Following tests conducted by PhoneNews.com, Toshiba has acknowledged an issue affecting their Canvio USB 3.0 hard drives. The issue prevents current-generation MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models from properly connecting and powering up the drives.
Read more to see our findings, and the resulting (ongoing) investigation by Toshiba.
We began our tests based on tips from readers like you, and went out and purchased five (yes, five) Canvio USB 3.0 drives, along with a brand new 2011 MacBook Air.
Drive problems happened immediately, and were relatively isolated to the MacBook Air. Of all the systems we tested on, we were only able to reproduce issues on a Sony VAIO laptop late in our testing, as well as a current-gen MacBook Pro.
Essentially, the drives failed to mount, and in most tests never even spun up on these systems.
The Canvio USB 3.0 hard drives have sat under many people’s Christmas trees, as they were hot sellers during Black Friday. Retailers like Office Depot slashed prices on the slim, 2.5-inch drives down to $79 for a 1TB hard drive. With coupons, Radio Shack was selling the 500GB model for a mere $39.
Canvio USB 3.0 drives tout on the box compatibility with USB 2.0 systems, including both Mac and PC. The advantage of a Canvio USB 3.0 hard drive for a MacBook owner lies in Thunderbolt. Purchasing such a drive today can achieve USB 3.0 speeds with upcoming Thunderbolt-to-USB 3.0 adapters. USB 3.0 mass storage was designed to be fully backwards compatible with USB 2.0.
To get to the bottom of the problem, we probed the five Canvio drives purchased, in an effort to better understand the issue. And, we were able to isolate the problem; the Canvio USB 3.0 drives draw more power than the USB standard permits. The drives were drawing, upon connection, slightly more than the five watts that the spec allows. And, the new MacBooks appear to promptly shut the device down because of this.
Why? Well, Apple can assert that this is to protect the MacBook Air/Pro from a malfunctioning USB device. However, the answer really lies in tablets. Apple allows iPad and MacBook to perform a hardware handshake, which then allows Apple devices to draw 10 watts from the USB port. This is why you can charge an iPad directly on a Mac, but not on a PC.
Apple does not want to allow rival tablet manufacturers (Android) to have the same access to Apple’s USB port. Hence, any device (like a tablet) that wants to draw even slightly more than five watts, is shut off from communicating with the Mac. We affirmed this by testing a powered USB hub. With a powered hub connected to the hard drive, and the hub connected to the MacBook, the drive instantly came to life, and worked without issue.
This creates a bit of an odd situation; Toshiba is technically in the wrong for making drives that technically breach USB specifications… but Apple seems to be the only manufacturer to enforce this aspect (as well as breach it with their own devices).
Toshiba, to its credit, has owned up to our issue, right down to our suggestion to them that a powered hub works around the issue. Quoting an official statement in response to our research:
Toshiba DPD has identified an isolated USB connectivity issue between the Canvio USB 3.0 drive and currently shipping MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops. The issue involves the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air being unable to recognize the Canvio USB 3.0 drive when connected directly to the laptop USB 2.0 port. Toshiba is actively working to remedy this USB connectivity issue. In the interim, Toshiba recommends MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users employ a powered USB hub to connect their Canvio USB 3.0 drives.
We have asked Toshiba if they intend to inform retailers to accept returns for affected drives, or if they will offer some form of refund program in the interim. Retailers such as Office Depot do not permit refunds on opened technology items, including Canvio drives. Toshiba has said are looking into that aspect of this problem, and will get back to us shortly.
In all, we spent a few hundred on hard drives, and confirmed the issue. Unfortunately, because it is a power drain concern, Toshiba will likely have to offer an exchange program to fix it. We seriously doubt that this can be fixed at the firmware level. Theoretically, it’s possible a USB cable replacement might be able to mitigate this issue however, so there is hope that Toshiba won’t have to recall a bazillion hard drives.
Update: As a follow-up, Toshiba has informed us that they have completed their investigation, and will replace affected drives.
