Anyone here boot via ext USB3 on new iMac?

[Chupa Chupa]

My new 21" iMac freeze on wake when the boot drive is external USB3. I did my own extensive troubleshooting but bottom line with a reformatted drive and only the iMac's shipping version of 10.8.2 installed, BT off, WiFi off, and only the USB3 drive and USB2 keyboard connected the issue still exists.

I haven't seen anyone post a complain yet, so I'm thinking its isolated to my h/w.

I called AppleCare and they ran me though the basics, which I already did -- reset SMC, boot in safe mode, etc. None of that helped so they told me Apple didn't support booting from external drives and politely ended the support session.

So what I want to find out is if anyone here has had any success with booting via USB3, and then also being able to sleep/wake normally.

Most likely outcome is:

1) A bug in 10.8.2, or
2) My USB3 enclosures use an older controller chip the iMac doesn't like, or
3) My iMac has a h/w issue and I should return it while I can

I just need more data points to figure out which one is most probable.

 

[torana355]

My stardom usb3 enclosure has major issues and my new iMac and can not read the drive at all, however my WD My Essentials 3TB external works perfectly and i am able to boot off it with no issues. What usb3 external do you have? Im guessing it a firmware issue on the drive just like my Stardom enclosure issue.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

So wake/sleep works normally w/ the WD?

I don't have a problem booting but my iMac freezes on wake. My USB3 enclosure is a generic. Maybe I'll see what OWC has since they specialize in Macs.

 

[torana355]

So wake/sleep works normally w/ the WD?

I don't have a problem booting but my iMac freezes on wake. My USB3 enclosure is a generic. Maybe I'll see what OWC has since they specialize in Macs.

I just did a test and yes it sleeps and wakes up perfectly off the WD. My stardom enclosure locks the finder up and can't read the drive at all lol.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I just did a test and yes it sleeps and wakes up perfectly off the WD. My stardom enclosure locks the finder up and can't read the drive at all lol.

Thanks. After your last post I tried a Seagate GoFlex Desk adapter I had and also had no issues w/ sleep and wake. So bottom line is the controller chip matters. Clearly the major drive makers are using current chips where as some of the generic stuff must have older, less expensive chips from before USB3 was on Macs.

 

[torana355]

Thanks. After your last post I tried a Seagate GoFlex Desk adapter I had and also had no issues w/ sleep and wake. So bottom line is the controller chip matters. Clearly the major drive makers are using current chips where as some of the generic stuff must have older, less expensive chips from before USB3 was on Macs.

Yup, the issue is my Stardom enclosure was quite expensive and is meant to be one of the better enclosures out there

 

[motrek]

...
I haven't seen anyone post a complain yet, so I'm thinking its isolated to my h/w.
...

I boot my Mac Mini off a USB 3 drive. It worked perfectly for months. Now it seems like every 3rd day when I wake up and go to use my computer, the activity LED on the external drive is constantly on (even though the computer is asleep) and when I wake the computer up it displays my desktop but then hangs.

I'm not sure what could have started this... maybe updating to 10.8.3... ??

 

[RoastingPig]

I'm currently using a 840 pro in a Owc external case and I seem to have lag in between the first 5 seconds of wake

 

[motrek]

I'm currently using a 840 pro in a Owc external case and I seem to have lag in between the first 5 seconds of wake

What I'm seeing isn't lag--I have waited several minutes for the computer to unhang itself in these situations and it never does. And the activity light on the drive just says on. Something goes wrong between the drive and the computer when the computer goes to sleep, or while it is asleep... :/