Boot / freeze issue with mba rev 1

mtraven said:

no im not completely missing the point, i have started from scratch 4 different times now...meaning, wiping all partitions, creating the new partition mac OSX extended journaled(i think thats hfs+) / GUID and running a clean install of SL. I have tried a single partition, as well as 2 partitions of roughly equal size with no change in symptoms. I have even pulled the drive, formated in an external case on a different mac & put back into mine for a fresh install....im not an idiot, I understand & have tried everything suggested and I am extremely confident the problem does not lay in the way I have it partitioned. FYI the most current attempt is a single mac osx extended journaled / GUID

im obviously not communicating my problem very effectively, so let me try from a different point of view:

One of the symptoms that goes with this is the "? file folder" on boot --- i played around will reseting ram and smc as well as various boot options. Quite often, when I hold opt at boot to get to the bootloader, the drive is not present. To me this indicates a problem at a very low level in the boot sequence, before OSX loads. Now I grew up working on pc's & if this was a PC i would say "the bios is not recognizing the hard drive, but the hard drive is ok" Now I understand apple doesn't use a bios, but an EFI which I know very little about. so thats all fact/observation, the rest is just my theory:

-i mentioned earlier that when apple service my computer they replaced the logic board with what appears to be a revC board (to my revA mba)

-yet the model ID in system profiler still indicates revA

-ive tried flashing the firmware with the files from apple and they say "this computer does not need this update"

--so what I am thinking is there is something wrong with the EFI (either its an old version, or corrupt--if thats possible?) since the replacement logic board is a revC(thats printed on the board itself, it should have the revC firmware, but since the model ID still indicates its a revA it wont allow the revC version to run. The revA says the same thing, because its up to date.....

so essentially Ive got a revC board running, revA firmware (or corrupt revC firmware), which sounds like the sort of thing that could cause my problems. Its just a theory, but maybe that will help explain some of my problems better.



ps: i have also run the apple hardware test which detected no problems.
and i had done some xbench tests, i dont have the exact results, but they were comparable to other people with ssd's

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well in that case my friend you have 2 options:

1. take it to an authorised Apple Tech and ask them to fix the blighter. (be prepared for mucho $)

2. Bin it (or sell it for parts on eBay) and go buy a refurb off the Apple Store.

as mentioned before, you have a most confused machine - almost as confused as its owner by now I'd suggest!

good luck

I think the Rev C is just that .. Rev C of the MacBookAir1,1 logic board. Apple does not use the Rev A, B, C notation .. people just use that for shorthand.

Rev A => MacBookAir1,1 Early 2008
Rev B => MacBookAir2,1 Late 2008
Rev C => MacBookAir2,1 Mid 2009

It seems like you have done all the right things to fix the problem. Short of trying to get Apple to replace the logic board again, I am not sure what else to say.

Looking around:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

Does not seem to offer much more than you have already tried (and then some).

The flashing question mark issue is addressed by:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

Here is an article for generalized disk startup issues:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

mtraven said:

but thats not the rev C that we commonly refer? if macbookair2,1 was 2009 and what we call rev C.....that is exactly when I had my computer serviced, and if they replaced it with the most current logic board (which makes sense that they would), then it should be MacBookAir2,1 right? but its not, it still thinks its 1,1 and has that efi firmware despite it being a revC board.....


ughhh i dont know, my head is spinning and i want to throw this thing off a tall building

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should your Air require a firmware update it would show up via Software Update.
if it doesn't need it, it won't.

if you have tried all the previous multiple suggestions with no cigar, I'd say the issue is with your Runcore HDD - especially if the issues have only manifested since you installed it.
Hopefully either you are a qualified tech or else you had a qualified tech crack the Air and do the upgrade.

Call the Runcore dudes and tell them of your issues …*…

as you have tried everything to no avail, we humbly suggest taking it to a qualified technician for the remedy to your situation.

no one is implying you are a retard

(mutters to self: sheesh this is becoming tiresome)

The v 2,1 MBA has the exact same logic board whether you refer to it as rev B or C. The Rev "C" noted here was just meant for the June 09 update to CPUs, ever so tiny bigger battery (which fits in same space), and a USB > Ethernet adaptor (for free instead of an option to purchase).

This whole thing about your MBA getting a rev C logic board and that's the problem is wrong. You need to forget that logic. Also forget that the logic board needs a firmware update and it's not getting it. The MBA is either a v 1,1 or v 2,1. The CPU, battery, and USB>Ethernet cables from "C"=June 2009 or "B"=October 2008 can be used in the v 2,1 MBAs. It's the same logic board. The v 1,1 MBA will only accept a v 1,1 logic board. They could NOT have used a v 2,1 logic board in a v 1,1 MBA.

Unless this is wrong, you said your MBA is a v 1,1. You said that is the model identifier on the first page. It is therefore IMPOSSIBLE that you would have a "rev c" or v 2,1 logic board in your MBA.

CHECK RIGHT NOW TO SEE IF YOUR MBA IS A V 1,1 OR 2,1. Go to Apple | About this Mac. It will say the processor and memory. Your processor, if it's a v 1,1 will be 1.6 or 1.8 GHz. For the Memory, it will say "2 GB 667 MHz DDR2."

