HDX card may be stopping MacPro (2021) starting up. Ventura OS.

[MixerGuy]

Hi all

I have a strong suspicion that my HDX card is stopping MacPro (2021) mid start up. Ventura OS.

Most times (about 80% of the time) - when i try to start up the Mac Pro … I get an apple chime, and small apple logo, and the first part of a progress bar…. but then usually (not always) it kicks over to the Apple recovery option.

A while back (Sept 2023) I initially suspected the MacPro (2021) hardware, so it went to Apple store and the Apple techs there gave it lots of hardware tests…. zero issues starting up.
(it did not have my HDX card in it while it was at Apple)

Apple suggested that possibly some piece of hardware is interrupting the MacPro start up procedure …. and after some time this delay then kicks it over to Apple Recovery Partition.

This issue has been happening on and off since Sept 2023 (now March 2024) but in early Oct 2023 I switched to a Mac Studio Ultra with TB3 chassis on a different HDX card…. so i just havent gotten around to addressing this issue.

The ProTools HD drivers are up to date as of Sept 2023…. and the firmware of HDX cards is also up to date as of Sept 2023.

I have not had time to try a different HDX card in the MacPro… but i am confident that they all have the same firmware on them. (up to date)

yes ILOK software is up to date. i just checked.

Has anyone encountered anything like this before?

thanks!

[tope d]

Originally Posted by MixerGuy

Hi all

I have a strong suspicion that my HDX card is stopping MacPro (2021) mid start up. Ventura OS.

Most times (about 80% of the time) - when i try to start up the Mac Pro … I get an apple chime, and small apple logo, and the first part of a progress bar…. but then usually (not always) it kicks over to the Apple recovery option.

A while back (Sept 2023) I initially suspected the MacPro (2021) hardware, so it went to Apple store and the Apple techs there gave it lots of hardware tests…. zero issues starting up.
(it did not have my HDX card in it while it was at Apple)

Apple suggested that possibly some piece of hardware is interrupting the MacPro start up procedure …. and after some time this delay then kicks it over to Apple Recovery Partition.

This issue has been happening on and off since Sept 2023 (now March 2024) but in early Oct 2023 I switched to a Mac Studio Ultra with TB3 chassis on a different HDX card…. so i just havent gotten around to addressing this issue.

The ProTools HD drivers are up to date as of Sept 2023…. and the firmware of HDX cards is also up to date as of Sept 2023.

I have not had time to try a different HDX card in the MacPro… but i am confident that they all have the same firmware on them. (up to date)

yes ILOK software is up to date. i just checked.

Has anyone encountered anything like this before?

thanks!

Hi MixerGuy,

I've started a support case for you. It's under case number 04776122. Team will be in touch on this soon.

[MixerGuy]

Thank you so much Tope!!! Super appreciated!

BTW Apple was asking me "is there any other hardware connected to the Mac Pro at your studio?" and I explained no, just the HDX card..... and 2 avid interfaces to the HDX card.

[MixerGuy]

but in the meantime... has anyone else encountered this issue?

thanks.

[MixerGuy]

No one?

[rickparkhouse]

Yes I am having the same problem - HDX Card in a Sonnet chassis and the computer hangs on the Apple logo every time I boot up with that connected. Works fine if I connect it after boot up but I am having way more random crashes than before which I suspect is linked. I'm on Venture 13.6.4 and a 2019 Intel MBP. HDX driver is up to date. Did you find the solution?

[BScout]

One or three card chassis.
I've observed issues with the 1 card chassis (whether branded as Sonnet or Avid.) Swapping those to the 3 card chassis and the problem was solved (at the moment, have zero 1 card chassis in use now.)

They use different controller chips and I think there's a problem around the one in the 1 card version.

[MixerGuy]

Originally Posted by rickparkhouse

Yes I am having the same problem - HDX Card in a Sonnet chassis and the computer hangs on the Apple logo every time I boot up with that connected. Works fine if I connect it after boot up but I am having way more random crashes than before which I suspect is linked. I'm on Venture 13.6.4 and a 2019 Intel MBP. HDX driver is up to date. Did you find the solution?

Thanks for chiming in here... sorry to hear of your issues.

We don't have quite the same issue.. I'm on a MacPro 2019, so my HDX card is IN the Mac Pro, not a chassis of any kind.

and.... Avid is slowly slowly asking questions via support... no clear solution yet...

one thing i randomly discovered was.... if I try to boot and immediately do the old "Zap P Ram" (hold Option Apple PR) and let it re-chime once... then it is MAYBE more likely to then actually boot sucessfully after that.

It only ever gives me one additional chime, not multiple, as expected.

give that a try, and please report back here. Very curious if it works reliably for you! I have not clear info, yet.

[MixerGuy]

aaaannnnnddddddd Avid support has officially dropped the ball... after a couple (slow) back and forth emails....

[tonwurm]

Originally Posted by MixerGuy

aaaannnnnddddddd Avid support has officially dropped the ball... after a couple (slow) back and forth emails....

not good