been experiencing, which is that the external drive disconnects on a Spotlight error. The particular error that I've seen in the system log is: IndexStore in SIStoreDirytySDBChunks:Error storing dirty sdb

I found this thread which details how to delete a Spotlight index, which is then automatically rebuilt by the system:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6228348#6228348

Probably worth a shot, I've just tried it and haven't experience any disconnects in the past hour.... keeping fingers crossed.

I have 2@2TB, both of which would spontaneously eject after waking from sleep. I eventually solved the problem with help of thorough Apple tech guy.

If your drives have a 3-way power switch (off/on/auto), switch them to auto when the computer is on and the drives are connected. Then just leave them on auto. I haven't had an eject problem since I've been doing this.

Strange.. my Lacie 1tb external works perfectly on my fully up to date MacBook but it gets ejected immediately on my new 27 inch iMac i5.

I have seen lots of instructions that are nonsense really. The problem is simple, when the usb port thinks too much power is being drained it will eject the disk.

I switched to externals that all have external power supplies and have yet to have an ejection since. Until apple releases an update that will allow more power to run through the usb this issue will remain and since they have the bottleneck set so low trying to keep with the "super energy efficient" standards I do not think that is going to happen anytime soon.

It is just like the fan that is set to run quiet and efficiently. Yes it runs quiet and that is because it is set to run at around 1500 rpms but for any developer the temp will shoot up past 180 degrees F so you have to install the fan controller and set your fan to run at 5k-6k rpms just to keep your machine cool. Fans are easily and inexpensively replaceable, burnt out motherboards are not.

Run an external with its own power source, TRUE power source, and it will not eject spontaneously.

That doesn't appear to be case. I've a WD 1TB Elements drive with its own power supply and I get this problem.

Then as I stated, its not a "TRUE external power supply, its using the external power but still relying on a good percentage of the usb port for power.

I have an OWC enclosure with its own power supply that is connected by firewire. Whether I have selected to put hard disks to sleep when possible doesn't seem to matter to me, the end result is the same. When my computer wakes up from sleep, the two drives in the enclosure are ejected in a matter of seconds. Seems weird that we are all having this issue, but Apple has not addressed it.

I was having the same issue with my 1Tb comstar external, I turned on wake for network access and it went away totally, still have sleep disks checked too.

I scanned through this topic hoping to find an answer to my own problem. I have a similar problem with SD card readers that work fine while importing pictures with iPhoto under Leopard, but randomly eject when importing photos with iPhoto under Snow Leopard. I noted several errors in the console log:

1/31/10 7:51:12 PM fseventsd[39] could not open <</Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd/fseventsd-uuid>> (No such file or directory)
1/31/10 7:51:12 PM fseventsd[39] log dir: /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 5C167F38-F227-4E18-A2B7-E01887EB89C5
1/31/10 7:51:37 PM iPhoto[2868] ILLogger ILMediaBrowserPathWatcher: ** Error in ILMediaBrowserPathWatcher startFSEventStream failed to start for paths: (
"/Users/bpw/Library/Preferences"
) **
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:52:14 PM kernel msdosfsfat_uninitvol: error 6 from msdosfsfat_cacheflush
1/31/10 7:52:15 PM fseventsd[39] checkvol_last_modtime:XXX failed to get mount time (25; &mount_time == 0x10033f8b8)
1/31/10 7:52:15 PM fseventsd[39] log dir: /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 4FD7BF0D-42D5-4835-96E9-EA2006E33E7C
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel disk2s1: media is not present.
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel
1/31/10 7:53:04 PM kernel msdosfsfat_uninitvol: error 6 from msdosfsfat_cacheflush
1/31/10 7:53:05 PM fseventsd[39] checkvol_last_modtime:XXX failed to get mount time (25; &mount_time == 0x10033f8b8)
1/31/10 7:53:05 PM fseventsd[39] log dir: /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 30EA11D4-7FFC-4835-8E7B-4A0C89319CB0
1/31/10 7:53:17 PM fseventsd[39] disk logger: failed to open output file /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd/63657336f37c5d33 (No such file or directory). mount point /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd
1/31/10 7:53:17 PM fseventsd[39] failed to unlink old log file /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd/63657336f37c5d33 (No such file or directory)
1/31/10 7:53:17 PM fseventsd[39] unmounting: failed to remove log dir /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd (No such file or directory)
1/31/10 7:53:51 PM fseventsd[39] could not open <</Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd/fseventsd-uuid>> (No such file or directory)
1/31/10 7:53:51 PM fseventsd[39] log dir: /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 11E90ED1-0D08-48B7-9E01-4FBA36028BED
1/31/10 7:55:36 PM fseventsd[39] checkvol_last_modtime:XXX failed to get mount time (25; &mount_time == 0x10033f8b8)
1/31/10 7:55:36 PM fseventsd[39] log dir: /Volumes/NIKON D50/.fseventsd getting new uuid: 5B7BCE8E-CCA3-45E3-91C3-2A07234D7A6A

but these all seem to point to the drive ejecting unexpectedly (which is of course what I'm seeing), so I'm suspecting something in the Snow Leopard USB drivers. I haven't been able to locate any updates to these drivers, but thought about downgrading the Snow Leopard USB drivers to the Leopard drivers. This is pretty intolerable. I tried looking for a firewire SD card reader as the firewire driver seems stable, but the best I could do was a Compact Flash reader. Any thoughts on Apple updating these drivers?

This might have some bearing... I have a Logitech rechargeable mouse that I use all the time. I just put it on charge and plugged my Mighty Mouse into one of the keyboard USB ports to continue using my machine. My iomega external hard drive is plugged into the OTHER keyboard USB port and it suddenly started spontaneously ejecting for no reason. Logitech mouse recharged, Mighty Mouse unplugged from keyboard USB port, NO EJECT! Don't know why but it definitely seems something to do with USB conflict somewhere inside the swine! Hope someone can make some sense out of this drivel!

hiya I bought my first imac 21.5 with snow leopard and set it up with some of my existing pc add ons and a new 1tb drive for time machine .After update to 10.62 have been having probs with drive being ejected and couldnt see a solution.I think I have found the solution.If like me you use one of those power adapters to switch ancillaries off when main pc/imac power is switched off it appears that the adapter senses the dimming of the screen before sleep and clicks which seems to alter the power to the usb on the imac and hence the external drive ejects,at least thats my take on this .I have connected my external drive straight to mains socket and havent had any probs for the last hour .Only thing is I now have to sort out how to isolate the hard drive power to switch it off when I only want the modem and the router live.I dont want to have to remember to manually switch it off if I can help it ...
Maybe none of this applies to you but if it does it may help there are a lot of these adapters in use in the computer world..

All the best anyway....steevee

Not sure about anyone else but upgrading to 10.6.3 seems to have fixed this…at last!

I have a 1 TB Free Agent External Drive with its own power source connected via FireWire 800. I also get ejections on wake from sleep.

This only started happening when I purchased a 27" iMac i5. Never happened on my old 24 inch iMac running SL.