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USB Thumb Drive Quarry

J

jyosha415

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 2, 2013
4
0
SF Bay Area
Hello,

I have a curious issue.

I regularly use a thumb drive in my Macbook pro 5,3 running Lion. Recently, something strange has been happening and I've run into instances where there is an error and I end up pulling the thumb drive without ejecting it (I can't remember right now the reason why I do this...I think the computer doesn't let me eject it). We have been going along like this for a few weeks...I put the thumb drive in, do my work, try to eject it, have issues, pull it without ejecting--repeat ad nauseum.

Anyhow. Yesterday, when I inserted the thumb drive, Mac told me that the thumb drive was ejected improperly and that MacOS will try to repair it next time it was inserted. So, I removed it (because I was unable to eject it) and reinserted it and nothing happened. In fact, Finder crashed, my desktop wouldn't reappear, CPU heated up. So, I restarted the computer.

Next time, I start Disk Utililty and then insert the thumb drive, hoping to repair it. Disk Utility told me that it can't repair the drive because it was not ejected properly. When I attempt to eject it, nothing happens. So, I pull the drive without ejecting and Finder crashes. Restart computer.

This morning, I put the thumb drive in my Macbook 1,1 at home running Snow Leopard and the drive opened right up, all my data was there, I had access to all of it and I was able to eject it properly. So, I put it back in my Macbook 5,3, thinking that since another computer has ejected it, it would be fine. Same error message. Same inability to eject the drive. Finder crashes again. Restart computer.

My Macbook has developed a "bad relationship" with my thumb drive. Is there a way to somehow reset that relationship so that my Macbook 5,3 does not recognize that the thumb drive has ever been ejected improperly? (I guess one could say my Mac needs a thumb drive relationship counselor--can't we all just get along?). Please help.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

:)
Jamie
 
Hmmm..

Hmmm.. I must ask, do you mean 'Quandary', as opposed to 'a place where Stone and Rocks come' from..?? :D

After that, I will ask:

- Have you tried any other USB drives.. If so, same issue..??

- How do you 'Eject' it..?? I have always used 'Command+E' and never had issues with any connected devices, but suppose there will be a day.. :apple:
 
Thanks

Spelling errors aside...

- Have you tried any other USB drives.. If so, same issue..??

I'll give this a try at home this evening an then re-post. I have been using other USB devices quite well.

- How do you 'Eject' it..?? I have always used 'Command+E' and never had issues with any connected devices, but suppose there will be a day.. :apple:[/QUOTE]

I eject either by throwing the drive in the garbage or using the eject button on the Finder side panel.


What I'm hopefully looking for is a little bit of fancy Command prompt code that will help my Macbook forget this drive and permit a new "relationship" to form (or at least a location of a log file or pref pane where I can address this bad connection).

Thanks to all for any help you can provide.
 
Indeed. That is an obvious solution already remedied, but what I'm looking for is a more nerdy technical solution to fulfill personal curiosity and interest. The thumb drive works perfectly fine in all other computers and peripherals I use, so why should my computer remember its previous bad experience with it?

There must be a more interesting solution than further consumptive behavior?

Other recommendations welcomed.
 
Curious

So, I checked and other thumb drives do work. What's even more curious is that if I connect the thumb drive to the Windows8 virtual machine I'm running in Parallels, I have access to all files.

Another interesting symptom: If I plug in the thumb drive and mount the drive to the desktop and then let Finder crash, all USB devices no longer work until a reboot, including other USB peripherals and the built-in iSight camera.

So, something in MacOSX, particularly related to USB drivers, has gone haywire.

Any ideas?
 
I have seen this occur when the partition table is corrupted. Try repartitioning the card then format it. That should take care of it.
 
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