Unbelievable, Firewire not working with anything!
 

I'm not sure if it was the latest windows update or what, but EVERY machine in my office has stopped recognizing firewire 1394 devices. I've tried 3 cameras and a tape deck on 3 different computers and a laptop using a combination of 6 different cables. Everything was working fine yesterday and noticed my computer had rebooted when I got to work today with a windows update.

I can see the 1394 ports fine in device manager and there are no conflicts. Has anyone had this problem? It's nuts! Is there a UFO sapping my firewire energy?

Stop!

I have seen this happen, and have heard stories about this too. One of your devices had a bad firewire port and blew the first one you plugged it into. So you tried it on another computer, and blew it too. You probably tried a couple more and realized that something was wrong with the device. Too late. So now you make a known good firewire device and tried it in one of the blown computers, which then fried the new device. And so goes the spreading of the original problem.

I hope this isn't what has happened to you. If it is, you are in for a lot of trouble getting everything fixed and working without blowing things again as you try each device and computer again to see if it works.

Been there, done that.

I can't imagine that being the case, as I just read your post with my jaw on the floor. I can't believe that to be the issue and if it is, wow.

Another thing you can do is try "System Restore" to a point that everything was working.

Stelios

It happened to me. That is why I am so emphatic.

I plugged in a device, and it didn't work anymore. I was peeved and tried it on my notebook computer. It didn't work there either, so I plugged in another device which I knew was working just 10 minutes ago and it didn't work either. Off I go to a local store and ask to see if my devices work, they didn't.

So I purchased a PCI firewire card and installed it in my desktop computer. The devices didn't work on it either and I was now frightened that I just blew that card too.

I then plugged in my XL2 and held my breath while I waited for it to be recognized, and it was on the new card. I then threw caution to the wind and tried it on the old port and it didn't work. :O

Fearing I just carelessly ruined another more expensive device, I plugged it back in the new PCI card and it was fine. The port on my notebook was dead too. A PCMCIA card for the notebook got that back in order.

The original two devices still do not work on firewire, and neither do the original firewire ports on both computers. And yes, I tried a complete wipe and reinstall of the firewire devices on the computers.

There is only one conclusion, and that is the firewire failure on one device was such that it shorted out or overloaded anything it was plugged into and then those ports caused the same failure to anything they were connected to.

I didn't believe it was possible either, but I have proof. I have also read on some newsgroup or forums elsewhere of similar unexplained madness. I can't remember where I saw those postings now.

Well, according to you, I've just fried the firewire ports to my Sony HVR Z1u, Both of my Sony HVR A1U's, my Sony HVR M15u tape deck and all the firewire ports on 3 quad core machines and my laptop.

I believe ya, as your details are pretty much the same as mine. Now, I just don't know what to do. Unbelievable they would make something (firewire) that this would be an issue.

You are going to kick yourself if you didn't visit dvinfo.net three days ago:

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=114522

Hopefully it is just a diode on the ports in your devices and they aren't fried all the way through. Chances are you can get them repaired. The computers should be able to get new PCI cards or PCMCIA adapters. I wouldn't plug anything into the old ports anymore. Throw out the cables you used.

Perhaps a more tech minded member of this board could show us how to check to make sure our firewire ports have the right polarity and that our cables aren't wired wrong?

Hi Roger..................
 

I think before you throw yourself off something high.........

I don't know whether any of the cameras (suspected as having blown ports) have the same facility as the Canon XH A1 to talk to another camera, so this may be irrelevant.

However, as their ports are suspect, if this facility is available, try connecting two of them together and see if they'll talk. If they do, the ports are fine. If not, hmm, not looking good.

Just on the assumption you find two that will talk, and thus have working ports, you might want to try doing an "update rollback" on one of your PC's.

To do this:

Control Panel

Add/ Remove Programs

Tick "Show Updates"

Scroll to the bottom of the list where it will show all the auto updates from Microsoft with their load date.

If indeed you got one or more updates the night before this problem started, make a note of the numbers, then remove them.

Having done that, try one of the known working cameras on that PC. If it now works, it's the update. If not, it ain't.

Best I can do at this point.


CS

Alright, we have definitely fried all of our DV ports on our cameras, but we haven't seemed to fry other firewire ports in different computers (even tho we have plugged the faulty cameras in them) We have also identified the source computer that was destroying all the peripherals.

Watch your wiring kids! I still can't believe windows doesn't detect an error or anything and you can simply destroy one thing after the other while everything seems to be working fine.

How much time and money does it cost to get these DV ports on my cameras fixed anyway? Anyone have an estimate?

It's pretty ridiculous. $2000 for the high end Panasonics (but you can haggle them down to $1 K), and $250 for even the cheapest throwaway camera. I would not be surprised if Sony charges you around $500 for each camera and deck (no matter the actual cost to repair it).

For what it's worth Sony was real helpful in replacing these parts. Should take within 10 business days. Haven't received the bill yet so that may be a pitfall for what should be a simple fix.

Sonys main RMA number is 1 800 282 2848.

They have 2 places that will fix the high end cameras and DV decks. One in LA and one in NJ.

The number to NJ is 1 866 766 9272