Loose wire/chip soundcard on motherboar​d?? HP Pavallion zv5000

A couple of months ago, my laptop was dropped from a short distance.  Since then my sound has been going away and being flakey....  I can make it come back by pushing on the outside case, so I'm fairly sure it's something loose.  My issue is this:  is the soundcard on the motherboard??  or is it on a card by itself??
Now, I called HP tech support, and after telling them that I was not paying for their service for them to troubleshoot this issue, the guy I was talking to hung up on me.....  I am in the process of calling back, but I seem to only get their hold music for LONG periods of time.
I have spent a LOT of money with these guys, yet when it comes to a simple question, not even a troubleshooting question, they FAIL as a company!!  I am VERY disappointed in the service I am getting...  I love my laptop, but I don't think I will ever buy from them again.....
At this moment, I am getting the run around.....  
if anyone can help me, please do!!!

Well, a zv5000 is at least 4 years old so there has been no warranty for a long time. The audio is a chip soldered to the motherboard and is not replaceable without a complete motherboard replacement or some fine soldering skills. There are internet businesses that offer component level laptop repairs. There is nothing HP can do for you at this point. A replacement motherboard from them is going to cost the same as a new, better laptop so is not an option. I know it seems harsh but with an older laptop you are basically on your own to find a cost-effective solution. HP just cannot make a profit out of dealing with older hardware except by charging so much for telephone support that most people are not willing to pay for it...just as you let them know you would not pay. You can find a replacement motherboard or even a whole laptop shell for under $100 on eBay that could be used to fix the problem.

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    Here is my unofficial guide to the K8t Neo fisr2 If you Like It give it a thumbs up so it will stick out. I will warn you it is long and I will edit off and on.
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    first I'll start off with components,
    CASE..you will need an atx case with good cooling a few extra fans like a blowhole at the top can help cooling, also bundle cables and power leads
    so that they don't interfere with airflow.
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    PSU.... one of the most overlooked and most important component,
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    Here is the reason most problems are the psu
    amd64 uses 12v power, Intel chips used a lot of 5v power.
    so until now most big psu's pushed 5 v not 12v
    almost everything in your computer uses 12v except ram (3.3V)
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    so your already at 12A with no fan,s no hd, no CD,no DVD ,no mobo chip-set , no mem, no sound..etc  
    so what happens is your mem gets starved for power and then gives out errors,in your data, which = corrupt sata,or it fails to post. .
    MEMMORY...Another big trouble spot,not just with the MSI board but with Via chip-set, and or the A64 memory controller.
    DDR non ecc- single channel 400 is baseline although slower chips also work, The CPU's memory unit only supports 4 banks total so in order to use three sockets at least two of the memory sticks have to be 1 bank,.one bank or two bank chips look similar so check specs, dual bank chips usually have chips on the back as well. mem should match type and speed. if you run into problems try going into bios and limiting ram to 333.mem should match type and speed.
    (edited out till i find more info [STRIKEOUT] if using two mem sticks it is best to use slots 1 and 3,[/STRIKEOUT])
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    2 x 512 - Corsair CMX DDR400 @2-3-2-5
    2 x 512 - Corsair Twin Pro DDR400 @ 2-3-2-6
    2 x 512 - Corsair Value Select DDR400 @ defaults
    1 x 512 - Geil Golden Dragon DDR400 @ 2-3-3-6 (2.7V)
    2 x 512 - Hynix DDR400 @ 2-3-3-6
    2 x 512 - Kingmax DDR433 @ 2.5-3-3-6
    2 x 512 - Kingston DDR400 @ 3-3-3-8
    1 x 512 - Kingston HyperX DDR400 @ (defaults?)
    1 x 512 - Kingston ValueRam (KVR400X64C3A) DDR400? @ (Defaults?)
    2 x 512 - Muskin Level 1 DDR400 @ 2-3-2-6
    2 x 512 - Muskin Level 2 DDR433 @ (defaults?)
    2 x 256 + 1 x 512 - Muskin Basic DDR400 @ 2.5-3-3-8
    1 x 1024 - OCZ EL DDR400 @ 2-3-2-6
    BIOS 1.3b2
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    AMD 3200+ systems...
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    some good settings are.. SMART enabled this will warn you of hard disk failure,System bios cacheble and shadow ram are more for older computers and should be set to disable.boot to os2- disable...memory setting vary by card and some even need to be set manually so check with manufacturer or get familiar with cmos reset jumper.(just be sure to have power off)...plug and play os to disable(more of a win 98 thing) disable serials and parallel ports if you don't need them, as with on-board sound firewire etc. this is just a few pointers the rest is a more personal thing, but i have heard turbo setting causes problems and is best left to fast, and dynamic oc'ing is similar use at your own risk
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    http://www.rojakpot.com/(eb1mg5zatgcf5r55lv5no155)/default.aspx?location=9
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    you have tried different video cards, and in case of higher end card, the external molex power supply as plugged in,
    you have tried different ata hard drives
    you then have tried have set up your SATA drive correctly .
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    what are d-bracket error light, and any beep codes?
    you have tried a different wall outlet, you have changed surge protectors,
    you never hot plugged video cards, hd cables or power etc.
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    Received from a user - Slow memory 1T Command fix
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    Here's a graphic to make it easier:
    I will add more by edit, or post as needed but i should post now so it can be put to use.
    I would like to Thank BAS,wonkaboy, Jocko, ethereal, Tiresmoke, Reilly, and the many others whose valued input helps solve problems.

