Need Some Intensive/Pro Firewire Help

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Super Producer

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Hi. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and possibly providing the working solution.

The gear in question are as follows:

1) Gateway MX-6959 Laptop; Windows XP Media Center 2005 SP3
2) LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Drive; eSATA 1.5Gbits, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
3) 6 pin firewire with a 4 pin adapter (both brand new)

The issue, as you may have guessed, is that windows does not detect the LaCie external drive from the ieee 1394 port. It does how ever detect it from a USB connection.

Both gateway, and microsoft have claimed that anything plugged into the ieee1394 port would automatically be detected.

I really need all of my usb ports for midi, audio interface, and other components if at all possible, and would strongly prefer to use the 1394 for the external drive!

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?
 
2 thoughts.

1 it is possible to insert a firewire connector upside down. Be sure that this is not the case.
2 check that your ieee1394 device has the driver installed and that it is enabled.

Do you have eSATA? It'll be faster and more reliable.

Paul
 
Paul,

Thank you for responding. It is plugged in correctly, and unfortunately the computer does not have eSATA.

Forgive me because driver updates are like rocket science to me. :facepalm: How can I check that the ieee 1394 device has the driver installed, and enabled? Is the driver supposed to be in windows or on the external hard drive?

It just occurred to me that I never ran the software on this computer that the drive came with, as I have just recently got this laptop. Is that why it isn't working?

I have information on my hard drive from a previous computer, and would rather not reformat the lacie. It seems that the lacie install disk would like to reformat the drive.... lol
 
Well, one way to check is like this:

Right click on My Computer (either from desktop or start menu), and select "Properties".

Click on the "Hardware" tab, then click on "Device Manager".

Look for the firewire or ieee1394 device in the list.

If you see the device listed, but it has a ! next to it, then the device has some problem.

If you see the device listed, but it has a red x next to it, then the device is disabled. You can enable it by double clicking on the device and enabling it at the bottom of the panel.

If you don't see the device listed at all, then it might be disabled in the system BIOS setup. You would need to enter the BIOS set-up at power up, and enable the device.

Check this out, and let us know what you found.

Paul
 
By the way...

I hesitate to ask, but you did attach and activate the power supply, making sure that any leads are properly attached?

Paul
 
lol yes. the power is on.

in device manager it only says:
IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controllers
- then in the sub menu: Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller

I looked at BIOS, but wasn't sure what I was looking for. I didn't see anything relevant in it. It appeared as if the only options regarding an external hard drive were to "boot" from that drive. The BIOS version is PhoenixBIOS 77.12

The computer sees it in the USB port, and the drive is fully operational. The issue is with the 1394 port, software configuration. I am sure of this.

I had this same problem on my last laptop. The 1394 would see an HDV camera, and allow the video to digitize through 1394, but it wouldn't see the hard drive through 1394. That was a dell inspiron e1525. Which the product line thereof apparently had a physical defect preventing any firewire external hard drive; so said the internet.

OK. So. I don't think it's in device manager, and BIOS doesn't seem to show anything. What can we do? If... I absolutely had to I am pretty sure that I could fit all of my stuff onto both of these laptops internal hard drives, and reformat the Lacie, but that is around 160 GB of data, and is going to take days (I would imagine) to transfer it all off...
 
Does any other firewire device work on the firewire port? I ask because the firewire port may be disabled in the networking settings.

Also to continue what Paul said, if using a 4 pin firewire you need a separate power supply for the firewire device as 4 pin firewire does not have power.

Alan.
 
Alan.

Thanks for the reply.

I just got this computer 3 days ago, and only own the external hard drive as far as firewire compatible equipment goes. I have no means (to my knowledge) of owning any other equipment I could test with. Unless maybe I could test by running the firewire between both laptops. I would have to use a 4-pin on both ends, and the other laptop 1394 may be damaged. Additionally that laptop has a very nasty set of viruses in it that even with expert help were unable to be removed. I don't know if it would be a good idea.

