Forums | MacLife

Crotaline · 2005-02-03 10:53 am

I recently had some problems with my upgrade processor card crapping out on me. I was also having on again/off again problems with my Firewire.

I replace my original processor and wiped everythihg, and it runs smooth, but without firewire. Is there anything I can do to get it working again?

I have tried Disk utility, Techtool Pro and also fsking the disk and open-firmware (reset-nvram, reset-all) and nothing helps. I do get an interesting error if i do a single-user boot. (Its also listed in the system profile in the LOGS section. )

the error i get says,

Jan 1 01:00:02 localhost kernel: FWOHCI Broken FireWire Phy, aborting AppleFWOHCI start()
Jan 1 01:00:02 localhost kernel: FWOHCI Broken FireWire Phy, aborting AppleFWOHCI start()

Any ideas? I bought a firewire pci card to use, but it was not built for my G4 (even though it said PCI and OSX and all that. I guess its my bad for not knowing EXACTLY which PCI slot i have... but really...)
so now I have an unwanted 80 dollar credit at a store that has less than the minimum Mac gear. (There's always the Xbox...)

My system info:

G4 450 AGP graphics.
OS X 10.3.7
Radeon 9000 pro (mac)
1Gb ram

Crotaline · 2006-01-20 3:57 am

I'm still having this problem if anyone has any ideas out there. NOW though, when I do a single-user startup, it shows as working, but it does not see any of my firewire externals. (iSight, CDburner, HD... nothing.)

so now the kernel looks to be loading correctly, but it stops there. The port is getting power, (The iSight lights up, then shuts itself down in 3-4 seconds.)

Anyone???

ckm · 2006-01-20 6:08 am

I'd get a new FireWire PCI card, myself. It seems as if the built-in FireWire bus is shot. Unfortunately, as you discovered, not all FireWire PCI cards are Mac compatible (I don't know why...it boggles the mind, being an Apple technology and all).

I'd check an online source like OWC...use their upgrade matrix and get a card that you know will work. Shouldn't be any more than about $20.

Of course, having a shot FireWire bus is going to kill the resell value of that G4, so if you're thinking about getting rid of it anytime in the near future, you may be better off just parting it out (you'll get more for it that way).

Good luck to you!

SicMX · 2006-01-20 6:09 am

I have 2 firewire ports and none of them work anymore. (thank god for Firewire800) And when i took my mac to Apple Service they told me both of them have fried and are dead. If i would like to fix the problem i'd have to buy a new motherboard or just get a PCI card with some firewire slots. They told me might have happened cause i had way too much stuff electrically connected to the socket and then i plugged everything on at once an the firewires died.

Crotaline · 2006-01-20 6:57 am

Yeah, i figured as much. I wasn't thinking of reselling at this point. Maybe donating it to my nephew or something.

I looked into a PCI card, but the one apple store in town, didn't have any in stock, and Munich isn't known for its Apple-friendliness. (Although it is getting better.)

It just kills me that I no longer get the error messagfe, my firewire ports load (and show up in the system profiler, they did not earlier.) and i know the drives work when i hook them to my wife's iMac.

I thought there was some error, or maybe a fix, but ...

>sigh<

At least i can use it as a server for my iNeeds. I pugraded my videocard, and te processor, but then the processor fried itself, and now Im back to the original 450. I would upgrade it to a faster processor again, but seeing as it would cost the same as a new mac mini, i doubt I will go there.

Thanks for the replies.

fizzwinkus · 2006-01-20 9:06 am

if memory serves, the phy chip is affected by hot swapping devices, ie plugging and unplugging things while the wire has current. to minimize phy chip shocks, turn off firewire devices before connecting of disconnecting them and turn them on after the connection has been made.

knobtwirler · 2006-01-20 10:27 am

fizzwinkus wrote:
if memory serves, the phy chip is affected by hot swapping devices, ie plugging and unplugging things while the wire has current. to minimize phy chip shocks, turn off firewire devices before connecting of disconnecting them and turn them on after the connection has been made.

That's great advice, since people never know the correct answer to that question of whether hot plugging is ok or not, and why.

fizzwinkus · 2006-01-20 11:28 am

it can be kind of a crap shoot as to whether you are affecting the phy chip, a mix between engineering, luck, and probably how you literally connect and disconnect devices. some people have been swapping hot devices for years and never had problems. of course the safest course of action is to do what i described above.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2005-02-03 10:53 am

Firewire troubles

#2 2006-01-20 3:57 am

Re: Firewire troubles

#3 2006-01-20 6:08 am

Re: Firewire troubles

#4 2006-01-20 6:09 am

Re: Firewire troubles

#5 2006-01-20 6:57 am

Re: Firewire troubles

#6 2006-01-20 9:06 am

Re: Firewire troubles

#7 2006-01-20 10:27 am

Re: Firewire troubles

fizzwinkus wrote:

#8 2006-01-20 11:28 am

Re: Firewire troubles

Board footer