Hi, Yeah, I'll definitely give that one I shot. I thought I recognized it from something you had to do on occasion with ThinkPad.
Again, thanks. I'll let you know. Regards, Nic Mobile Me: [email protected] Skype: Kvalme MSN Messenger: [email protected] AIM: cincinster yahoo Messenger: cin368 Facebook Profile My Twitter On May 7, 2010, at 2:33 AM, Esther wrote: > Hi Nic, > > I've never used resetting the PRAM to fix a USB port issue before on a Mac -- > only used it for audio sound repairs. However, the part about removing a > battery and holding down the power button with the battery out (to discharge > the capacitor) is something I've had to do before with an IBM ThinkPad laptop > to reset electronic components. So that may work in your case, too. > > HTH > > Cheers, > > Esther > > Nicolai Svendsen wrote: > >> Hi Esther, >> >> Thank you. I'll try this. Resetting the PRAM has been tried before, but I'm >> supposing holding down the power button when battery is removed is some sort >> of cycle? I'll add it to resetting the PRAM again and let you know how it >> works out. >> >> Regards, >> Nic >> Mobile Me: [email protected] >> Skype: Kvalme >> MSN Messenger: [email protected] >> AIM: cincinster >> yahoo Messenger: cin368 >> Facebook Profile >> My Twitter >> >> On May 7, 2010, at 2:18 AM, Esther wrote: >> >>> Hi Nic, >>> >>> I'll cc this to the viphone list, since the last part of this post is about >>> USB power usage and charging for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. I'm not >>> sure I qualify with respect to knowing a lot about hardware, USB devices, >>> and electricity, but I'll try to answer your question, although I've never >>> had OS X shut a device down with a message that it was drawing too much >>> power. However, I did just make a recent trip where I had to troubleshoot >>> one of the USB ports of a MacBook. Devices that were plugged into that >>> port didn't work properly: printer cables wouldn't relay signals to the >>> attached peripheral, iPods would not be recognized by iTunes, and a plugged >>> in mouse was evidently powered (lit up), but not enough to register clicks >>> on the machine. All these devices worked correctly when plugged into the >>> other USB port. Power cycling with restart and repairing permissions >>> didn't help. (I only tried the permissions repair because the Software >>> Update had just been run to install a security update before the problem >>> behavior.) What did work was resetting the PRAM, which apparently restored >>> the USB port to its full power. If the source of your problem is not the >>> aging of your headphones but the USB current support from your computer, >>> this fix might help. I'll give you the instructions I received from Apple's >>> Tech Support, since they're slightly different from what is in the >>> Knowledge Base article. >>> >>> 1. Power down the computer and remove the battery from the MacBook. (On my >>> model you need to get a thick coin, like a U.S. nickel, to insert in the >>> slot of the lock for the battery, and give it a quarter turn clockwise to >>> rotate it into the unlock position so the side of the battery near the lock >>> will pop up, and so that the battery can be removed.) >>> 2. With the battery removed, hold down the power button for at least 12 >>> seconds. >>> 3. Replace the battery. (On my model, you insert the side near the left >>> edge of the laptop so that it engages, and then swing the other end so that >>> it slots into the lock position. Then you use the coin to turn the slotted >>> lock a quarter turn counter-clockwise to lock again.) >>> 4. Hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys while you power on your >>> laptop. I press down the Command, Option, and R keys with my left hand >>> (little finger on the Option key, ring finger on the Command key, and >>> either middle or index finger on the R key). I press the thumb of my right >>> hand on the P key and push down on the power button with the middle finger >>> of my right hand. >>> 5. You need to keep the Command, Option, P, and R keys pressed for at least >>> 3 start-up chimes before releasing them in order to reset the PRAM. >>> 6. Log in as usual and check your USB port connections. >>> >>> This fixed all the problems with the USB ports. I think, because the mouse >>> was being powered, but not enough to register clicks with the system, that >>> full power wasn't going to one of the USB ports. >>> >>> I'll point you to the Apple Knowledge Base article on "Apple Computers: >>> Powering a peripheral through USB": >>> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4049 >>> >>> Computer USB 2 ports are supposed to be rated for 500 mAH. That's less >>> than the 1000 mAH you'll get from an AC outlet (in the U.S.) with a USB >>> charger for the iPhone or iPod Touch, which is why charging your device on >>> the computer's USB port is slower, and which is also why the earlier iPods >>> and