I have a powerbook, my P2 card won't mount, I made sure I installed the software the P2 card needs to use on my computer. I even tried it on my partners powerbook. And it doesn't work.

BUT... it's worked before. Has this ever happened to any of you yet?

We see the icon up at the top right, but nothing happens.. usually the P2 card makes the powerbook shut down after you insert it, then it mounts itself.

?????????????

I hate it when crap like this doesn't work. It makes me want to call panasonic and say, "give me a new freaking p2 card!"

This all started after I did the PC transfer through Firewire. I "connected" and dumped the footage. I just wanted to see how it worked. And it worked. The P2 mounts via firewire and I dumped the footage.

But now the P2 won't mount by itself in the powerbook.

Also when I first started working with the HVX I could watch all clips even with different resolutions and variable frame rates. Now if there are any clips that have different resolutions or frame rates I can only view the thumbnails in the camera if my "recording settings" are the same as those thumbnails.

Please someone use the method to dump footage through firewire and then see if it effects the P2 as a stand alone in the powerbook.

Thanks,

David

Also when I first started working with the HVX I could watch all clips even with different resolutions and variable frame rates. Now if there are any clips that have different resolutions or frame rates I can only view the thumbnails in the camera if my "recording settings" are the same as those thumbnails.

Dave,

I've had similar problems to this thread with no real answers. I figured that my camera had to be in the same mode as when the clips were recorded to play back. I haven't found away around this and assumed there was none. Not such a big deal for me as I won't pause that much to check thumbnails.

In addition, my PowerBook has locked up multiple times after ejecting a P2 card and then trying to insert a new one. However, I've never had it deny a card once I restarted ... they've all mounted to this point. Very odd ...

My only thought has been to trim down my system. I currently have a pretty dirty system with a lot of stuff I'm not using floating around. I'm hoping that once I clean it up I'll see less problems.

Sorry for no real answers here ... just comisery.

Guys,

Unfortunately I still don't have any P2 cards myself to try this however, here are some general troubleshooting tips and the proper method for getting your PB to talk to the P2 properly:

- First and foremost you need to make sure your PB is up to date. Goto Software Update in the Apple menu and make sure you've downloaded all the latest OS updates.

NOTE: I have heard some rumblings that iMovie HD *might* have an incompatibility with P2 media and the MXF files. Although you may not be trying to look at your clips in iMovie, if after all these steps things still don't work correctly AND you have iMovie HD on your system, try uninstalling it and all it's associated folders. I have not confirmed this myself yet, but it's worth looking at.

- The next thing is to make sure the permissions are correct on your main HD. Use Disk Utility, click on the main drive and hit "Repair Permissions" on the lower left hand of the DU box. Don't be surprised if you see a huge list of things that are being corrected, it's a common thing.

- While in Disk Utility you should also do a low-level disk verify - hit the "Verify Disk" on the right. If it finds errors, repair them. If Disk Utility is unable to repair them, boot from the Mac OS Install disk by holding down the "C" key during restart, open up the Disk Utility there and try another "Verify/Repair Disk" while the main drive is unmounted. If it still can't repair itself then you've got a problem. Try running Alsoft's "Disk Warrior" on the affected drive to repair the damage. 9 times out of 10 it can and will.

- If you have Tech Tool Pro 4 I highly recommend using it; if you don't have it, buy a copy. TTP4 and Disk Warrior are invaluable tools to not only keep your system running smoothly but fix problems when they crop up.

- Download the free app: MacJanitor - http://personalpages.tds.net/~brian_hill/downloads.html . Use this to "clean up" a host of temp files and logs that should be cleared out on a regular basis.

Once you've completed all the maintenance routines, reboot/restart the system.

Now for proper P2 handling:

The P2 card is to the Mac (or PC) another drive that is mountable, which means dismounting properly is really important. Here's the best method for handling any external drive regardless how it's connected to the PB:

- Ensure that no active program is running (FCP, PS, iTunes etc) and connect the drive/card. Transfer the files off the card.

- Once you're done using the card do NOT simply push it out of the PCMCIA slot, you MUST first tell the OS that you're going to "EJECT" it. Use either the "EJECT" command in the "FILE" menu or, if you have a two-button mouse right click on the drive/card and select "EJECT" or, hold down the "CONTROL" key on the keyboard and click on the drive and you'll get the same menu. The drive will un-mount and then it can be safely removed. (This process is the same for PC's using the "safely eject" command which is the green arrow in the system tray) NOTE: You must be sure that the card/drive is not being accessed when you try to EJECT it - doing so may cause your system to lock-up or freeze.

If you follow this troubleshooting and proper handling method and still have problems you might either have a hardware issue or even a software conflict somewhere.

Updated reply...

