Author Topic: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.  (Read 24247 times)

diablakis

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Hi!

I have an external Buffalo drive (model HD-HB300U2-EU) and after my update to macos 10.5.7 the drive does not appear on my drive list. The drive works fine on 10.5.6, vista and xp so I can assume some kind of incompatibility between the update and the drive. And it seems like I'm not the only one...

Apple discussion board

 

Oh and something I forgot...my other external drive (newer Maxtor 1tb) works fine after the update....

 

Any ideas? 

Thank you!

Apostolos

Message Edited by diablakis on 05-13-2009 07:33 PM

Jungle

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2009, 05:15:55 AM »
   

Just seen your message after posting a near identical issue. There's stuff appearing now on Apple's forums about this issue so we aren't the only ones to experience it.

 

I'll let you know if I hear anything. 


eddieitman

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2009, 12:57:24 PM »
   

 

Agree my buffalo hd-hb300u2-eu also gone down dont hold my breath for buffalo releasing a firmware fix as these drives are a few years old and like most companys they have our money now stuff you.

Hope to be proved wrong.

 

Applese thread on the buffalo drives has had +17000 hits so a lot of people seem to be affected 

 

Message Edited by eddieitman on 05-15-2009 12:59 PM

Jason

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2009, 01:09:48 PM »

We are aware of it, although we stopped producing this model YEARS before 10.5.7 came out, at least in the US.

 

I will pass this along, although I'm not really certain how this is a problem on our end. 


andyv

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2009, 01:27:44 AM »
   

Jason -

 

I am one those having issues, too. It appears that Buffalo USB-only drives are the ones affected since my Buffalo works on the Firewire 800 connection. My other non-Buffalo USB drives works also.

 

Andy 


Jungle

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2009, 02:21:28 AM »
   

Jason

 

Thank you for your response. Strictly speaking, it may not be Buffalo's problem - my drive was working fine under OS X until I upgraded. That said, given that other drives work OK, I'd be grateful if Buffalo were to at least give this a quick run through to see if there's anything your end.

 

Thanks

 

 


chappers

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2009, 11:56:01 AM »
   

Jason, any insights into a workaround for this problem would be amazing and very greatly recieved I'm sure. Thanks for putting some time and effort into it in advance!

 

Not sure why it's happening since at the end of the day its a plug and play device, and should be mac compatible right?

 

Cheers!

 

 


Jason

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2009, 01:13:57 PM »

Certainly, although the unit is a p&p device.

 

At a guess, I'd say something in the update is sabotaging the USB handshake between the mac and the external HD.

 

EDITED to fix errata.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 05-26-2009 10:12 PM

chappers

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2009, 04:59:08 PM »
   

Thanks for that idea Jason,

 

I'm wondering if you can shed any light on this then perhaps instead being the hard drive expert here. In the mac system profiler the Hard Drive is just showing up as this, but is not accesible:

 

USB2-IDE Bridge:

  Product ID:    0x002a
  Vendor ID:    0x0411  (BUFFALO INC.)
  Version:    1.06
  Serial Number:    000007048F4E
  Speed:    Up to 480 Mb/sec
  Manufacturer:    BUFFALO INC.
  Location ID:    0x24100000
  Current Available (mA):    500
  Current Required (mA):    2

 

So it seems something is being seen but nothings happening, any ideas? Cheers!


MattD

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2009, 06:29:13 PM »
   

"We are aware of it, although we stopped producing this model YEARS before 10.5.7 came out ..."

 

This would seem to fault people with using the Buffalo drives too long. An unusual tact for a company representative to take ... Shouldn't Buffalo be proud of the fact that older drives are still in use, as opposed to being critical of users?

 

" ...it was never stated to be officialy mac compatible"

 

I can't speak for the US, but in Japan they sure as heck were marketed as OSX compatible. My drive is an HD-HB250U2. It said right on the box that it was compatible with OSX. It listed the current version and followed that with an "and up".

 

I suppose users should be grateful that at least Buffalo has acknowledge the problem. To my knowledge Apple has been completely silent. But it certainly isn't pleasing to see users berated for using their drives too long and then being given excuses for why Buffalo won't do anything about it. Other hard drives work. These older models from Buffalo don't. What gives?

 

Ultimately, who cares whose fault it is? Let's see whose customer service is up to finding a solution for those dedicated users who have held on to their drives all these years. 

 

Sigh ... 