It could be a hardware issue with the port, but I would consider that to be very unlikely as the previous owner only used the computer to for e-mail, and word processing. It was given free so she had no hidden agenda regarding selling points.

The Lacie is plugged into the manufacturers ac power supply. Are you guys saying that an additional, and secondary power supply is required to provide sufficient power due to the 4-pin connection?
 
I meant to add:

Also in the network settings from the "Local Area Network Connection" the 1394 is enabled.

However, in windows services I disabled several things: blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-xp-x86-32-bit-service-pack-3-service-configurations/

in the above link. set the services inline with the "tweeked" user settings.

I attempted to "repair" the 1394 in the network config, and it generated the error along the lines of, "TCP/IP not enabled."

TCP/IP is not in my windows services list. There is one potentially relevant program, "TCP/IP BIOS" (i forget the exact name and would have to bring it up.) I enabled this service, and restarted the computer, and the network config still did not detect the Lacie.

I also followed an online "fix" of disabling the 1394 network config, restarting, and enabling it. This also did not work.
 
Super Producer said:
I meant to add:

Also in the network settings from the "Local Area Network Connection" the 1394 is enabled.

However, in windows services I disabled several things: blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-xp-x86-32-bit-service-pack-3-service-configurations/

in the above link. set the services inline with the "tweeked" user settings.

I attempted to "repair" the 1394 in the network config, and it generated the error along the lines of, "TCP/IP not enabled."

TCP/IP is not in my windows services list. There is one potentially relevant program, "TCP/IP BIOS" (i forget the exact name and would have to bring it up.) I enabled this service, and restarted the computer, and the network config still did not detect the Lacie.

I also followed an online "fix" of disabling the 1394 network config, restarting, and enabling it. This also did not work.
Click to expand...

Go to the network connections in control panel > 1934 > general, is the internet protocol (TCP/IP) ticked? If not tick it, if it it is, click on it and then select "properties". Is the obtain ip address and DNS server address ticked as obtain automatically? If not select automatically. Click on Alternate configuration, is the setting Automatic private IP address? if not select it.

This should be the standard settings for it to work, I am looking at a windows XP pro machine at the moment so the wording maybe slightly different on your machine. when you have done all this, plug in the drive, after a few mins right click on the 1394 connection in network connections, you can then see the status, if it's connected, this will tell you if it's connected but not seeing the drive for some reason, unless thats now fixed.

The power supply you have plugged into the drive is the one we are talking about.

Cheers
Alan
 
All of the settings in network connections are set up properly.

The connection status is: connected/400.00Mbps

The drive still does not appear to be detected in windows.
 
Super Producer said:
All of the settings in network connections are set up properly.

The connection status is: connected/400.00Mbps

The drive still does not appear to be detected in windows.
Click to expand...

It had be beat, you said it works with USB, why not use it with USB, an externally powered drive on USB runs pretty fast, thats what I use in my studio for backups and it copies files very quickly. I find drives powered over the USB cable a lot slower. At least with the USB you can recover your files.

You said back somewhere that there was a disc that came with the drive, if you can't find it have a look on the net for a download from Lacie there may be a small driver to make this drive work on firewire that you need to install (in the computer) so that windows recognises the drive.

Cheers
Alan.
 
Have you experimented with the order of power-on? eg drive off. start computer, wait for XP to load, then power on the drive. And the converse.

Also, when the drive is attached and on, does it show up in the device manager?

Paul
 
I have not experimented, but I will.

The reason for "needing" it to be firewire is that the laptop has only 4 usb ports.

They are being used or planning to be used as such:

1) external USB powered cooling fan (mandatory since I am stupid and run 30 + vstplugins on 55 + tracks with side chain, and busing chains (I can't stand it to be disorganized.))
2) fortunately the cooling fan USB has a USB input on it... wireless mouse... (i'll be at my DAW for up 15 hours at a time sometimes; pretty much have to have the mouse; and...)
3) external typing keyboard USB
4) audio interface (looking to purchase in the near future...)
5) MIDI interface for global clock, and external MIDI controllers (already purchased, but not set up yet...)