iPhones could charge from FireWire connectors that didn't have the same >>> limitation. Apple shifted the standard connector for its iPods and iPhones >>> to USB2 because most Windows computers didn't have FireWire (a.k.a. IEEE >>> 1394) ports. This is the source of some of the battery charging error >>> messages that are seen with some iPhone cases -- all devices are now >>> supposed to use chargers that adhere to the more limited current capacities >>> for the USB2 standard. This is also the reason why some 3rd party >>> batteries will take a long time to charge an iPhone if they only supply 500 >>> mAH of current. I suspect that this is also why some cases, like the >>> Mophie JuicePack Air, require you to discharge the secondary battery before >>> draining the main iPhone battery for maximum charging use, since most >>> batteries do not maintain power regulation as they discharge and may go out >>> of the regulation specs. (This is of interest to me as an iPod Touch owner, >>> since Mophie just came out with a JuicePack Air for the iPod Touch -- >>> however, it appears to disable the internal speaker whether or not the >>> earbuds are plugged in when the iPod is in the case, and also appears to >>> disable use of the volume, start/stop, and voice control functions of the >>> headset earbuds that com with the iPod Touch 3GS if they are used while the >>> device is in the Mophie JuicePack Air case. This is based on user comments >>> for this product at the Apple Online Store.) Incidentally, the 10 W Power >>> Adapter for the iPad will charge iPods and iPhones, as well as the iPad >>> (which draws 2100 mAH). However, the iPad will apparently not charge (even >>> slowly) off the USB ports of non-Mac computers, and when connected to a >>> Mac's USB port (not through a keyboard USB port, and not through a hub), >>> may even give a message that the device is not charging (although, if you >>> wait long enough, it will charge). >>> >>> From the same Apple Knowledge Base article that I linked above, here's the >>> information about USB charging on newer Intel Macs: >>> "On some newer Intel-based Macs, such as the MacBook (13-inch, Late 2007), >>> when a device requiring more than 5V and 500mA is connected, the port with >>> that device connected to it becomes a high-powered port capable of offering >>> up to 1100 mA at 5 V. That port will continue to operate as a high-powered >>> port until the device is removed. " >>> >>> That same Knowledge Base article (about USB charging) is referenced in a >>> link in the Knowledge Base Article about "iPad: Charging the battery": >>> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4060 >>> >>> HTH >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> Esther >>> >>> Nicolai Svendsen wrote: >>> >>>> Hi guys, >>>> >>>> So, I'm looking for someone here who knows a lot about hardware, >>>> specifically on the Mac-side and someone who knows a lot in particular >>>> about USB-devices. Oh, and electricity, perhaps. >>>> >>>> Here's the deal. >>>> >>>> I've got a Skype Wireless Freetalk Headset, the old model. I've been using >>>> it for a while with no issues at all. Eventually, my Mac would disable the >>>> device because it said it was drawing too much power and had to be >>>> disabled. >>>> >>>> The headset setup consist of a round-shaped small box with one button to >>>> turn off the receiver completely, and to pair it properly to the receiver >>>> and the headset. On this box there are two buttons, one extending to the >>>> plug of a USB and the other extending to a small, round plug which plugs >>>> into the right side of the headset for charging. Both of these >>>> aforementioned wires both extend away from the round box. When I get the >>>> message above in a dialog box, the headset promptly turns off because >>>> there is no signal being received from the USB port as it becomes >>>> disabled, and when touching the wire charging the headset, it becomes >>>> boiling hot. The USB wire feels fine, but all the way from the point from >>>> which the wire to the charger extends, to the plug that goes into the >>>> headset for charging, becomes incredibly hot and almost impossible to >>>> touch. >>>> >>>> My question to those knowing about this type of issue is this: Why would >>>> this happen after a year or so of using this headset just fine? Is it >>>> because the wire is broken? If that is the case, why could I use it for a >>>> couple of hours prior to this happening today, regardless of twisted the >>>> wire became? >>>> >>>> Thanks, and I'd be grateful for any advice. >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> Nic >>>> Mobile Me: [email protected] >>>> Skype: Kvalme >>>> MSN Messenger: [email protected] >>>> AIM: cincinster >>>> yahoo Messenger: cin368 >>>> Facebook Profile >>>> My Twitter >>>> >>> >>> > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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