    Quote
    amd 64=12a @12V
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    If you exclude the motherboard, memory, etc like you did there, the amd 64 draws 7.2A @ 12V.
    90~125W for an ATI 9800?! [irony]Are you working for a PSU manufacturer or what?[/irony] That's just absurd.  
    Go read this post to get a feel for the actual power consumption: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?postid=297061&sid=#post297061

  • Mysterious Macbook 1,1 -- working, then dead...then working again...???

    I've got an extremely weird case on my hands. This is version 1,1 of the white Macbook (2006, I believe).
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    I'm writing this on the Macbook in question, totally confused and completely afraid that it might never boot up again after I shut it down this time. Then again, it failed to start half an hour ago...but now, obviously, it's working fine.
    Does anyone have an idea of just what the heck might be causing this? A loose wire inside? Evil spirits? Apple help in the store has been rather unhelpful (they didn't do much beyond chastising me for using an outside computer guy to replace the power chips...which worked great, by the way -- it eliminated the permanent-hibernation problem that killed the computer in 2007), and Apple on the phone have told me they deal mostly with software problems.
    A few more facts/Summary:
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    -There seem to have been 2 problems, the first of which is fixed now...
    1. no startup chime followed by permanent hibernation. Replacing the power(chips? Nodes?) on the motherboard seemed to fix this "fail to finish booting" problem. This is NOT a problem anymore.
    2. The "play dead" problem, where hitting the i/o key won't do anything for a while, and then suddenly works. Sometimes the Macbook boots when I'm pushing the button, sometimes it ghost-boots while I'm in the other room. I have no idea what fixes the "play dead" problem, it just seems to go away after a few hours.
    -The computer has never died while it was running. It's always after a perfectly normal (seeming) shutdown that it simply refuses to start back up again.
    -I Don't fully trust the battery. The battery pretends to be full, but according to the little orange light on the AC power cable, is ALWAYS charging (even when the green LEDs on the bottom of the battery indicate "full"). The computer has not been able to boot on battery power alone (i.e. with the AC cable unplugged) in at least a week. I have it plugged in any time I boot successfully.
    -The Apple-store guy (who seemed to know what he was talking about, but also seemed to hate me) checked the serial number on the Macbook, and confirmed that it's pretty much been a defective unit from the start. Since 2006, EVERY YEAR has seen a new logic board. That's 4 logic boards this computer has gone through, not to mention a new optical drive the first year, and several other major repairs. I had no idea that was the state of affairs when I bought it...frankly I'm amazed that Apple kept fixing this unit instead of confiscating it to figure out what is really causing all of these component failures.
    I know this is a lot of information, but I'm trying to present the facts as I know them...I just have no idea which facts will be important, so you get all of them. Any help would be appreciated. I've tried googling around, but I'm not even sure what to search for. On an even sadder note, I spent 2 hours looking at non-Apple PCs last week (all I can afford if this one dies), and I really don't want to have to go down that road. Not after 20 years of faithful Apple/Macintosh usage.
    Thanks in advance, and my apologies for the long post.
    -Dave

