Q: Anyone else having problems with external disks unmounting randomly/suddenly on Mavericks?

In case anyone else has not figured this out, I just did. I use a 13 port powered USB hub which I plug my 4 USB drives into. I also had a number of small items plugged into this USB hub. What I did not know is that my smaller items were causing the problem and might be causing yours as well.

Go to your Apple Menu and click About This Mac, then launch the More info button and then System Report then look down the left hand hardware pane and click on USB. In the main lower window scroll down and see if any of your USB devices in the hub show needing and using 500ma. If they are, you need to remove that device from your HUB and plug it directly into the iMac's USB port.

I have an external DVD writer, a small memory card reader and my iPhone. I had each one plugged into the HUB, the problemis each one needs the full 500ma that a single iMac USB port puts out. Once I moved each item to their own port and the iMac and used the 4th port for the HUB which has external power and only needs 94ma, my drives stopped ejecting on their own.

Its not a faulty Hard drive.....I installed windows 7 on my mac through Boot Camp. And with Windows the Drive has not disconnected once. When I switched back to OSx, it happened on the first sleep.

I am starting to regret changing to OSx, Windows have realy become the more stable OS. OSx has just gotton worse with every update.

Why dont we get any Apple rep. responding on what I've seen as quite a common and frustrating issue.

So.. just throwing my experience in there.  I just barley switch over to Mac after being life long PC guy... and my issues are pretty frustrating for sure. So... my issue is that i cant really Eject any USB drives in any "normal" fashion.  Once i close/quit all open finder windows, then i can use the disk utility to eject the device, but that still only works 50% of the time. Most of the time i just have to remove the USB 3.0 device and get the error message and hope i didnt break anything. So... the other crazy thing is that the transfer speeds seem WAYYYYYYY slow. This is especially REALLY noticable if i am trying to move/copy a large NUMBER of files with diffenernt names i.e.  transefering 100 photos taken from a camera whre they are sequential named (dsc1001.jpg -  dsc1002.jpg etc).   So yea... less than thrilled.  If anyone has ideas on increasing the file transfer speed would be all ears   also fyi, if im just transfering one Large file i.e. movie... it seems very quick, its just when doing large ammont off files.  Thanks

This is getting irritating..... I am attempting to extract data from a clients Hard Drive (extracted from a 2008 17" MPB) and I am getting the same error....

this is how I have it connected:

My 2012 Retina 15" MBP > 4 port USB hub

Connected to the USB hub Clients internal 750GB 2.5 Hard Drive and 1TB drive (both 2.5 sata)

When attempting to copy information (regardless through finder or CCC or Super Duper) I get two read write errors. First is error code -36 Second is error code -35, then I get finder notifications that both HD's connected to the USB hub "Disk Not Ejected Prpoperly" yet both HD's are in the Finder sidebar and when I click on them it takes about 1 minute and I can read the data again....

Reading other discussions I wonder if it is related to:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5505550?tstart=0

I am beging to think this could be related.

Here is a pic

Thoughts???

Message was edited by: LearnFromLee

Similar issue with a 13,2 iMac (Mavericks) with Thunderbolt attached drives (2 x WD 3TB sata drives in a RocketStor rs5212 dock). Unmount seconds to minutes after mounting. Drives work ok in an old G4 mac via native SATA connection.

15/04/2014 11:16:10.000 am kernel[0]: IOThunderboltSwitch<0xffffff80210d6000>(0x0)::listenerCallback - Thunderbolt HPD packet for route = 0x0 port = 1 unplug = 1

15/04/2014 11:16:10.000 am kernel[0]: Fixing incorrect zfree from zone kalloc.16 to zone kalloc.32

15/04/2014 11:16:16.000 am kernel[0]: IOThunderboltSwitch<0xffffff80210d6000>(0x0)::listenerCallback - Thunderbolt HPD packet for route = 0x0 port = 3 unplug = 0

15/04/2014 11:16:18.000 am kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration begin ]

15/04/2014 11:16:18.000 am kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration end, bridges 15, devices 17 ]

15/04/2014 11:16:40.007 am diskarbitrationd[17]: Synk Engine [70]:48899 not responding.

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk0s2: replay_journal: from: 4595712 to: 5492736 (joffset 0x2bae000)

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk2s2: replay_journal: from: 2187264 to: 2768896 (joffset 0x2bae000)

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk2s2: journal replay done.

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk0s2: journal replay done.

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: hfs: mounted 3TB B on device disk2s2

15/04/2014 11:16:40.000 am kernel[0]: hfs: mounted 3TB G on device disk0s2

15/04/2014 11:16:41.325 am NetAuthSysAgent[1946]: DNSAddressResolver:Resolve CFNetServiceResolveWithTimeout failed

15/04/2014 11:16:41.325 am NetAuthSysAgent[1946]: ERROR: AFP_GetServerInfo - connect failed 64

15/04/2014 11:16:41.857 am fseventsd[50]: requested timestamp is prior to the earliest log file.  setting event-id to zero

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration begin ]

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration end, bridges 13, devices 17 ]

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: no such device.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk2s2: do_jnl_io: strategy err 0x6

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk2s2: write_journal_header: error writing the journal header!

