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p2 cards not mounting
Any ideas on this one?
I shoot on an HVX, using 2 16gb p2 cards. My workflow is to use my MacBook Pro as a dumping station. I use a Duel Adapter to get the cards read through the Express slot.
Now my computer is not reading the cards. I’ve been on the phone with Apple Support and the Duel Adapter people and they both seem to suggest the problem is with the p2 cards themselves. The Duel Adapter, when plugged into the Express slot, only shows up as an icon in the status bar. The card itself never mounts (neither card). I am able to offload stuff through my camera via firewire. Also, the cards won’t mount on a friend’s MBP via the adapter… we both have the latest drivers from what I can tell. I’m running Tiger… 10.4.11.
That’s the basics, but here’s some probably relevant backstory. About 6 months ago the cards would mount, but if I opened the folder, it would show “Contents” as empty and nothing in the txt file, when viewed through Finder. This clearly freaked me out the first time it happened. BUT, for some reason, if I use P2CMS it recognizes the files no problem. I’ve thought that wacky, and have been pleased just using that as a workaround. Until now. I can’t rely on using my camera to offload, as that amounts to critical downtime in the field. Another FYI is that the Contents are empty through both the adapter and the camera.
Seems like there is an underlying problem causing all of this madness. I talked the Duel Adater folks into sending me a replacement before I leave, but, as I said, both they and the Apple Support folks tended to think the problem was neither my computer nor the adapter.
So, I am completely and utterly baffled. Any clues that might help solve this mystery would be more than appreciated.
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16 Replies
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Have you tried restarting your computer?
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Board of Directors
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
yes… restarted countless times. reinstalled all the latest p2 and duel adapter drivers as well. repaired disk permissions and also verified through disk utility. so i’ve tried all the basics.
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As I stated in the e-mail correspondance, I know that the Duel drivers shouldn’t be installed with Leopard, but with Tiger, they should. And you have installed the drivers for both again and again. Now I suggested that he erase the internal drive and reinstall everything, but that is drastic and I was hoping more people here might have suggestions to try before he resorted to that.
Be helpful, this guy is a student at my alma mater, Montana State University.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks Shane. My obvious next move, before I resort to wiping my drive (please no), is to try mounting the cards on yet another computer. If they don’t mount there, that would rule out my MBP/OS as the culprit. But still doesn’t address the empty Contents glitch when viewed through Finder. I was also considering hunting down a PC and running P2Card Format Station. I can’t get the P2Formatter for Mac to work, even when I mount the cards through the camera. But you seemed to think the cards weren’t the issue. Quite the riddle.
Another FYI is that this issue (the empty Contents glitch) happened a few weeks after I sent my HVX to Panasonic to repair that damn Slot 1 beep in the audio. Not sure if that’s relevant but maybe a clue?
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You haven’t tried the cards on another computer? That would be the FIRST thing to do. Instantly rule out the cards. I am guessing that the empty Contents folder was due to the computer not being able to read the cards properly.
Format the cards in the camera, slot two. Then see if you can see them, on another machine first.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I have tried it on another MBP, but only briefly. No mounting then, but I have had the Duel Adapter act finicky before, so I’m not convinced until I give it another try.
Thanks for the advice so far.
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Ok… cards mount fine on another MBP via the Duel Adapter. And the Contents are all there. Not the cards, not the adapter. Looks like I’m wiping my drive?
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[Jonathan Fowler] “Looks like I’m wiping my drive?”
YUP! See? What does Apple and Duel know? SQUAT! It’s the card…it’s not us. Friggin’ finger pointers! Like the Apple OS NEVER gets corrupted.
I do this regularly. As in, like annually or bi-annually.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Every mac should come with an external HDD so a good known Bootable OS can be loaded so issues like this can be rectified in a few minutes.
Maybe now Johnathan you will get an external and make your OS back-up and make yourself a lifesaver/time saver.
anyone who uses their Mac for a living should do this..Cheers
Tom K
olinevideo.com.au -
I have had mucho problems with the dual adaptor. Sent several back, tried on two different Mac Book pro laptops, one with tiger, one with leopard. I think it has something to do with a crummy connection between the card and the body of the laptop, or perhaps the dual adaptor cable. Maybe the strands within the cable are causing interference. Don’t think it is the card, have had problems with various p2 cards.
Found that hanging the dual adaptor over the edge of a table, using gravity, somehow makes the connection work. Better have the proper firewire to camera cable available at all times for backup.
The fact that Panasonic never provided a firewire based card reader because of their bias towards pc format machines is a shame.
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