    Khufucius wrote:
    I've been using Macs since 1990, and this is the first one I bought used. Might have been a mistake.
    Important plot point here. I missed it on my first read through...
    Does anyone have an idea of just what the heck might be causing this? A loose wire inside? Evil spirits?
    That computer is dead. You were ripped off. No other explanation for it.
    -I'm no computer expert, but the official Apple party line I've heard so far is that "it's corrosion/tertiary effects from a liquid spill." That doesn't sound likely to me.
    It is a moot point. Once it gets wet, all bets are off and no reputable repair person will touch it.
    -The Apple-store guy (who seemed to know what he was talking about, but also seemed to hate me)
    I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He just hates seeing unhappy customers that he can't help.
    Since 2006, EVERY YEAR has seen a new logic board. That's 4 logic boards this computer has gone through, not to mention a new optical drive the first year, and several other major repairs. I had no idea that was the state of affairs when I bought it...frankly I'm amazed that Apple kept fixing this unit instead of confiscating it to figure out what is really causing all of these component failures.
    Well, you also know that the previous owner poured liquid in it. What else did they do to it before that wasn't so noticeable?
    Just buy a new Mac. Get an official refurbished one even. That will still be better than the piece of junk you were sold before.

  • OS and Hardware Instability, please help

    Hello - I've read through a lot on these boards and I don't quite see an answer to My problem.  You folks seem helpful though, so I'm going to put Myself into your hands for assistance.
    Last Friday My PC shut down out of nowhere, and wouldn't bring the OS back up.  After checking a lot of things I figured out that one of My 3 memory chips got fried somehow.  You don't just see this happen very often...but I guess it does.  So, I went with the other 2 (still leaving Me with 1GB memory) and tried to keep on going.
    Once back in Windows I started getting software errors - where it says "please send this report into Microsoft".  It happened mostly with two things - My main game (City of Heroes - online game) and IE.  Seemingly at random times.  Once in a while the PC would also just simply reboot itself out of nowhere.  I figured the OS got hurt when the memory chip blew up, and couldn't "fix" the OS no matter what I did.  
    So, I decided to download XP 64 Beta.  Big Mistake.  Not only did it take forever to get the drivers loaded, software running, etc - but I also ended up with the EXACT same problems.  This was after Fdisking My hard drive and everything.  So I got rid of XP64 and put XP back on.  Yep...still same problems all around.
    I've disconnected everything from the board (processor included) and reseeded it all.  I've checked to make sure there are no loose wires, that the power cable has no crimps or frays, and that it is plugged securely into the surge protector (which in turn is plugged into a very good UPS).
    Fresh build on an Fdisked drive, latest drivers for everything including all the MB stuff from MSI Live Update (BIOS as well).   I simply don't know what to check any more, or what else to do without assuming that the MB is fried, and that likely being the reason why the memory blew up and the PC hard crashes now and then as well.
    Also important to note:  The PC ran fine for almost 3 months (when I first put it together), until now.  I have not installed any additional hardware or software lately that would have caused any changes that I know of.
    Here's My system specs, please let Me know if I left anything out.  If there's anything else I should check please let Me know, I'd greatly appreciate it.
    -Drake
    MSI K8T Neo-FSR (red board with VIA chipset, even though the product page here lists the FSR as an NVidia with blue board??)
    AMD Athlon 64 3200+
    1GB (left) of Kingston 512MB DDR400 Dimms, in slots 1 and 2
    ATI Radeon 9800 XT 256MB (latest 4.6 Catalyst drivers)
    Creative SB Live! 5.1 Sound Card in slot 5 (leaving plenty of room for air flow to the video card's fan)
    Windows XP SP1 (all critical and non-critical updates applied)