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk0s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk0s2: do_jnl_io: strategy err 0x6

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk0s2: end_transaction: only wrote 0 of 81920 bytes to the journal!

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: hfs: unmount initiated on 3TB G on device disk0s2

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk0s2: close: journal 0xffffff802127c8e0, is invalid.  aborting outstanding transactions

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: disk2s2: media is not present.

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: hfs: unmount initiated on 3TB B on device disk2s2

15/04/2014 11:16:43.000 am kernel[0]: jnl: disk2s2: close: journal 0xffffff802127c740, is invalid.  aborting outstanding transactions

15/04/2014 11:16:43.166 am Finder[562]: CreateWithFileInfo failed to create URL with FSRef, falling back to blank icon.

Okay guys and gals...

some further investigation sent me here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1618

I know this is older info but it relates. I recieved both of these error codes while I was copying from HD to HD

This might help us get closer to solving this.

I'm glad to see that it's not me then with an external harddrive on it's last legs as I was going to order a new external 3TB drive as a replacement!

I've got a 3TB WD My Book Essential drive connection via a USB 3 (SS) cable.

At first I thought the issue was the harddrive being plugged into a littel 4 port USB 2 hub, but even connecting the drive directly into the back of the iMac has the same issues.

I'm running 10.9.2 and the drive randomly unmounts.

The Mac isn't sleeping, I'll be using it then the WD drive goes and I get the eject notification....couple of minutes later it's mounted again.

I've got another external Seagate (USB 2 connected) drive which is used as my backup drive and (so far) I've had no problems with that and it stays connected constant and you forget it's there!

Unfortuantely there's no USB 2 connector on this WD case so I can't try that....I'd need to go buy a USB 2 Sata case which I'm happy to do if it's guaranteed to work.

I've uninstalled ALL WD software so now at a loss as to how to sort this issue out.

Apple still staying quiet I take it?

I can't believe this is still going on...when will this simple issue get resolved Apple!?

So it's been too long, I need a hard drive that stays connected. Does anyone know WHICH external hard drives will NOT have an issue unmounting themselves???

Just an update on my post on the 15th.....

After posting my issue with the drive unmounting I found a few ideas online to try (replacing the cable, removing every usb device and leaving the drive as the only usb device) BUT the one that seems to have worked (I've had no disconnection in over 24 hours) is cooling the drive!!!

The drive doesn't get what I would consider hot (warm maybe!), especially not for an active drive.....BUT sitting a USB fan on top of the drive and blowing cold air into has certainly kept the drive mounted!

Could be a coincidence, as I"m not sure how that would affect the OS?!?!?

Will remove the fan and try and heat the drive up and see if it unmounts....if it does...then it's a case modifcation to keep the drive cool.

Anyone know drives that work?

I just got a new WD My Passport to replace an older 2tb WD external drive.  Same problem-- the disk unmounts after about 15 seconds on my Macbook Pro 5.1 running Mavericks.  Both hard drives work on my iMac running Mavericks.

I've tried both WD and Maxtor and there's no difference in behavior although I'm not seeing drives unmount with the computer awake.  My problem is they unmount at night when the computer is asleep and it doesn't usually happen right away and it only happens roughly 50% of the time.  Problem doesn't happen with firewire--only happens with USB (USB2 or USB3).  I'm using a Macbook Pro 9.1 (2012).

I don't have any root cause analysis, but it "feels" like it's related to app nap and other power-saving features that were added to Mavericks.  The O/S just tends to be more aggresive at shutting stuff down to save power and this could be a glitch related to that.  The fact that you're saying you don't have a problem on an iMac sort of fits that--the OS probably doesn't try to save power as agressively on an iMac.

If my problem were repeatable after 15 seconds, I'd schlep my gear to an Apple store.

Thanks, guess thats not the answer I wanted to hear though. Has anyone had luck reformatting their drive on Mavericks and it working?

Jackattackk wrote:

 

Has anyone had luck reformatting their drive on Mavericks and it working?

Yes.  I was having numerous issues with external drives (HDD, SSD and Thumb) ejecting from both hub and direct connections...as well as the USB ports becoming completely unresponsive.  (No problems with TB ports.)

Per my earlier post two months ago I (Apple) did a complete Mavericks "scrape and pave".  I re-added all apps and content manually and have had no problems with ejects, file transfers, etc. since then.

iMac -  Late 2013 27-inch

OS X 10.9.2

Voyager S3 3.0 USB Dock w/various 1TB and 2TB HDD drives

Voyager S2 2.0 USB Dock 1TB and 2TB HDD drives

NewerTech Mini Stack S2 w/240GB SSD

Satechi 3.0 USB hub

Unitek 3.0 USB hub

Multiple USB 2.0 and 3.0 thumb drives

With respect to transfer rates, keep these two things in mind (from Apple Support Article):

How do I get the best performance from the USB 3 ports?

The first device you plug in will configure the port, so always connect USB 3 capable hubs or devices first.

What happens if I plug in a USB 2 device into the USB 3 port first?

If you plug in a USB 2 hub first, all devices connected or "daisy-chained" to that hub will operate up to the maximum transfer rate of USB 2 speed (480 Mbps)

Hope that helps and best of luck!