Author Topic: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.  (Read 24248 times)

Colin137

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #15 on: May 27, 2009, 05:47:04 PM »
A bit more info: Buffalo is working with Apple to resolve this issue. As I mentioned before, updates will be posted to this thread as they become available.

utopian

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2009, 08:40:26 AM »
   

I wanted to thank all of you guys for discussing this issue. I also happen to own a Buffalo HD-h250u2 and was at a complete loss and shocked at the sudden problem of not being able to access my data on the drive after returning from a business trip. OSX had been updated on my home computer but it wasn't until today that I attempted to access my external hard drive.

 

I look forward to hearing updates on this issue as I (just like all of us) have to access my files.

 


scottgriz

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #17 on: June 03, 2009, 09:01:45 AM »
   

Same problem on my end with a HD-HB2560U2-WR. Worked before 10.5.7 and still works on a 10.5.6 iBook I have.

I'm of the same opinion as others. Buffalo should at least look into this before declaring it "Not our problem". 

Unless we see a fix for this. It will be the last Buffalo product I buy. I already have a Linkstation that died after 2 years of use

and the drive is now in another enclosure. One more failed Buffalo product to add to the checklist will not sit well with me. 

As other have said, Buffalo should be happy to see that users are still using their product that is 2 or more years old. This should be a testament to the quality of their product that they should stand behind it to keep them working for another 2 years.

It's not as if this is a failure due to wear an tear. It's an obvious incompatibility. 

I look forward to seeing a resolution to this matter soon.


eddieitman

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #18 on: June 03, 2009, 02:52:37 PM »
   


Ok so decided that apple where not bothering fixing the issue so i thought i would make a workaround.
My 10.5.6 macbook could see the drive fine so decided to see if i could break 10.5.6 without doing the update to give the same error.
and here is what i found
If i installed the IOUSBMassstorageclass.kextfrom 10.5.7 using b7 kext installer after re-booting the caches would update and once it had re-booted the drive would stop working in the same way as the 10.5.7 update did.
So here is the workaround
get a copy of the IOUSBMassstorageclass.kext from 10.5.6 and back it up to a pendrive then using kext installer install he kext re-boot and buffalo drives will work again.
I dont know if this is a bad thing to do i did not get any panics or kernel errors and everything seemed to go back to normal.
So there you go apple thats the offending issue the kext now get it fixed

 

The file is under \system\library\extensions


Colin137

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #19 on: June 03, 2009, 03:12:10 PM »

scottgriz,

I don't believe we declared that this wasn't our problem. I believe I've explained our take on the issue quite well in a previous post: "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."

 

Furthermore, since the issue happened after Apple updated their operating systems, and from eddieitman's post, we can see that the issue is fixed by rolling back the USB Mass Storage Class driver, it follows logically that this indeed isn't our problem. Regardless of whose fault it actually is, we have been looking and will continue to look into this issue. Your patience is appreciated.

 

eddieitman,

That makes perfect sense to me. The .kext files are kernel extensions, so that file is apparently the USB Mass Storage Class driver. Looks like something changed in that driver between the 10.5.6 and 10.5.7 versions. I had a feeling this was the case, so thanks for confirming it.

 

That workaround is probably beyond many of our users, and may be against Apple's licensing, so we at Buffalo certainly cannot recommend it to our users before clearing it with Apple. However, we obviously can't stop them either :)

 

I'll forward this info up to our corporate office.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 06-03-2009 03:16 PM

scottgriz

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2009, 10:07:53 AM »
   

Colin,

You may not have declared it wasn't your problem, but statements coming from mods like Jason which say "I will pass this along, although I'm not really certain how this is a problem on our end. " make it sound like you are taking that stance. It may not be an official statement, but when a user comes to a forum seeking help, this is seen as a dismissal of their concern.

 

You then go on in this most current message to say, "I don't believe we declared that this wasn't our problem."

Well, a few lines later, you say, "it follows logically that this indeed isn't our problem."


Regardless of who's fault it is, it certainly is Buffalo's problem. I own a Buffalo device. I have complete expectation for it to work on an Apple platform as it promises to be compatible with it. If it does not work, my only recourse is to seek an alternate product. 

Just remember, it puts a bad taste in users mouths when they hear a comment like, "I'm not really certain how this is a problem on our end."

I'm happy to hear that this is now being taken seriously and that it is being looked into.