    Again, thanks for the responses!  It's been helpful.
    Right now I'm running with only one DIMM and it's not crashing.  I was able to play My game last night for about 2 hours without crashing, which is a first in a while.  
    Now, I would of course rather run with 2 of these chips instead of just the 1, but I'm a little confused about what was said above.  
    I downloaded CPU-Z and I'm checking out the memory information.  First off, it says My Frequency is 200.0 MHz...shouldn't this read 400?  That's what I have it set at in the Bios.  Here's what it says there for Memory:
    Size 512 MBytes
    Channels # Single
    DIMM#1 Kingston DDR-SDRAM PC3200 512 MB
    Timings:
    Frequency 200.0 MHz
    FSB:DRAM CPU/10
    CAS# Latency 2.5 clocks
    RAS# to CAS# Delay 3 clocks
    RAS# Precharge 3 clocks
    Cycle Time (Tras) 8 clocks
    Bank Cycle Time (Trc) 11 clocks
    DRAM Idle Timer 16 clocks
    (Total CAS# and Row To Column are grayed out)
    I'm not sure what you meant by "3-3-3-" and "4-4-4".  I don't see anything like that on CPU-Z, nor do I recall anything like that in the bios, but I'll check it.  If you mean the frequency (as in 333/400) like I said above I do have that set to 400 but it's reporting in CPU-Z as 200.
    DeMaxx - I'll try the #1 and #3 thing to see if that helps, but I know with 2 DIMMS in #1 and #2 I was still getting errors.  I'll test now.
    Thanks again, I'll keep trying!
    -Drake

  • T400 audio is sometimes distorted/grainy...

    My T400 is pretty good, except that every so often, the sound goes suddenly distorted, or sounds as if there were a loose wire in the chain... the sound just BREAKS up and starts being unstable.
    This will go away sometimes when I reboot.
    This will go away sometimes when I mere move the computer from place to place.
    The movement thing makes me thing it IS a loose connection somewhere, or perhaps a bad sound chip.
    Has ANYONE experienced this before?  If I were to tell Lenovo about this, what do you think they would do with it (it's still under warranty)?
    - Tim
    Message Edited by tbessie on 11-25-2008 11:22 AM

    Tim, I guess I'm going to join you on your thread, as your problem seems to be closest to what I'm experiencing. The other threads I've been on (i.e. http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=T_Series_Thinkpads&thread.id=16642) seem to be describing a more serious and continuous problem, as opposed to something that comes and goes.
    My problem (as you read in the linked thread) only occurs from time to time and fairly randomly. Its a skip/skipping in audio streams. I wouldn't describe it as grainy, just an interruption or stuttering in the audio. I can only be assured it will occur at or near startup (often the Windows startup sound breaks up), while opening and closing the lid or if the LCD turns off with power settings, and (oddly enough) while playing Windows solitare. It tends to occur more while graphics-intensive things are going on, but not always. I have tried updating and rolling back drivers, and performed a factory reinstall of Windows without luck.
    BTW Tim, did you try running the DPC latency program I spoke of in the linked tread? I'd be interested to see if your system looks similar to mine in that respect (it doesn't require any kind of install, its just an executable).
    Here's my system idle (with no audio skips), and after closing and reopening the lid (first red bar while closing, other two while opening), respectively:
    The idle latencies are sad by themselves as my 5-year-old desktop looks like this:
    Also, what's your system's model number? I'm curious how similar our hardware is.
    Message Edited by buhaw12 on 12-15-2008 09:30 PM
    Kevin
    T61 7664-1JU (except with 4 GB of ram)

  • New 2.4Ghz odd electrical buzzing & no vol up sound

    Hey guys. I just picked up the brand new base model MacBook Pro today (2.4GHz). I've noticed a few things already...
    When I scroll up and down on webpages (either in Safari or Firefox) I get a electrical buzzing sound that comes from the middle back (below the keyboard). I get this same sound, only louder, when I use the iTunes visualizer. I also have notices the sound a bit when launching an app (but they launch so quick I hardly notice it) and when i move the cursor back and forth in the dock.
    Any idea what this may be?
    Also, When I turn the volume up and down it doesn't make the neat volume "plop plop PLOP" sound that Macs usually make. What could this be about?
    Thanks everyone!

    While I am not sure this is the same buzzing you are talking about, I am also having buzzing issue right out of the gate with my new 2.5Ghz MBP. It is on the right side and is a constant low pitched buzzing that sounds either like a fan or hard drive. The best analogy to a sound would have to be the noise a loose wire, on a home audio system for example, sounds when not properly connected. This noise is pretty annoying in a quite environment and not something I could say sounds appropriate. I have never heard such a consistent noise in the in the nine years I have been using apple notebooks.
    I called apple care today and they said it is increased fan speed due to the smaller chips and higher processor speed, which is total bs considering I just had a 2.4Ghz MBP. I am slightly irked by the fact that customer support would come up with pretty pathetic explanation such as that and obviously bothered by this noise even more.