Report back and tell us if you do NOT have a v 1,1 MBA.

If you bought this Runcore SSD for an original v 1,1 MBA it would NOT fit in a v 2,1 MBA as the cable is completely different. The v 1,1 uses a ZIF connector and a PATA drive & drive controller.

I think your analogy that the drive is fine could be wrong. If you're getting a question mark, there is a problem. You could have a bad cable, have the drive installed wrong, or the drive could be broken/damaged.

MY RUNCORE SSD EXPERIENCE
There was a time, after I upgraded to the Runcore, that every so often I would get a question mark during boot. The rest of the time it would work fine. I thought the problem was the Runcore SSD. I ended up swapping the HDD in and then going back to Runcore. Well I looked into what could be the issue, and the Runcore SSD wasn't taped to the LIF cable and it didn't have the little locking clip. I put a piece of tape there, and the problem was gone for good (knock on wood). The point is the drive was absolutely fine but I still got a question mark on boot. The issue was the cable and the connection. The LIF cable is so flimsy and weak, I can easily see that being your problem if it was bent at any point. Or it could be a bad connection at the logic board not the drive.

I think it is very possible you have damaged the board or cable. I am a little lost to all of your problems because there are so many posts here where you are blaming people for not getting everything you're trying to tell them and you're getting mad and frustrated with people who are trying to help you.

So if you have a Runcore SSD and you're getting problems, do you still have the original SSD/HDD? Do you have two ZIF cables? One for original SSD/HDD and one for Runcore SSD?

Please answer all of these questions and report back.

mtraven said:

but thats not the rev C that we commonly refer? if macbookair2,1 was 2009 and what we call rev C.....that is exactly when I had my computer serviced, and if they replaced it with the most current logic board (which makes sense that they would), then it should be MacBookAir2,1 right? but its not, it still thinks its 1,1 and has that efi firmware despite it being a revC board.....


ughhh i dont know, my head is spinning and i want to throw this thing off a tall building

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I think you are conflating short hand notations with a something stenciled on logic board. My attempted point was that the "Rev C" there would simply be in reference to the version of that particular logic. In other words, there had been a Rev A and Rev B of that particular component of the MacBookAir1,1 product (which is composed of many different parts with different revisions).

mtraven said:

Yah I wasn't sure and hadn't heard from anyone else(i know you said it a few posts back) ... are you SURE that is the case?

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I am sure of nothing; however, I would be very surprised if there were any other explanation.

even with that, I really think the from lies in the EFI and or smc, any ideas for re flashing it? the standard upgrade doesn't work since the version is correct....i just think thats become corrupted somehow.

Thanks.

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You might try taking it to Apple or an authorized repair center. I know that's not what you wanted hear.

mtraven said:

hey sorry i missed that long post you made before my last response--

i know system profiler lists it as a 1,1, and i understand the logic that says my logic is bad (ie i understand why my theory was impossible) --however that doesn't eliminate the possibility of corrupt firmware right?

the zif cable: visually the cable appears to be fine, looked at the contacts under a jewelers loupe &nothing stood out --given how small everything is, i suppose it is possible there is damage that I cannot see. I do a lot of work with small scale electronics & am very capable ---there is literally no way I damaged anything swapping. Pin 1 on the cable is lined up with pin 1 on the drive, so its installed right...my drive did come with the black clip & is extremely secure. A bad cable is going to yield random behavior at random times, what I am dealing with is far from random.

Since disabling sleep, the computer has yet to present ANY problems and the hard drive absolutely RIPS! That really really does not sound like a damaged drive / cable / loose connection.

with regards to having 2 cables -- no i do not, my run core came with 2 ribbon cables for the external enclosure, but no ZIF, so the stock one is still in there & its the only one I have.

not sure where i blamed anyone, pretty sure I've taken responsibility for not explaining my problem right. I am growing tired of people insisting its the drive or the way its partitioned soooooo....

tomorrow I will be trying my ssd in a friends rev A mba & his original 80gb samsung in mine. (and ill try his ZIF to see if thats the problem too) We will be doing clean installs for evey combination we try &hopefully narrow down the problem. If my SSD runs fine in his and/or his drive presents the same symptoms in my MBA....can we agree that there is a problem other than or in addition to the drive?

its the last thing I am going to try before i toss it through the window at the apple store.

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aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

(pulls out hair - chest hair even. 'Jane am I missing something here?' 'no no Tarzan, you're good. settle down, come back and play some Wii Sports with me. he'll work it out eventually …)

halledise said:

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

(pulls out hair - chest hair even. 'Jane am I missing something here?' 'no no Tarzan, you're good. settle down, come back and play some Wii Sports with me. he'll work it out eventually …)

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I am sad I wasted the time to write out a long post and not even get a reply out of it. I am confused as to anything he has going on... I feel the exact same way. At least I tried to help out.

mtraven said:

i read & responded to your post & appreciate your help, what are you talking about?

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sheeesh.