3 intermittent USB ports on G5

In my G5 dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC with two internal HDDs and 2.5 GHz RAM, a ScanDisk ImageMate 8 in 1, works intermittently. Usually it is not recognized. Two ways to get it recognized are to unplug and re-plug in the USB cable. Doesn't matter which USB port I use. The other way is to restart G5 until it is recognized.

I have a similar problem with my GretagMcBeth i1Pro spectrophotometer, though it is recognized more often than the ScanDisk ImageMate 8 in 1. Even the keyboard is occasionally not recognized, and I must push the button on the front of the G5 to restart.

The logic board has been replaced by TD Curran in Bellingham, WA, where I purchased this PowerPC G5. No change in behavior of G5. Still has the problem.

I have tried 10.3.9 as well as 10.4.1. Still incorrect behavior. I have been told by Applecare to remove the additional non Apple RAM. Still incorrect behavior. Applecare has told me to remove anything that would not be native to the G5 when it was delivered from the factory.

Applecare has, I guess, exhausted there efforts.

Applecare, if you are reading this, please help!

It seems fruitless to get a replacement computer exactly like the one I purchased, but his is what I want.

I have wondered if the power supply is the culprit, since the USB ports need power to drive these devices.

I have only had this computer about five weeks, and I just believe strongly a Mac is to run, out of the box, perfectly. The previous G4, and two G3's never had any problems out of the box. And, the iMac G5 seems to run perfectly.

Comments and suggestions, please.

My ScanDisk ImageMate 8 in 1 card reader works flawlessly in these three Macs: G5 iMac, G3 blue and white, and G3 Powerbook, 3 months short of FW. (this PowerBook will not accept 10.4.1)

Cheers

David

I've asked the same question, and not got an answer.

I suspect it's actually a software problem. My G5 will rarely recognise any device plugged into the USB ports without a reboot.

If it was windows, I'd just do a hardware scan, but I don't know how to get the Mac to do that - besides which it sees the devices in profiler, it just doesn't mount them.

So, when I connect my Ipod or a memory stick reader, I normally have to reboot. That strongly suggests it isn't a hardware porblem.

The underlying USB service is probably being killed, check in your logs to see what is causing that (usually it is an unsupported USB device that causes it). When you reboot the USB service is restarted.

I'm not sure how to restart the USB service without rebooting the OS though.

Amen-Moses

btw, I did a complete clean re-install of Tiger on my twin-G5 and it cured all sorts of weird behaviour, i.e I re-formatted the HDs and cleared the PRAM before installing Tiger, as well as improving the performance quite dramatically.

Amen-Moses

Regarding the Imagemate 8-in-1, I believe it is a driver problem. I have the same problems in my iMac G5. For my iMac to recognize the reader, I would need to reconnect the USB or restart my Mac. Even Sandisk's website doesn't have a driver for Mac OS X. neye:

Seems to be a problem.

This is with an Ipod shuffle - which I'd have thought should be recognised, a thumbdrive, a Sony memory stick reader and an Epson USB printer.

My probems come trying to hot swap things, and in the case of the shuffle, if I eject it it rarely sees it when I plug it back in.

Thanks Amen-Moses for the suggestions - I don't see anything obvious in the logs, but I'll do some Googling see if I can get info onn the USB service.