  • New Macbook Pro Penryn Power Adapter Whine/Buzz

    Hi all,
    While I was using my new 15.4" 2.4Ghz MBP Penryn last night I heard a high pitched whine coming from the area. I tracked it down to the power adapter that was plugged into the wall. I tried it on several different outlets in my house and heard the same amount of whine.
    Interestingly, that if I have the adapter plugged into the wall, it doesnt have to be plugged in to the MBP to hear the whine. This is reassuring as it doesnt appear to be anything from the MBP causing this.
    Has anyone else heard this type of whine from a apple power adapter?
    Jeff

    I do not know if we are talking about the same thing, but I wanted to at least add my situation to the thread to help others in narrowing down the issue. I am experiencing a strange buzzing issue right out of the gate with my new 2.5Ghz MBP. It is on the right side and is a constant low pitched buzzing that sounds either like a fan or hard drive. The best analogy to a sound would have to be the noise a loose wire, on a home audio system for example, sounds when not properly connected. This noise is pretty annoying in a quite environment and not something I could say sounds appropriate. I have never heard such a consistent noise in the in the nine years I have been using apple notebooks.
    I called apple care today and they said it is increased fan speed due to the smaller chips and higher processor speed, which is total bs considering I just had a 2.4Ghz MBP. I am slightly irked by the fact that customer support would come up with pretty pathetic explanation such as that and obviously bothered by this noise even more.

  • Guitar Computer amplif

    OK so I want to use my computer as an amplifier for my guitar
    what would be the best soundcard to use of course I need ASIO support (whats teh differnce between ASIO and ASIO2 btw?)
    It's not for professional use so soundcards < 200$
    what would eb best USB or just a PCI sc and using MIDI/MIC
    Will I need a preamp? (guitar has high impedance signal or won't I hear a differance in quality when I just plug it in )
    SO I would liek to know which soundscard is best at a reasonable price and if I should use a preamp or whatever
    cheers!

    It sounds like you just want a sound card that will accept a low level, high impedance?stereo input and amplify it to dri've speakers directly. There is an old Creative sound blaster card (CT-4700) that does just that. It has an onboard "power op-amp" dri've IC that will produce clean sound at -2 watts output. If the guitar pickup is high impedance than you might just be able to feed it into the stereo line-in input (this is a 3.5mm plug). This sound card's amplified output is also a 3.5mm plug so you will have to convert to "loose wire" hookups for passi've speakers. I have been using this card for years now, at remote locations, for a monitor reference. It's not for li've jamming, -2 watts won't do that obviously. But, it's enough to hear yourself with decent acoustic clarity. The CT-4700 is available on Ebay. It's ancient, like 999 I think, but it works well as described.

  • Should I get a refund for this repair?

    Took my dead MacBook Pro (purchased April 29, 2008) to the Genius Bar because it would not start-up. They sent it out for repairs and ended up replacing the Logic Board stating the symptom was "NVIDIA Video Issue (multiple issues)". They charged me $310 plus tax. Would this fall under the "MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues" from http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
    I tried calling Apple Corporate and they said the logic board had a loose wire. Hmmm... seems weird to me since the graphic chip is soldered on to the logic board.
    The invoice said the reapir was covered and showed the amount owed to me was $0. When I went to pick up the fixed laptop the associate helping me had to speak to her manager and there was some back and forth as to whether I owed anything.
    I think I'll call the Apple store I took the laptop to and see if they can work with me here.

    You are correct, the link you referenced applies to your model, you are due a refund.
    And you're suspicions are correct, a loose wire related to graphics could only relate to cables for the display and or inverter board... however that alone would not prevent a mac from starting up and being usable on an external display.
    From your description of their statement the problem is with the GPU as you suspected, if it's a GPU defect then the info in that link applies. They might try to deduct display cables or the inverter board from your refund if they replaced them aswell though.
    Then again a "loose wire" might have just been the poor description from the contact you phoned, (really meaning micro-fractures in high lead solder for GPU dies).
    Anyway the point is: go demand a refund.

