MAC PRO USB Problem - Traced to bad Apple Keyboard Extension Cable

I found a fix to a problem synching to my itunes Library on my early 2008 MAC PRO. The Apple supplied USB extension cable for the keyboard was defective.
The symptoms were hangs in itunes and finder synching to iPods and transferring data to USB hard drives. The iPods and hard drives never lost power and no errors/log entries were made. The transfers simply stalled and would not continue. itunes and finder would hang until the drive or ipod was removed. These devices were installed directly to USB ports on the MAC PRO. No other USB devices were connected except for the aluminum keyboard and mighty mouse; the mouse was connected to the keyboard. The keyboard was connected using the USB extension cable that shipped with the MAC PRO.
Hardware diagnostics were all clear. The keyboard and mouse never had any connection problems. Only itunes syncs and hard drive copies would fail; these would occur at random times. I had an open ticket with Apple to have the logic board replaced as it was diagnosed to be a hardware/USB problem.
Removal or replacement of the extension cable on the keyboard (which was connected to a different USB port and NOT in the USB chain with the ipod and hard drives) permanently fixed the problem. I cancelled the Apple HW replacement.
I have noted several posts with others having problems with USB ports and devices. I wonder if Apple has an unknown problem with bad keyboard extension cables.

I think you may be onto something there. I'm just a few weeks into my second Mac Pro and again it's having the same USB problems which led Apple to give me a replacement machine previously. I went through several weeks of considerable testing with Apple Engineers prior to that - an Apple Care application to collect data from my machine, Apple Developer USB prober and two clean installs. The latest machine initially showed no sign of the problem then it started again - 2 iPods "can not be read or written to" part way through sync, Aperture quitting importing from USB SD card reader, USB drives dismounting etc. So I pulled out the Aluminium keyboard and, lo and behold, the iPods managed to get all the way through synching without errors. I really like the alu keyboard so it's a huge shame that it might be the cause of all my problems so far - and the Mac Pro is otherwise a beautiful computer.
But is this really a hardware problem of the internal USB cards and power management or supply?

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Apple Keyboard Extension Cable

Does anyone know where I can acquire an extension cable for my USB Apple Keyboard that exceeds 6 feet?
I was told that the cable has connect directly to the rear panel of my Power Mac G4 due to voltage reasons, so most off-the-shelf USB extension cables will not work. Also, you cannot simply connect two Apple 3 foot extension cables back-to-back as this won't work either.
Sure would appreciate solutions...

A normal USB extension cable will work. Look for one with thick wires. Apple was concerned about their keyboard extension cable overheating if used with high power USB devices, so they use a special connector that will only work with Apple keyboards.

New Mac Pro USB Problems!

It seems the new Mac Pro cannot recognize certain devices. Such as my Access Virus Ti synthesizer- users cannot get the Mac to recognize the USB connection from the Virus. Please help. I'm losing my mind after 7 hours trying to figure it out and the only indication is that the USB ports on the new mac are possibly incompatible... Please tell me I can still use my $3000 instrument with my new $4500 mac pro which i just bought SPECIFICALLY to use with this VIrus Ti synthesizer!
Link to Virus Ti user forums showing other people with the same problemhttp://www.virus.info/forum/index.php/Thread/5522-MacPro-trashcan-and-TI-Anyone- got-it-working/?postID=28004&highlight=trash%2Bcan#post28004

From what you said it appears that the synthesizer is not compatible. That would be a problem for the synthesizer manufacturer to resolve.

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http://web.mac.com/jerimydulay/Site/MyAlbums/Pages/Lacie_FirewireMIDI.html
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Thats odd, seeing as Apple have it listed in the Support article:
To reset the SMC on a Mac Pro:
1) From the Apple menu, choose Shut Down (or if the computer is not responding, hold the power button until it turns off).
2) Unplug all cables from the computer, including the power cord and any display cables.
3) Wait at least fifteen seconds.
4) Plug the power cord back in, making sure the power button is not being pressed at the time. Then reconnect your keyboard and mouse to the computer.
5) Press the power button to start up your computer.
It does exactly the same thing as the SMC_RST button, simply by removing all power from the system. I would assume the reason for this would be that the SMC settings are stored in RAM, which is erased once the power is removed from the board, hence the minimum 15 secs wait which gives time for the capacitors in the power supply and system to discharge.
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Using Apple USB Keyboard Extension Cable for Power

I have a USB keyboard extension cable. Part number is 591-0079. Can I use that to extend the power cable for my iPad when it is plugged in? Can I also use it for my iPhone?
I wanted to check first to make sure because it predates the iPad and the iPhone.
Thanks any advance.

