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iPhabio Author

Level 1

11 points

Disk not ejected properly

Hi I'm having this issue since I upgraded to Mavericks where almost every time I put my computers to sleep I get the "Disk not ejected propoerly" message and every disk but the system one is not mounted and cannot be found by Disk Utility.

I have a Mac Mini late 2009 and a Macbook Pro 15 mid 2009 and I'm having this issue in both machines. Never had any issues before in any of my machines, not in Leopard, Snow Leopard or Lion.

On my Mini I have two external USB drives and on my MBP I have a SSD, where the system is installed, and a HD (I replaced my optical drive with a bay to install the extra disk).

I researched the issue and found a couple of threads where people sugested to buy a 3rd party app that would unmount the disks at sleep and remount them at wake, but I think this shouldn't be a issue, since it never happened with any version of OSX I had used before.

Is anybody else having this issue as well? Is there any word from Apple on this subject? Can I hope for a fix?

Thanks

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 28, 2013 9:55 AM

Top-ranking reply

Robster50

Level 1

40 points

Posted on Jan 25, 2014 12:05 AM

Hi All

I am not sure if the fix I am about to relay will work for everyone here BUT it has certainly worked for me!

I have a new MBPr which I migrated from my old MBPr and immeadiatly started to get the problems described in this forum.

I have investigaed most of the solutions suggested here and elsewhere without any success, I did install Jettison but while this masked the problem it actually stopped most of my backups working!

So I called Apple support and pushed it very hard until I had a Teir 2 person on the line and she was incredibly helpful, supportive and instisted she woudl ge the problem fixed and she delivered.

She pinned the problem down to the migration from the older machine/prefs corruption.

I will try and record here exactly what we did.

Instructions

1. Pull out your ethernet cable and disable WiFi and any other network connectivity you have.

2. Open Finder, go to your computer and then select you Macintosh HD (or whatever you have renamed it).

3. Go to Macintosh HD - Library - Preferences

4. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the list and you ewill see a folder called SystemConfiguration

5. Pull this folder onto the desktop.

6. Go to System Preferences - Sharing and change the name of your computer, even just a litlle bit.

7. Reboot

8. Re-enable Wifi and Ethernet

9. If you have installed Jettison, remove it and remove it from your start up items.

You shoudl be good to go.

My machine was constantly ejecting my USB drive, even if left for onnly 10-15 minutes, since doing this I have not had one single ejection and I am into 48 plus hours of run time.

If you like what Jettison does but don't want to eject the disks everytime your computer sleeps and it will!, then try UnDock from the Mac App store.

Very similar functionality BUT it is a manual process.

In my case if I am going to be going out I will simply use the key combo I hae seletced Ctrl-Alt-Command plus U and all my external devices undock.

I really hope this helps one or more you you guys.

Robin

View in context

493 replies

Feb 1, 2014 3:25 AM in response to iPhabio

I plugged my USB3 docking station in straight into my 2013 iMac after removing the system config folder and I still have the problem. Each time my screen goes to sleep the disks are ejected.

Using Mavericks... the docking station is FINE when using USB2 cable

Feb 2, 2014 12:36 AM in response to Robster50

I have now done some additional checking.

If my USB drive is plugged into my Thunderbolt display or directly into my MBP it works fine now when sleeping.

If plugged into cheap USB 3 hub, it gets ejected when sleeping.

If plugged into another more expensive USB3 hub I have it works perfectly and doe snot get ejected when the computer sleeps.

From my perspective I now have a fully working system thet performs as expected.

It does seemthat some USB 3 hubs are 'problomatic'!

It is a shame the solution I posted is not working for everone!

cjjunior

Level 1

0 points

Feb 9, 2014 3:16 PM in response to cjjunior

I am using a Seagate external hard drive for Time Machine on an iMac that has Mavericks installed. After setting up Time Machine on the hard drive, I renamed the drive. That's when I started noticing the disk ejection problems.

I followed Robster50's suggestion and also went to system preferences and clicked "select disk...". Here, I selected the renamed disk to use for Time Machine.

Since doing these 2 things, I have not had the problem anymore.