 


swalk3r

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2009, 11:39:19 AM »
   Could we get some kind of timeline for a resolution to this issue?  I can only go so long without a back-up drive.  If the fix is going to be indefinite for more than another week or so, I will just need to get a new drive.  I assume this is probably true of most of the people facing this issue.  If Buffalo wants to retain any of these customers, they need to tell us when this will be resolved, not just "we're working on it".

mrsanger17

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #22 on: June 07, 2009, 05:30:48 PM »
   I am not adding new info, so I apologize for that.  But I did want to register my identical concerns and get signed up for an email on this.  I use the drive as my backup and would not expect to have to upgrade the hard drive ever few years - and I certainly won't choose a Buffalo again if this matter is not resolved fairly.  I am using the HD-HB250U2 with a pc and a mac.  It is working fine with the pc still, so I know the issue is not with the cable.

a1mixer

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2009, 03:46:02 PM »
   

after reading this thread, i went over to apple and read their thread, which is about 10 times longer. some folks seemed to not have this problem but they didn't mention the model number. i'm wondering if it was only drives which have the usb>ide-ata bridge? i have the usb>sata 1.0t model. has anyone had the problem with this model? some said they disconnected the drive before updating - any info on this? is it related to the "turbo" usb stuff? is the problem with the drive hardware or the bridge hardware? will anybody tell us? and why are they doing the fix only for the japanese owners? there is a fix. is it a part we could install ourselves? would a different case help? i use this drive for time machine backup. it's got half a terabyte of data on it and i have no place else to put it. i want to use 10.5.7 and snow leopard is coming soon.

 

it's no wonder there was a big pile of these on sale at fry's if they were all discontinued. not very good of fry's or buffalo to not let us know that they were old and discontinued. to even get my mac to use this drive i had to find a pc to install a firmware fix (pc only) to keep it from staying asleep. tech support said there would be a mac patch but that was not true. why don't you just send all the mac users a free replacement for all the grief and ill will you are causing? mine said mac compatible. other usb drives continued working after the update - yours didn't.

 

they also said substituting the USB Mass Storage Class driver from 10.5.6 was not a good idea.

 

add me to the group that will never buy buffalo again.

 

 


 

Message Edited by a1mixer on 06-10-2009 04:11 AM
Message Edited by a1mixer on 06-10-2009 04:15 AM

Colin137

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #24 on: June 09, 2009, 09:44:36 PM »

scottgriz,

I'm glad you understand our position, and I agree with your assessment of "Regardless of who's fault it is, it certainly is Buffalo's problem." The problem was introduced by Apple's 10.5.7 update by some change in the USB Mass Storage Class driver, making it mostly "their fault", but as you say, it is our problem to handle, and we are close to making the fix available.

 

 

swalk3r,

As with any software issue, it can be nearly impossible to give an accurate estimate of when it will be resolved. If we gave a release date, it would probably be wrong, thus causing more frustration in our user base. We prefer to leave the issue at "We're working on it" until it has been resolved. I can tell you that we are close to releasing a fix, but I am unsure exactly when that will be.

 

 

a1mixer,

We've seen the issue with the HD-HBU2 series (USB -> IDE) as well as HD-HCU2 series (USB -> SATA) Drivestations. Which model number do you have?

 

The problem is not with the hardware at all, from what we can tell. The drives worked fine until Apple's 10.5.7 update, which apparently changed something in their USB Mass Storage Class driver, which caused the issue. The upcoming fix will install a patched kernel extension that was provided to us from Apple. Put simply, the drives are not defective, Apple's 10.5.7 update came with an incompatible driver. 

 

Regardless of the issue at hand, please edit your post to remove your impolite wordings and harassing tone, or it will be removed.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 06-09-2009 09:49 PM

a1mixer

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #25 on: June 10, 2009, 04:12:26 AM »
   

as i said above, i have the usb>sata 1.0t - hd-u2 drivestation - can't be too many of those. i hope this time it will be a mac patch and not pc only. they may not be defective but they were discontinued. i bought mine only two months ago and you say they were discontinued two years ago. as for the patch, i followed apple instructions and went ahead to 10.5.7. i don't need it now.


 


BuffPaul

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #26 on: June 10, 2009, 05:32:32 AM »
   

Just to share - upgraded to Leopard yesterday, whacked in 10.5.7 update - Western Digital ext hard drive stopped working, neither of my Buffalo USB flash drives would register in Finder when attached.  Buffalo Support - not helpful, as others have already pointed out.