So there won't be any problems transferring power through it? It will charge iPad and iPhone without any trouble?

I have a lot of disconnection problems with my bluetooth apple keyboard

can you recommand a bluetooth dongle?
I have disconnection problems with my bluetooth apple keyboard & trackpad. I use windows 7. my pc is ~ 5 meters frpm my keyboard.
BTW - my microsoft mouse works great!
thanks,
gil

Here is an apple article about redeeming digital copies: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1539

Pple 24" LED and Mac Pro usb connection problem

Hi,
I'm having issues with my Mac Pro 8 core (2008) connected to an Apple 24" LED. I have a Radeon HD 4870 graphics card installed in the Mac so I can use the Apple LED mini displayport connection. The video works perfectly fine but to use the built-in speakers and iSight in the Apple LED I have to use the USB cables and connect them to the USB sockets of the Mac Pro. This is where the problem seems to be as after a time using the Mac it crashes in a strange manner and I get a few lines of coding and the Mac shuts down on its own. I've used Dr Botts extension cables to extend to reach of the USB cables which I thought maybe the issues and taken this off and I've also unplugged any devices plugged into the extra USB sockets on the Apple LED. I think it's something to do with using the speakers as playing video seems to crash the Mac also but once I unplug the USB cables the video plays fine, but without speaker sound. Has anyone had similar problems and have any solutions?
Thanks in advance.
Alec

I have had no problem at all.
Assume you have considered: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2400
If you have concerns about possible extension cable reliablity, you might want to consider trying a spare such as this one that is available from the Store: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H6730LL/A/
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early09) 2.93Ghz OSX 10.7.2 24" LED Cinema Display

Mac Pro USB port problem

The front USB ports on my 2010 Mac Pro aren't working. Every time I boot the Mac, I get a message window - twice - saying they were drawing too much power, and have been switched off, even though they're empty.
I've tried resetting the PRAM, powering off and unplugging everything and removing the battery from the logic board. Nothing has worked. The two front-facing FireWire ports are working, but the USB ports just won't come alive. Does anyone have any further ideas?

I would run the Apple Hardware Test:
Checking for a Hardware Problem
If you suspect a hardware problem, use the Apple Hardware Test application to help
determine if there’s a problem with one of the Mac Pro components.
To use Apple Hardware Test:
1. Disconnect all external devices from your Mac Pro, except the display, keyboard,
and mouse.
If you have an Ethernet cable connected, disconnect it.
2. Restart your Mac Pro while holding down the D key.
3. When the Apple Hardware Test chooser screen appears, select the language you
want to use.
4. Press the Return key or click the right arrow button.
5. When the Apple Hardware Test main screen appears (after about 45 seconds), follow
the onscreen instructions.
6. If Apple Hardware Test detects a problem, it displays an error code. Make a note of the
error code before pursuing support options. If Apple Hardware Test doesn’t detect a
hardware failure, the problem may be software related.
You may also consider replacing the front panel board.

I suffer from the problem of cutting picture and sound when Link Mac Pro with the TV via the Apple TV Is there a solution to the problem

Have trouble cutting (the delay) picture and sound when Link Mac Book Pro with the TV via the Apple TV Is there a solution to the problem.
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Apple Mac Pro Export Problems!

I have a the new Mac Pro with 6 core 3,5Ghz 64GB and AMD Fire pro 2x 3072MB GPU 256gb ssd and im trying to export a movie in MP4.
Export time is 10 hours?!??! Movie size is 48gb
My movie is: AVHCD, Length 4 hour, Res: 1920x1080 44khz,
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When i export the SAME movie on a Macbook Pro Retina 2,3 Ghz i7 16GB 500gb sad, Nvidia Geforce GT750 2048MB it takes 40min. ???
I have update all my software. And i dont know what the problem is??