  • Hard drive i/o error, spinning beachballs. PASSES Smart test, but fails two specific parameters:

    I'm on a Macbook from early 2007.
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    What intrigues me is this. The machine has been extremely slow for a long time. Recently I disabled swapping and the speed rocketed, presumably due to the HD being utilized less during usage. Now the downside to disabling swapping is that when Safari Web Content gets out of control as it always eventually does, you can have a full on system hang which requires a forced shutdown through the power button. So it's very possible that the issues I'm currently experiencing are to do with the machine being improperly shut down one too many times and somehow damaging the drive itself.
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    Raw Read Error Rate
    Write Error Count
    An image of the SMART test results is attached:
    Now to give you an example of the kind of issues I'm having, in order to take that screenshot I used "Grab". When searching for Grab in spotlight it gave me results from the internal HD and from all the various backup drives I have attached. I opened the internal copy and one from a backup partition on another drive (neither of which currently booted from). The one from the backup bounced and opened. The one from internal bounced about 15 times, the spotlight bar hung with a spinning beacball, and I ended up force quitting because I got sick of waiting for it. That's the major symptom of the issue I'm having.
    Now here's the reason I'm posting. As I say I know this drive is about to go so there's no need to lecture me about that, I can't replace it immediately but plan to in the very near future when I have a chance. My question is this. Those two specific failed SMART results, what exactly would cause them in terms of HD problems? Bearing in mind that it passes every single other SMART parameter, am I looking at unmapped bad blocks, a physical problem with the head, a loose wire, a bad motor, or what? I'm just wondering specifically what might be wrong with the drive, out of pure curiosity more so than anything else. The fact that most parameters pass suggests to me that it's one very specific malfunction as opposed to the drive generally imploding.
    A surface scan from TTP crashed, but not before giving me about 30 "Used block is not a file" messages.
    Finally, to temporarily use this drive, what's the procedure? If it's unmapped bad blocks, to I erase and install, or do I go into the whole "zero all data, then reformat" option? I have a backup image taken last night from the external drive which I can restore to the internal any time I want, and as I say with so many backups and so few deadlines ahead of me I don't mind messing around a bit and experimenting.
    So if it IS a bad block issue, what does one do to force it to map them?

    Had a feeling. As I say it's already fully backed up and ATM I'm running the machine off a partition on the external. But as I say, I'm curious as to what's actually wrong with it - what type of damage / failure would cause those specific smart parameters to fail but not the rest? The motor, the head, the disk surface, what?

  • "Unable to initialize video deck" inquiry

    I am new to Mac and FCE, so I ask for some slack...
    I am trying to get video from my Panasonic AG DVX 100 into FCE.
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    Here's my issue: With the first project complete, I want to import some new video into FCE and start another project. I connect the camera to the Mac via firewire (the white cable that I bought at the Mac store). When I go to "File" in FCE, I go to capture, and I get the following message:
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    I can't seem to track down "capture presets" , so that's my first issue. This was not a problem the first time I captured video. While at the Mac store, we plugged the camera into other Macs, but still would not get a signal. On FC, it would recognize the camera for a second or two, then flash the "no communication" error. The Mac folks believed it was a camera video out issue.
    Some additional factors:
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    2. Back to my original project, I imported video into FCE using this cable and a different mini dv camera (sony). It worked with the Sony camera, but will not work with this Panasonic.
    I asked another friend, a MAC/FC/Panasonic DVX 100 guy, and he has never encountered this particular error message. He believes it's some setting within the computer that can be fixed through a software patch.
    I would be most grateful for insight into solving what is likely a problem others have experienced. Please keep in mind that I am new to this whole process, and will likely show this thread to the people at the Mac store during my next one-on-one class.
    Thank you very much.

    David:
    Thanks for your suggestion. I did check the firewire to ensure it's securely in place, and it seems like it is.
    I did connect this camera and this firewire into a friend's macbook, and the signal was successfully received.
    So I don't think it's a "loose wire" possibility. We also checked another camera into my Mac's firewire port, and it was successful.
    So for some unknown reason, this particular Mac will not recognize this particular camera.
    Again, your insights are greatly appreciated.

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