I was using my MAC-MINI and mounted the HVX200 via firewire. The OS recognized the 2 P2 cards as disks. I imported them both into final cut pro. Edited for a while. Then I turned off the camera and it all went south. The OS got mad because I improperly dismounted a drive (2) and then FCP locked up tight. I couldn't even hit ALT+CTRL+DELETE to get to task manager! :)

Seriously....I had to do a hard shutdown. Not good. Is this the typ of problem you are talking about?

And if FCP locks up again....what are the steps to take on a MAC to kill it and start over?

THanks!

I was using my MAC-MINI and mounted the HVX200 via firewire. The OS recognized the 2 P2 cards as disks. I imported them both into final cut pro. Edited for a while. Then I turned off the camera and it all went south. The OS got mad because I improperly dismounted a drive (2) and then FCP locked up tight.

Marty,

I've had that problem before with a P2 card in my card slot on my PowerBook. So, I've made it a habit to eject the P2 cards after importing and before editing. I haven't had a problem since then with that issue. I figure the less links in the chain the better! Shutting down elements that are in use by your computer is, obviously, not recommended. ;o)

As for the hard-shutdown. Unfortunately if the OS locks up completely and not even a "force quit" works then you're pretty much stuck. It's gonna happen from time to time ... :o(

Robert's comments above are great on proper P2 handling ... even though the poor soul doesn't own one.

two things......

1)how do you force quit an application?
2)after a hard rebbot my Mac would no longer read my USB2 drive. I went into disk utility and it saw the drive but would not mount it because there was an error. I tried first aid and nothing worked. I mounted it on a windows PC (FAT32) and it appeared to read it fine. However to get it to work on the MAC I had to erase it and create a new volume.

Have you ever seen a FCP lockup screw up the file sytem on a drive before? Luckily I had nothing else on the drive so I could afford to erase it. But this concerns me. I can't have FCP trashing drives!

1)how do you force quit an application?


Press COMMAND (i.e. the "apple" button) + OPTION + ESCAPE all at the same time ... that'll bring up the "force quit" window. Most of the time this will save you. If not then you have to do hard reset (i.e. turn it off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.)

I've seen some odd things happen after a full lock up but that's rare. Usually FCP doesn't remember what was going on and I have to go back to my latest saved file or my latest auto-save backup.

As for the USB drive I have no idea there. Sorry on that one. I'd turn it off, unplug it then shut the whole system down, turn on the USB drive and then restart the Mac. I've never seen it not recognize a drive completely unless I was messing around with the drive directly (like with TechTool or something.)

Robert's comments above are great on proper P2 handling ... even though the poor soul doesn't own one.

Actually, I did borrow one 4GB card just to test with and see what oddities I could conjure up.

As shown above, trying to work in FCP while the camera is connected or even with a P2 card mounted is a real bug with FCP. I've talked with Apple techs about this; because this whole HVX system is so new they hadn't heard about these issues yet. I've copied them on the above posts and they have put them into the "fix the problem" grinder with their research techs.

1. Make sure when you mount the P2 card in the powerbook that the "write-protect" switch is flipped. So you can see the orange. It's right on the back of the card. The PB wll handle the card much easier. It's been great for me.

2. As for going through firewire doing the PC connect I haven't had any issue with this. I make sure to let it connect before I open FCP. But if you are talking about recording directly that a different issue.

You have to make sure to mount and dismount the P2 card just like any other drive. If you don't you will have problems. Just like any othe drive.

count me in on the P2 freezes when I eject. It's so frustrating. It's got to EVENTUALLY be damaging to SOMETHING. I always make sure my card is write protect, but this totally negates the convenience of a P2 card. I don't know what to do. It freezes EVERY time.

David,
This is pretty common with the duel adapter if that is what you are using. Restarting the Mac after transferring a card seems to be the most reliable method to clear the issue. Other people have recommended picking up a p2 Store which has less problems than the SXS slot adapter but could be slower. I wouldn't say it totally negates the P2 workflow but it does require a bit more time and attention than it should.

Is the Duel Adapter the PCMCIA slot that's on the older G4 Powerbooks? If so, yes that's what I'm using. This is so frustrating. Every time I do a hard reboot I just KNOW I'm slowly but surely screwing up my Mac & P2 card.

When you say to reboot after I transfer the footage, do you mean to NOT EJECT, reboot, then eject and it will not freeze?

Hey David, The slot on the G4 is not the duel adapter which is needed for Macs with SXS but it sounds like you are having similar issues. Not sure what system you have on the Mac etc but the best thing to try and do is figure out if you want to power down after the transfer so you can eject properly or some other technique which gives you less problems. Given the issues age with these computers you will have to come up with your own least problematic solution. Certainly protecting the card before inserting it is recommended.

so, a year later i am now having the exact same problem as the OP. my cards all of a sudden wont mount yet I see the PCMCIA logo at the top of the OS! What gives!

great news, I re-installed the P2 software and it works like a charm!