JanetH51

Level 1

4 points

Feb 15, 2014 2:07 AM in response to Robster50

Hi Robin,

I have just checked in MacintoshHD-Library-, and there is no new System Configuration Folder there, I still have the one I moved on my desktop should I put it back.

Thanks

Jan

PS 30 mins and the disk has not ejected yet....yay

Feb 16, 2014 10:20 PM in response to JanetH51

Hi Janet

It is strange if the folder has not been replaced after a reboot!

Personally I woudl compress the file on the desktop and then put that file away somewhere safe for a few days longer but I would certainly delete the file from the desktop.

With regards to renaming once you have done all the above I do not see any issune in renaming the Mac!

All the best.

Robin

Podstar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 17, 2014 11:17 AM in response to iPhabio

I emailed OWC about this problem and they said it was caused by the power going off to the drive when it

goes to sleep. And that I should unmount the drive before putting my iMac to sleep. I will try this but it seems

to be a lot of trouble but I guess if TimeMachine is going to work that's what I will have to do. I wonder if an

external power supply to the drive would stop the problem of the drive not ejecting properly?

JanetH51

Level 1

4 points

Feb 17, 2014 3:13 PM in response to Robster50

Padstar that would not have helped me as I was having the problem all day long even while working.

I followed Robins instructions, and I have had no further problems, even when putting the computer to sleep.

Thankyou so Much.

Podstar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 17, 2014 3:54 PM in response to iPhabio

I tried the unmounting the drive before putting the computer to sleep and then remounting the drive after

awaking the computer and it worked. But that's a lot of typing when I could just unplug the usb cable and

then plug it back in again. I think I will try the external power adapter and see it that will solve the problem.

If not I will try Robins method.

John

JanetH51

Level 1

4 points

Feb 17, 2014 4:19 PM in response to JanetH51

FYI.

I did zip the sys config file and moved it, then I decided to put the old file back in it's original place.

I immediately got the disk not ejected message, so I repeated the process of moving and renaming (back to my first name) and rebooting. This time the Sys Config was recreated, and all is working well. I will wait a couple of days and then delete the old Sys files.

Once again many thanks.

Feb 18, 2014 12:10 AM in response to Podstar

Don't try the external power suggestion, go straight for mine.

I don't think external power makes any difference, the computer is ejecting the drive when it sleeps, not the power affecting the drive, at least from what I understand.

Since doing the fix I outlined, which was given to me by Apple support, I have not had a single ejection apart from when I used a cheap USB hub, that also had a similar symptom, even though it was a powered hub!

I have tried now with my drive connected the USB of my Thunderbolt Display, connected to a quality USB hub, connected ot a Thunderbolt hub (caldigital) and directly to my MBP, never had any problems since!

Good luck.

Robin

Podstar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 18, 2014 8:20 AM in response to iPhabio

Ok Robin I tried your method and it seems to work. I will monitor the computer today and write back tonight if

it still is working. Thanks for the help. I'm sure with everbody on this forum working on this we will get it

fixed.🙂

John

Feb 19, 2014 8:57 AM in response to Robster50

Robin,

I just tried the process you outlined. Want to confirm something: when I dragged the SystemConfiguration folder to the desktop, it created a copy of the folder on the desktop—it didn't remove it from the Preferences folder. Is that the expected result?

Feb 25, 2014 11:04 PM in response to s_w_i_t_t_e_r_s

That is a real shame.

Apart from when I was doing some testing, I have not seen this problem since 25th January!

I would strongly encourage anyone who has a support contract/warranty with Apple to contact them to ensure they are fully aware of the issue.

Robin

Podstar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 27, 2014 8:53 AM in response to iPhabio

Well after working for several days I got the dreaded "disk ejected error again". I got an upgrade on OSX

yesterday from Apple. So that may be the cause again. I will go through Robin's process again and see if

it cures the problem again.

John

Podstar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2014 10:02 AM in response to iPhabio

OK Robin's process is working again so far. I think the OSX patch yesterday caused the problem to reappear.

No error messages for 24 hours or so. Computer has been put to sleep several times so hopefully problem

solved. 😀

Disk not ejected properly