Message Edited by MattD on 05-22-2009 07:19 AM

RHB

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2009, 08:02:12 PM »
   

I believe you have mis-represented the facts. I have two USA purchased HD-HB series drives that I use for backups with both my Macs and a Buffalo LinkStation. I still have the original packaging for these drives (HD-HB300U2) and the box clearly says in BOLD PRINT, "Windows and Mac Compatible" with Mac OS Requirements listed as Mac OS 9, Mac OS X.

 

I can't say who (Apple or Buffalo) is at fault at this point, but Buffalo is clearly LYING if they claim these drives were "never stated to be officially mac compatible"

 

I will be happy to offer my original packaging to anyone interested in pursuing a class action suit. 


swalk3r

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2009, 12:55:13 PM »
   Just chiming in to say that I have a Buffalo HD-HB160U2-WR that also is not mounting after updating to 10.5.7.  If Buffalo doesn't fix this or work with Apple to get them to do a fix, and soon, I doubt I will be purchasing any more Buffalo products in the future (for example, a new external drive to replace this one).  I bought this just a little over 2 years ago, and it seems like Buffalo sees our request for a fix like we are asking for repairs to a wheel on a horse-drawn carriage that it is incompatible with OS X 10.5.7.  Perhaps Buffalo needs to look at the cost of fixing this problem as a way of preventing current customers from seeing Buffalo as a company that does not care about the customer once the product is sold.

Narnia

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2009, 08:56:38 PM »
   I have the same problem and I also bought my HD about two years ago in Japan. I agree, Buffalo should be proud that my HD lasted this long especially as I use it for so much. I did buy this HD because it said it was Mac OS compatable. If my HD was not meant to last two years then I will rather buy from a company where they expect their products to last

Colin137

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2009, 09:56:23 PM »

MattD wrote:
   

"We are aware of it, although we stopped producing this model YEARS before 10.5.7 came out ..."

 

Thiswould seem to fault people with using the Buffalo drives too long. Anunusual tact for a company representative to take ... Shouldn't Buffalobe proud of the fact that older drives are still in use, as opposed tobeing critical of users?

 

" ...it was never stated to be officialy mac compatible"

 

Ican't speak for the US, but in Japan they sure as heck were marketed asOSX compatible. My drive is an HD-HB250U2. It said right on the boxthat it was compatible with OSX. It listed the current version andfollowed that with an "and up".

 

I suppose users shouldbe grateful that at least Buffalo has acknowledge the problem. To myknowledge Apple has been completely silent. But it certainly isn'tpleasing to see users berated for using their drives too long and thenbeing given excuses for why Buffalo won't do anything about it. Otherhard drives work. These older models from Buffalo don't. What gives?

 

Ultimately,who cares whose fault it is? Let's see whose customer service is up tofinding a solution for those dedicated users who have held on to theirdrives all these years. 

 

Sigh ... 

Message Edited by MattD on 05-22-2009 07:19 AM

 

Iread no criticism or any sign of Jason "berating" our users. I see asimple statement of facts about when the product was produced.

 

" ...it was never stated to be officialy mac compatible"

 

This statement is false, and I apologize for the confusion. I've edited Jason's post to remove this errata.

 

Theissue itself is still unclear. No one can say for certain that this isa Buffalo issue or an Apple issue alone, and it may be a combination.We only know that the issue started with the 10.5.7 update.  We'veheard of the issues, and have forwarded as much info as we could findto our engineers. As of this moment, there is unfortunately noworkaround that we know of, but if we find one, rest assured it will beposted to this thread ASAP.

MattD

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2009, 07:26:03 AM »
   

I just wanted to add a note here. According to the Apple discussion board in Japan there are now reports of users calling up Buffalo (in Japan) and being told that Buffalo Japan will fix the drive if the users pay for the expense of sending it to them. (Buffalo Japan covers return postage.) This is regardless of whether the device is still under warranty.

 

I understand that Buffalo US and Japan are separate, but the drives are the same, and this should be useful for a comparison. 

 

I myself have not yet verified that Buffalo Japan is indeed doing this. But here is the link to anyone who can read Japanese. (Link) 

 

That link leads to the right page, but wrong message. Here is a link to the first report of this:

https://discussionsjapan.apple.com/message/100502280#100502280

 

Others follow. 

 

 

 

 

Message Edited by MattD on 05-27-2009 07:29 AM