Western Digital have a download (WDMacTurboDrivers.zip) which is not specifically for overcoming 10.5.7 USB problems, but when I applied it not only did the WD problem go away but for some reason my Buffalo Flash Drives are now registering and accessible in Finder.

Hope the WD download may help some of you too! 


MattD

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2009, 07:05:38 PM »
   
The problem is not with the hardware at all, from what we can tell. The drives worked fine until Apple's 10.5.7 update, which apparently changed something in their USB Mass Storage Class driver, which caused the issue. 

 

Just for the record, isn't it the case that both parties agree to abide by certain standards. That is the following is logically possible: Apple says you need to make your drives *this* way if you want them to be mac-compatible. Buffalo makes some drives that don't comply, but they work anyway, so go figure. But lo and behold Apple updates their system, and now they don't work any more. Oops. 

 

I'm *not* saying this is the case. I'm merely pointing out that it's logically possible Buffalo is entirely at fault here and not Apple. This gosh by golly if Apple hadn't updated their system all would be well, simply doesn't paint an accurate process of what goes on when drives like these are designed and then manufactured. It clearly *could* be all Buffalo's fault.

 

Of course this endless parsing over who is responsible from Buffalo makes one weary. A simple "sorry the drives don't work, we're on it" would have been far better customer service.


Colin137

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #28 on: June 10, 2009, 08:25:01 PM »
MattD wrote:
   
The problem is not with the hardware at all, from what we can tell. The drives worked fine until Apple's 10.5.7 update, which apparently changed something in their USB Mass Storage Class driver, which caused the issue. 

 

Just for the record, isn't it the case that both parties agree to abide by certain standards. That is the following is logically possible: Apple says you need to make your drives *this* way if you want them to be mac-compatible. Buffalo makes some drives that don't comply, but they work anyway, so go figure. But lo and behold Apple updates their system, and now they don't work any more. Oops. 

 

I'm *not* saying this is the case. I'm merely pointing out that it's logically possible Buffalo is entirely at fault here and not Apple. This gosh by golly if Apple hadn't updated their system all would be well, simply doesn't paint an accurate process of what goes on when drives like these are designed and then manufactured. It clearly *could* be all Buffalo's fault.


I understand where you're coming from, but the Mass Storage Class USB type is a standard to which the hardware and software vendors must comply. There is nothing different about Mac compatibility. The fact that the drives worked fine before, and that the Apple update caused the drives to not work, leads me to believe something was wrong in the updated USB MSC driver.

 

Still, you are right that it COULD be possibly Buffalo's fault, but this is highly unlikely. If Buffalo made USB hard drives that did not conform to the USB Mass Storage Class standard, they would most likely not work with a multitude of computer+operating system combinations... the problem would not be seen in just one specific software environment. As we've seen, the drives still work on Windows and other operating systems, as well as pre-OS10.5.7 Macs.

 

"Of course this endless parsing over who is responsible from Buffalomakes one weary."

I agree that arguing over whose fault it is for the issue is tiring. But keep in mind that the argument has been continued by BOTH sides.

 

"A simple "sorry the drives don't work, we're on it"would have been far better customer service."

 

We have stated as much in previous posts, and are close to releasing a fix. The original response from us was skeptical, for the reasons stated above. We've since accepted responsibility for releasing a fix for those customers affected, even though it's unlikely that our hardware caused the issue. I'm of the opinion that this is good customer service. I'm sincerely sorry if our responses were interpreted badly.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 06-11-2009 01:57 PM

lsinger9404

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Re: Buffalo external drive stopped working after MacOS 10.5.7 update.
« Reply #29 on: June 11, 2009, 10:01:04 AM »
   

I'm just adding my name to the list of disgruntled Mac users so I get informed of the status of this situation. I have so many drives attached, I didn't know there was a problem until I went searching for a missing file. I realized that file was on a drive that was not showing up on the list. Taking inventory of my drives, I realized it was my Buffalo. My Buffalo was one of my favorite drives, therefore anything I knew I wanted to keep I would put on there. Ergo, it has a lot of important information on it, so I hope there is a fix soon. Luckily, I do have access to an unupdated Mac, and could have my friend bring it over to transfer files...Or I guess I could just Archive & Install back to the 10.5 that came with my computer. 

Regardless, I was glad to see it wasn't "just me".

 

I'm very pleased with all my Buffalo products, so I hope I can access it through 10.5.7 soon.

 

Larry