I don't have the new MP so afraid I can't give any informed feedback. Ten hours does seem long… while 40 minutes for an H.264 encode of a 4 hour movie is far faster than I would have expected. Perhaps someone who has your model – or something similar – will weigh in.
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Mac Pro USB and FW800 ports not working

I've been reading tons of forum entries in the Apple Support Community and in other forums. Nothing seems to answer quite what's going on with my Mac Pro Tower.
Here are the details and steps taken up to now:
- I'm running a Mac Pro Tower (MacPro 3,1, 2x 2,8GHz Quad Core, Early 2008 model), currently running OS 10.6.8
- I moved before the holidays in December and left my computer unplugged for over month while away. Didn't have any issues before the move.
- up until the last couple of weeks, I had actually been running on Leopard (yes, I'm a luddite!, please, no teasing )
- I was trying to update my ipod touch's iOS and kept getting errors preventing it from completing the process. At first I thought it was an ipod app causing the issue after having read a few threads on that topic...
- Also, on startup, the Mac started searching for a Bluetooth keyboard, of which I don't have, and would not detect my usb keyboard. I would disconnect and reconnect the keyboard and the majority of the time, the Mac would then recognize my USB keyboard.
- I decided to upgrade to Snow Leopard, which didn't help with the iPod update. I did not do a clean install.
- Then I noticed that my USB stick wasn't working and tried it in all the usb ports (except the ones on the keyboard)
- Also, I had removed and then reinstalled printer and scanner drivers for my All-in-one printer. After this I kept getting constant communication errors between the mac and the printer via the usb port, although I was able to print a test page.
- I've used Hardware Test once which didn't detect any issue.
- I reset the SMC
- I reset the PRAM, and for a few seconds I was able to read from my USB stick, then never again, even after another PRAM reset.
- I've cleaned the whole inside of the computer and checked for loose cables. Cables are in so tight it's so hard to loosen them!
- I now tested all the ports:
     ∞ the 2 front and 3 back USB ports are unresponsive to my usb key and to my VoyagerQ dock
     ∞ the front and back FW800 ports are unresponsive to my VoyagerQ dock
     ∞ However, the keyboard works in any fo the back ports and my USB stick is recorgnized by the USB port of the keyboard.
     ∞ I also plugged in my Logitech webcam into the keyboard and it works there but not in any other port.
     ∞ When I plug in USB powered speakers into any of the ports, they work fine
     ∞ And the FW400 ports are also working fine with my VoyagerQ dock
- a few times, including once today, my mac restarted by itself. The times before today, I thought it was because I was sort of moving back the computer in place, but today I was nowhere near the computer.
So what does this all mean? Should I do a clean install of the Mac OS? Or is it a problem with my Logic Board?
Any insight please would be helpful. I had Apple Care and missed the reminder to renew it so I really hoping not to spend more money than necessary.

Thanks Grant,
The battery is a start and something inexpensive to replace.
I did do a PRAM reset (command + option + P + R) and was able to hear the chime 4 times. I tried resetting it a number of times over the past week, as well as yesterday with no success in reviving the USB ports. But isn't it weird that my USB powered speakers work by plugging them in any USB port (with the mini jack pugged in the back or front earphone plug)?
I did not use the USB ports on the keyboard until yesterday, so that is not the cause of the other USB and FW800 ports failing. But I'll follow your suggestion and not use them except for the mouse.
Another weird thing that happened yesterday, I have 16GB of RAM and I spent all day trying to troubleshoot a RAM issue that is magically fixed after leaving the computer on overnight to do an extended Hardware Test. The issue was:
- Only 8 RAMS were being recognized
- a red LED light appeared on the top riser
- first I thought I had isolated the faulty RAM bar, and then a second one
- Then going pair by pair again, I no longer saw the LED light
- Put back all 8 bars, only 8 GB of RAM recognized
- Left computer overnight running Hardware test (said it took almost 3 hours, with no errors)
- Now all 16 GB are recognized!
Thanks again for the tips

My Mac pro 2008, not running after the Apple logo, i rebooting and i rebooting

My Mac Pro 2008 no boot afther the Logo Apple, reboot, reboot and reboot only, and in XP, the graphic is pertubed with bad graphics ... the mémory it's good, and i thinks my card graphic is out. SRY for my english, it's not my language. Help my please, my apple care is finished 10/2011, and i will repared itself. Many thanks. Alain Muno