There’s been a lot of discussion on the Apple forums about this and I think it’s pointing to more than a power issue. I got credit for a correct fix, using a micro USB cable (instead of a powered hub). It’s worked every time except when the cable turned out to have no data connection. I can’t really take credit for the fix, there’s some hints earlier in the thread (someone mentions a mini connector, another y-cables) and my job includes sorting out interface issues (from mechanical through software or electrical), so I had some tracks already laid out. I think the power issue may be possible, but it’s a result, not the problem cause. Something is triggering the Toshiba to go to USB 3.0 – it works fine on other USB 2.0 systems. The thread discussion is at:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3510032?start=0&tstart=0
Here’s the extract of where I feel the problem indicators are (page 4 of the thread)
Based on the discussions above, I think there’s more interplay going on with the cable, Apple’s hardware, and Toshiba’s Canvio circuitry. Regarding power, the Canvio drive should be able to run just with 2.0 power and apparently does on other machines. One blogger, Christopher Price, is posting ( https://phone.news/toshiba-acknowledges-macbook-woes-canvio-usb-3-0-hard-d rives-18699 )that this situation is because the Toshiba draws more power than the USB 3.0 specs allow. Then when it connects to an Apple system, the Apple system refuses to supply more power because Apple won’t let anything but another Apple device (like an iPad) draw excess power. The MacBook system is supposed to enforce this through some Apple proprietary protocol handshake. One of the proofs of this theory is that using a powered hub works. While possible, my outside guess is there’s a bit more going on here than that. That explanation totally sidesteps why USB 2.0 connections work – they supply a max of 500ma, but work okay (except Apple). Also, if a powered hub resolves the issue, unless they’re working with an extremely new hub, it’s a USB 2.0 spec hub. What a powered hub will due is provide extra isolation between the Apple connection and the hard drive, as it has components that process and split signals between the USB receptacles. Since other USB 3.0 drives (reportedly) work with the MB, and the Toshiba Canvio only hiccups with Apple, if this happened in one of my programs I’d haul in both parties and demand to know what non-standard signals Apple was sending down the line and why the Canvio couldn’t recognize none of the USB 3.0 connections were functioning and automatically drop to 2.0. Another possibility is also that the Toshiba has it exactly right, and the other USB 3.0 drives that work with MBs aren’t really fully 3.0 capable and miss the signaling. I’d love to see reports out there of trying to connect other USB 3.0 drives to an MB. I think Toshiba models were the first ones up because they were heavily promoted/discounted over the holidays. If all the others work flawlessly with USB 2.0 connections (including MBs), and run full up at USB 3.0 speeds on 3.0 connections, then it’s Toshiba and Apple. I’ve seen notes about connecting other drives, but no specific mention on systems that have 3.0 capability.
Great research, ArbyNav! You’re quite right, power could be a problem not a cause. However, that starts to get a little intertwined.
We did caution at the end of the report that a different cable could be the solution, and it does appear that different micro-USB cables may be the fix.
To the average reader, I would suggest to everyone that you avoid using the drives without Toshiba’s workaround (which is to use Toshiba’s cable and a powered, USB 2.0 hub) on the affected systems, until Toshiba finally fixes the problem. Toshiba only can assure no data loss that way at the moment.
My GoFlex 1.5 TB USB 3.0 drive worked fine with the Air we bought for the article, for what it’s worth.
If the fix is that simple, I doubt it will take Toshiba very long to offer a replacement program.
Western Digital My Passport Essential SE USB 3.0 drives and Seagate GoFlex Portable USB 3.0 drives do NOT have this problem. I have several and tested them myself, with various USB 3.0 cables. In fact, the Western Digital and Seagate drives work with their own cables, and the cables of other manufacturers, including Toshiba.
There’s nothing to speculate on in this area. This is a Toshiba-specific problem. Period.
