Can FireWire 800 Cable Go Bad?

[copyace]

I have a LaCie D2 triple-interface external drive that I use with my MBP and Time Machine, connecting via FireWire 800. Suddenly tonight the drive wouldn't boot. However, it DOES boot using the FireWire 400 cable and the USB cable. The FireWire 800 cable does power the drive from the MBP. What's likelier -- I need a new cable, the port on my MBP is bad, or it's something in the internals of the external drive itself? Thanks.
>>Brent in Chicago

 

[sickmacdoc]

Well it is hard to say what is the most likely cause of the problem without some troubleshooting.

A simple first test is if your drive and cable work with another MBP (perhaps in an Apple Store if you nobody you know has one). Of course actually that could be with any other computer with a FW800 port for that matter.

With that intial step you can potentially eliminate two sources of possibility- the drive's electronics and the cable. If your existing drive and cable work in that scenario, that would then point the finger at the MBP port itself.

If on the other hand that test fails, then try the drive with another cable while still using the other computer. If that still fails, it would indicate that the drive's electronics (specifically the FW800 part of the interface board) are bad.

 

[copyace]

Thanks. It's the MBP port. Bummer -- yes, I have Apple Care, but not looking forward to having my MBP spend time in the shop.