Need some help regarding my MacBook, and USB problems.

[vfrancisco]

Ok so I have the new 13" aluminum MacBook, and recently every time I plug a USB flash drive in to either of the two USB ports, the entire screen goes dark and I get an error message in multiple languages telling me I have to restart my computer by pressing the power button down for several seconds.
Last night when I tried to charge my phone via the USB port, it synced, and charged but when I closed the macbook, it kept re-syncing my phone. However, if I left the macbook open, the phone charged as normal and didn't continually sync itself.
Today, I plugged my Nikon CoolPix S51 camera in via the USB port, and everything worked fine.

I ran the Apple Hardware test, and no errors were found. I searched on google and someone said to install and run onyx, but I'm not quite sure what in onyx I'm even supposed to run?

So if anyone can offer me some help that'd be great before I go to best buy and have to deal with geeksquad (that's where I got my warranty from)

 

[logana]

Ok so I have the new 13" aluminum MacBook, and recently every time I plug a USB flash drive in to either of the two USB ports, the entire screen goes dark and I get an error message in multiple languages telling me I have to restart my computer by pressing the power button down for several seconds.

Last night when I tried to charge my phone via the USB port, it synced, and charged but when I closed the macbook, it kept re-syncing my phone. However, if I left the macbook open, the phone charged as normal and didn't continually sync itself.
Today, I plugged my Nikon CoolPix S51 camera in via the USB port, and everything worked fine.

I ran the Apple Hardware test, and no errors were found. I searched on google and someone said to install and run onyx, but I'm not quite sure what in onyx I'm even supposed to run?

So if anyone can offer me some help that'd be great before I go to best buy and have to deal with geeksquad (that's where I got my warranty from)

That is a kernel panic and sounds like both of your USB flash drives are corrupted.....Since both your camera and phone work when connected by USB then it means that the fault is not with the MacBook's USB ports.

When you close the lid the MacBook goes to sleep (and stops charging the phone...) The MacBook will keep looking for anything connected to the USB ports and wake up when it finds something connected. You can only charge phones when the MacBook is awake......

Your warranty is with Apple so you don't need to go anywhere near BestBuy unless you feel the need.

 

[vfrancisco]

Thats odd. I close my MacBook and charge my phone every night, when I wake up the phones fully charged.

So, is there anything I can do to resolve this "kernel problem"?

 

[logana]

Kernel Panic is the Apple equivalent of the Blue Screen of Death in Windows....

If it happens every time you plug in the flash drives then there is something seriously wrong with them.......

 

[vfrancisco]

I tried two completely different flash drives, and one was my teachers, that'd be quite ironic if both flash drives from complete different places had the same exact problem, no?

btw they both work on windows xp. I haven't tried them on my vista yet. I try to avoid using windows at all costs.

 

[logana]

The only thing I can think of is that the flash drives have U3 software on them - which will screw with OSX.....

 

[anthony691]

There could be a problem with the driver it is loading for the flash drives.

I played around with NTFS write drivers (NTFS-3G and Paragon) and got a few kernel panics on mounting.

Pull up the old error console and see what it has to say.

If the error console can't shed light on the problem, reinstall OSX, why not?

 

[vfrancisco]

Both the flash drives previously worked on my MacBook, this just started yesterday.
I have a huge power point on it that was due for school tomorrow. The flash drive worked on the computers at school, but the formatting of the power point got screwed up on their version (pp 2003), and on my vista, which has power point 2007, the format is really screwed up, none of the animations works and I'd basically have to redo the entire thing. I guess I'll have to beg for an extension on the due date haha.

Now, another problem thats arose, when I close my MacBook, it keeps waking itself up, it makes that noise, and the apple lights up, it does this continuously.
I cringe at the thought, but could I have a virus?

I would reinstall the OS but I don't really have the time tonight, I have a bunch of other school stuff to do.

oh btw I got the same error message when I tried to connect my printer to the usb port when I tried to print a picture earlier today.
so much for my "perfect" 2000$ laptop.
FML.