Not saying this IS your problem, but … I just went through avery similar problem with Mac Pro3,1. Here is my story.
On boot of any Mac OP system drive, internal or externalHDD, (Lion or Snow Leopard), original Mac Pro install CD, Snow Leopard CD,nothing. (Would only go to gray screen,apple logo, spinning gear that would stop spinning after about a minute.) But, it would boot on XP drive. However, in XP, on Windows black startupscreen, had alternating columns of two different patters of blue dots and XPgraphics were not as they should be (larger icons on desk top, slow response,different size of desk top (maybe 600x400 when it should have been1024x768). Supplied hardware test showedno failures. Took it to shop. Their better diagnostics showed nofailures. All peripherals (my drives, myCDs, etc, disconnected. (NOTE: they didnot try a new video card since they did not have one.) Still would not start even using their drives(external or internal). Shop tried a newlogic board. That did not work and theyput the original one back in. Shop saidall they could come up with was new processors. This was not a cost effective option and they had none to try.
After thinking about it more, I figured it could be thevideo card: the original 8800 GT that came with the Mac: that it was so bad itwould not start in Mac OS but would limp along in XP. I was all set to buy another vid card one-bay just to try. While doing thatresearch, came across several articles on the Internet that discussed vid cardfailure due to micro-cracks in some solder joints. These develop due to age/heat cycles. The proposed fix was to ‘reflow’ the solder. Figured it was worth a try before spendingthe money on a new vid card. Found thesedetailed instructions on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7um_hZYom4 I followed the procedure, put the vid cardback in, and now it works just fine.
I did not and would not do this until I had ruled outeverything else. But, it has worked forothers and it did work for me.

Mac Pro USB Failure.

Hello people!
Several months ago, i started to notice some problems with USB devices and built-in USB Ports. The problem is started with these symptomes:
After some working, all USB internal USB ports stop to giving power to usb devices. Only works that had power from another powered hubs like in my Apple Cinema Display.
It can causes at any time, but more expectedly at adding some USB devices (nevermind what, even flash card) to built-in ports of a Mac Pro.
And here is the logs:
Dec 30 18:53:24 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: 0            0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
Dec 30 18:55:34 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero
Dec 30 19:07:36 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1003.270 [0xd45b700] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 3 of Hub at 0xfd000000)
Dec 30 19:07:36 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1003.443 AppleUSBHubPort[0xfedfe00]::FatalError - Port 1 of Hub at 0xfd300000 reported error 0xe00002ed while doing setting port power
Dec 30 19:07:36 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1003.544 AppleUSBHubPort[0x1015ec00]::FatalError - Port 2 of Hub at 0xfd300000 reported error 0xe00002ed while doing setting port power
Dec 30 19:07:36 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1003.579 AppleUSBHubPort[0xfedf700]::FatalError - Port 3 of Hub at 0xfd300000 reported error 0xe00002c0 while doing setting port power
Dec 30 19:07:51 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: Keyboard Hub::terminate(kIOServiceSynchronous) timeout
Dec 30 19:07:54 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1021.269 [0xd45b700] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
Dec 30 19:09:58 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1145.583 [0xd45b700] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 3 of Hub at 0xfd000000)
Dec 30 19:10:01 Viktors-Mac-Pro kernel[0]: USBF: 1148.583 [0xd45b700] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
But today this problem fully transform to another way. Now, USB devices are all works normal during work in OS which is Mac OS X 10.7.2 Server. But before it, OS booted two times. First time is a Cold Start, which is loooong and sloow. Especially, my OS booted from a RAID-0 of a two SSD drives (during normal start it takes 2 seconds to boot). Then still during boot procces, all USB devices turned off, and Mac Pro self-rebooted automatically. Second time he booted is normal fast startup without a problem.
These i found using dmesg:
[KLogClient]start(0x12a26f80)
[KLog]neUserClient() client = 0
[KLog]Closing: 0xfe69c00
[KLog]userclient ref: 0 0xfe69c00
[KLog]userclient ref: 1 0x10236000
[KLog]userclient ref: 2 0x1022d900
[KLog]Closing: 0x10236000
[KLog]userclient ref: 0 0x10236000
[KLog]userclient ref: 1 0x1022d900
           0            0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
           0            0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
           0            0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
[KLog]Closing: 0x1022d900
[KLog]userclient ref: 0 0x1022d900
Tried to do some testing. Booting to my second OS (Mac OS X 10.4.11 Server) makes the same effect during cold start. And what strange, in boot logs didn't any mention about what causes to reboot. It also does this double boot even if i turn out all USB devices from ports. Resetting SMC and PRAM, clearing and rebuilding Kernel Cache does nothing. Reported to Appel Bug reports... Can't understand what happens, and what to do... Everything was good before the 10.6.7 update. And it get much worse in Lion.
mac: Mac Pro 2,1 (2007)

Hello!
I would start by checking which hub is pointed by the mentionned address (0xfd300000).
Do you have Apple Developer Tools installed? If yes, open “IORegistryExplorer” or “USB Prober” and check which hub is referenced. Then, you could start inspecting its properties.
If you don't have them… well, install them

MAC PRO USB Problem - Traced to bad Apple Keyboard Extension Cable

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