Help - Can't shut down my G4

[Evolution]

I rearranged all my studio kit today but it seemed to be working allright.

Now I can't shut down my G4.

Every time I tell it to shut down it acts as if I told it to restart.

PCI slots (unchanged - i was rearranging my interfaces)
1 AGP Graphics card
2 Mix Core
3 Mix Farm
4 Adaptec 2906

The last card is in there until I can get the relevant cable from Atto for my Dual Channel card to my sampler.

I have tried shutting down with extensions off too.

This happened before. The day I got the G4 I put in an adaptec 2940 and a MOTU PCI 328.

Is this a faulty computer or is the Adaptec card at fault ?

I really don't want to just pull the plug on the Mac as I don't think it is very good for it.

Lastly this same config has worked fine for several months now so I don't know why it has decided to do it s thing now.

Could it be an intermittent G4 PT gremlin ? or even a G4 thing ?

Thanks for any tips. I am hoping to go away for easter not babysit a sick mac

[Peter Steinbach]

A little off the subject, but I noticed that you are trying to have a sampler on your atto chain. I have been unable to have my Emu e6400 mounted while on the atto. My theory is that atto will not mount a device that it cannot install a driver onto. This would certainly include a sampler, as well as CD-rom drives and cd burners. Again, this is just a theory. It may be a cable length issue, etc etc. I have'nt had time to properly diagnose the problem. But perhaps you should beware.
Good Luck, ps

[CHRIS AIKEN]

Hey Peter,
I don't have a sampler but my atto mounts or sees my yamaha 4416 cdr.

[Evolution]

Thanks for the advice about the sampler Peter, that would be a real problem for me.

As for the power button I tried that last night just about the time I posted this thread but it went into sleep (or tried to - I got a message saying one of my cards doesn't support sleep). dcornutt - I didn't hold it down for a long enough time so thanks for the tip.

I think I might have isolated the problem. It seems strangely enough to be something to do with the imate USB ADB driver 2.0b or the Entrega USB hub I have been using. 'Preliminary tests' seem to show that without the hub everything is ok again.

USB sucks. I have had problems with every USB peripheral I have had.

QPS QUE CD-RW
MOTU midi timepiece AV USB
MOTU midi express XT USB
Entrega USB Hub
Apple keyboard on my early model G3
Imation Superdisk 2x

Don't like USB for midi. Superdisk has been flaky for authorisations. QPS CD-RW is lousy.

I am not suggesting firewire mice, but in my experience USB has been unreliable.


Oh I forgot - my imate ADB adapter for my waves dongle/apple flat panel has also been dodgy


[This message has been edited by Evolution (edited April 22, 2000).]

[joeshepard]

Does this happen if you start with extensions turned off? If not, you should invest in Casady&Greene's Extension Manager replacement, Conflict Catcher. It's great at helping you find which extension or control panel is hanging things up. Once the offending bugger is found alot of times you can delete it along with all associated files then do a fresh reinstall and all is well again.

A little off the subject, once I get a system folder that seems really stable, I burn a CD-R of it so when things get screwy I can just revert back to my stable copy

Joe

[dcornutt]

To shut down your mac without pulling the plug...press the power button (not the one on the keyboard)..and continue to hold till it shuts down. It takes about 10 seconds or so..but it will shut down.

dfc

[MARVINBASS]

I think there is major problems with USB. Apple need to look into this. Digi is aware of a driver problem and will fix it in v5.01.

[dcornutt]

Troubleshooting these kinds of problems lately are difficult..mainly..as you have surmised from all the drivers/adapters/USB..etc.

In my recent encounters fixing others new G4's..this is what I have come across..

Bad ram..in more than one brand new G4.
Yep..thats right..made in Korea (not that I have anything against Korea ..but)..odd shaped, doesn't fit just right and is of differing speeds.

The symptoms of this were..boot chime..but..black screen.

Heres another..and something..that may be more directly related to your problem. I think your instincts are correct..about the USB/driver issues.

When you boot up your machine..make sure you have ALL of your periphals (Que drive..and anything else that needs power) powered up..before you boot. You may have..in the course of time...booted your machine..with one or more devices turned off. (this Might explain why the machine worked fine..then..suddenly didn't)..[look for what changed]

I noticed that even after replacing the bad ram..that occasionaly his machine would hang on boot to a grey screen. I finally traced this to devices that were not powered up but connected to USB or firewire. Seems the OS looks..and looks..and looks for it..but it also sometimes would just hang there. Also, and this is what makes me think your problem is related..another big symptom was..that whenver it hung looking for a turned off USB/firewire device..it wouldn't shut down! Thats How I knew about holding the start button until it did. I had to do it 30 times!

This person had the Que firewier CDr/rw and if it wasn't powered on before starting the G4..usually it would give a grey screen..and lock up. The other device that caused startup/wacky freezes..was microtek scanner software..which by default is set to scan the USB bus at start up. Even after escaping out of that..it would leave the machine hobbled and it would freeze..and have to be forced off. So, all of these are USB/firewire related. The symptoms are similar..and I thought I would mention it.

The first thing to do is to try the "everything powered on..before boot"..and see if it helps.
If that doesn't work then the easiest way to trouble shoot this..is to yank ALL the USB/firewire devices (except keyboard and mouse)and disable the drivers for it in extensions manager (also check the system folder as not all items in the extension folder are listed in extensions manager). Now, use your machine. Problem still exists? If yes..then..it might be your SCSI card. Yank it..and its drivers. Still Exist? Then,..at this point..I would recomend a clean install of the OS..and install ONE thing at a time....until you locate the culprit.

If removing all the USB devices and drivers..solved the problem...then..add them back..one at a time..till you find the culprit. Your G4 should be solid..and reliable and consistant. If you are having any display wierdness..such as menus slow to redraw..etc..things slow to open..then..there is a def problem.

Hope this helps. Its not scientific..but..it works most times.

dfc

[LCM]

have you tried NOT shutting off any digi I/O or any other peripheral before shutting off the computer?
My G4 500 mhz will not shut off ( it will re-start ad nauseum) if anything else that was on gets shutoff...