All 4 USB ports are already full...

I do have a USB hub that if all else fails will give an additional 3 USB 1.0 ports (4 port UBS interface, occupying one port on the laptop.)

The disk with the drive... I am sure I still have it, but I have nooooooo clue as to where it might be lol........

um. would this be the proper program? LaCie is the premier manufacturer of high quality digital storage.
it looks like when it runs it has to reformat the drive??

The device manager shows:

ieee1394 bus host controllers
-sub menu: texas instruments OHIC Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller

human interface devices
-sub menu:
HID-compliant consumer control device
HID-compliant device
USB Human Interface Device
USB Human Interface Device
USB Human Interface Device

Disk Drives:
-sub menu: WDC WD10000BEVS-22LAT0

Computer:
- Sub menu: ACPI Multiprocessor PC

Network Adapters:
- sub menu: 1394 Net Adapter
- sub menu: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
- sub menu: Marvell Yukon 88E8038 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller

Universal Serial Bus Controllers:
- sub menu: .........um this one is quite long so...

there are some for intel, and then some that say USB compsite Device, and USB Root Hub





Could it be that "HID-compliant device" is also the "HID-compliant mouse" listed under "mice and other pointing?"

because if that is the case; I have 3 things plugged into USB ports, but it is showing 4 things plugged in to "human interface devices" listed above.

There a other objects in device manager as well, but none of which seem relevant with the exception of:

PCMCIA Adpaters
PCMCIA and Flash Memory Devices

both of which have a "texas instruments" thing in the sub folder which seems to be associated with 1394 somehow on this computer.

brb. gonna try different start up power configs.
 
I have downloaded, and tried to run the updater mentioned in the PDF. It also doesn't seem to detect the drive. I left it running for, if i had to guess, probably atleast 30 minutes; if not as long as an hour, and it didn't react to the drive.

Also I just now tried starting the laptop with the drive turned off first. After windows loaded I turned it on, and it went undetected.

I had previously restarted windows with the drive already powered on.

:wtf: < had to put this because it made me LoL....... sry
 
At this point, I am thinking that either the port is broken on the computer, or there is a problem with cabling.

It might be worth trying a 6-pin to 4-pin cable (as opposed to cable and adapter).

If you can get access to some other firewire device (a video cam for instance) you could at least verify operation of the firewire port on the laptop.

Other than that, I am pretty much out of ideas. :(

Paul
 
np man. I am out of ideas as well.

I think I might just go with the USB hub for now. I'm gonna have to I guess. Thanks much for your help, and if you ever need help with anything, and if I can i'll try to help u. just lmk.
 
witzendoz said:
Does any other firewire device work on the firewire port? I ask because the firewire port may be disabled in the networking settings.

Also to continue what Paul said, if using a 4 pin firewire you need a separate power supply for the firewire device as 4 pin firewire does not have power.
Click to expand...

The LaCie Quadra drive has a desktop HD built in. It is not bus-powered. I mean, I suppose there's an outside chance that they designed it wrong and there's no voltage supply powering the FireWire PHY in the drive enclosure if you don't plug in a 6-pin cable, but I'd be pretty surprised if they did something that sloppy and non-spec-compliant. :)


Super Producer said:
I have downloaded, and tried to run the updater mentioned in the PDF. It also doesn't seem to detect the drive. I left it running for, if i had to guess, probably atleast 30 minutes; if not as long as an hour, and it didn't react to the drive.
Click to expand...

You might try one of the following hot fixes:

When you try to start a Windows XP SP3-based computer that is connected to an external IEEE 1394 hard disk, the system may stop responding before the logon screen appears
If you have hotfix 885222 applied on a Windows XP SP2-based computer, and then you upgrade to Windows XP SP3, an installed 1394b FireWire device reverts from S400 speed to S100
IEEE 1394-compliant storage devices that are connected to an OHCI host controller are not displayed on a Windows XP-based computer

but I have no idea if any of them will help.
 
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