Actually, this is not entirely correct. The power incompatibility issues has occurred with the WD My Passport Air USB 3.0 drives. I got one from the Apple Store recently as a mobile ™ backup disk for my Macbook Air, and it wouldn’t stay mounted. The Apple forums are littered with power issues with various brands of USB 3.0 drives. The most consistently reliable brand of low cost USB 3.0 drives I have found that work with all the Macbooks in our office are the Intenso range – problem is they are from Germany and hard to get is some places.
[…] this a Toshiba Canvio USB 3.0 drive, by chance? Toshiba Acknowledges MacBook Woes in Canvio USB 3.0 Hard Drives | PhoneNews.com __________________ Liquid and computers don't mix. It might seem simple, but we see an […]
This Canvio 3.0 HD has been a real pain. First I had to dig out my old Windows XP PC to reformat to FAT32 with SwissKnife. Then I plugged into a 2011 Macbook Pro running OS X 10.7.2 and it doesn’t work, presumably related to the power shortage described here. The power appears to be getting to the drive as the LED comes on, but does not show in Finder or DU
So I plug into my wife’s Macbook running 10.5.8. Works like a dream. Have managed to set up two partitions on the drive to use for Time Machine on my and my wife’s MacBooks.
Thats the reason I bought it, before I install Lion OS X 10.7.2 on her Macbook.
And thats where my question comes: This drive seems to work fine with Snow Leopard, Leopard, but not on Lion. That leads me to believe that this is an Apple problem.
I love Apple products, but their sociopathic need to shut people out of using non-Apple products is beginning to grate. I seem to remember this kind of attitude playing a large role in the downfall of many a large company, the most obvious being Xerox and Microsoft. It won’t be long before some new kid on the block comes up with something that really knocks the wind out of them.
Come on apple. This is becoming a major gripe about using Apple stuff.
It’s definitely a power problem. I’ve confirmed this on two Macbook Pro’s, an earlier version of Macbook Pro, and a PC. The only computer that would mount the drive was the earlier Macbook Pro. I did a bit of research and testing with powered USBs to find that it was truly a power issue. I went and bought a USB Y cable to give the drive more access to power and the drive now works on any computer you throw at it.
It just simply draws too much power for one USB port. End of story.
[…] is begining to enter the mobile space, while traditionally being a topic for PCs and laptops.In our previous report, Toshiba acknowledged to PhoneNews.com that our discovery of issues affecting Canvio hard drives […]
If you connect a regular USB to Micro USB cable to the left side of the connector on the hdrive, it will work. Works fine on my iMac. Otherwise, the drive is useless. Give it a try.
Note; I found this info elsewhere so can’t take credit for it. Cheers
Wish I had read the entire comments before I bothered to post my last message. Oh well, obviously already covered. Sorry.
[…] PM Evidently, there's some issues with the Toshiba Canvio series drives and some MacBook models: Toshiba Acknowledges MacBook Woes in Canvio USB 3.0 Hard Drives | PhoneNews.com If the drive is relatively new, I'd try returning it to your retailer. Toshiba doesn't exactly […]
[…] Canvio is even more problematic. It draws more power than is allowed by the USB spec, so that it doesn’t work at all with newer MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros that supply only the specified power to the USB ports, […]
[…] https://phone.news/toshiba-acknowledges-macbook-woes-canvio-usb-3-0-hard-drives-18699/ […]
I just bought a 1TB version. It states on the box”for the few computors that limit bus power, a special USB power cable is required. Visit: http://www.toshibastorage.com for more information
The one I bought boots up fine in a 1.66 intell Mac mini 500mA at the port, and in a G5, same, but I have another issue, I cannot get it to work as a boot volume. Does not work pressing option, does not show up in Startup Disk This beats me but it does back up with time machine. One Trick Pony ?
The power incompatibility issues has occurred with the WD My Passport Air USB 3.0 drives. I got one from the Apple Store recently for my Macbook Air, and it wouldn’t mount.