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CaseCom · Nov 26, 2004, 03:40 PM

I've run into a problem with my iMac (G5 17" 1.8 GHz with Bluetooth wireless bundle).

It worked fine for several days, until I hooked up my old iSub to one of the USB ports. Then, the next time I did a cold start, my Bluetooth was gone. No icon in the menu bar, no Bluetooth in the System Preferences, if I tried to run the Bluetooth Setup Assistant I got "No Bluetooth hardware found." It remains listed under Network in the System Profiler though.

This a big problem for me, obviously, in that it renders my wireless keyboard and mouse inoperable. Fortunately I still have my old USB keyboard from my old iMac.

If I unplug the iSub and do a cold start -- Bluetooth is back. This seems to be reproducible, although it has to be a cold start, not a restart. A restart has no effect; if I unplug the iSub and restart, Bluetooth is still gone.

I talked with Apple Support, and they say it sounds like a hardware problem, not software. They're sending me a new "midplane assembly" (basically the logic board, processor and fans). We'll see how that goes.

Anyone had a similar experience? There's a long-ish thread at Apple Discussions about the problem, although it doesn't look so widespread that it's affecting everyone. It seems to really hit people who use USB 1.x hubs, but not USB 2.0.

Parky · Nov 29, 2004, 02:51 PM

Don't bother with the Midplane exchange.

This is a problem that affects all G5 iMacs when you connect USB 1.1 devices and you cold start the machine - you lose the internal Bluetooth.

There are many cases in the Apple discussion boards, many have had new midplanes and it is still not fixed.

Others have bought USB 2.0 hubs and this seems to solve the problem.

I am sure Apple will be looking at the issue, but current midplanes being shipped are not fixing it. I think a firmware update might resolve it sometime in the future.

For now we can live with it, and we have a work around.

Ian

cwis24 · Nov 30, 2004, 06:02 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Parky:
Don't bother with the Midplane exchange.

This is a problem that affects all G5 iMacs when you connect USB 1.1 devices and you cold start the machine - you lose the internal Bluetooth.

There are many cases in the Apple discussion boards, many have had new midplanes and it is still not fixed.

Others have bought USB 2.0 hubs and this seems to solve the problem.

I am sure Apple will be looking at the issue, but current midplanes being shipped are not fixing it. I think a firmware update might resolve it sometime in the future.

For now we can live with it, and we have a work around.

Ian [/QUOTESO how do i get the bluetooth back

Parky · Nov 30, 2004, 06:05 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cwis24:

Originally posted by Parky:
Don't bother with the Midplane exchange.

This is a problem that affects all G5 iMacs when you connect USB 1.1 devices and you cold start the machine - you lose the internal Bluetooth.

There are many cases in the Apple discussion boards, many have had new midplanes and it is still not fixed.

Others have bought USB 2.0 hubs and this seems to solve the problem.

I am sure Apple will be looking at the issue, but current midplanes being shipped are not fixing it. I think a firmware update might resolve it sometime in the future.

For now we can live with it, and we have a work around.

Ian [/QUOTESO how do i get the bluetooth back

In your case it might work, but if you can get Bluetooth back by disconnecting USB devices then it will not fix the problem.

Ian

cwis24 · Nov 30, 2004, 06:08 PM

never mind i see a cold start

I tried that on my g5 imac but it did not work, it still sais bluetooth unavailable.
I noticed it was gone after i did the firmware update , but that same day i had blugged in a 2 button mouse usb 1.1

Anybody have any suggestions

cwis24 · Dec 1, 2004, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by cwis24:
never mind i see a cold start

I tried that on my g5 imac but it did not work, it still sais bluetooth unavailable.
I noticed it was gone after i did the firmware update , but that same day i had blugged in a 2 button mouse usb 1.1

Anybody have any suggestions

Well Apple's Tech Support solved my problem. Here is what they had me do.
(after running through a list of unsuccesfull attempts this is what worked)

Unplug everything and put the cpu/monitor face down on a soft surface
Unscrew the 3 screws and remove the back
Take in the brilience of the design then find the speaker port
follow a straight path from that speaker port across to about where some gray fans are
right there on the board (right below the fans are to little felt buttons
one has a incomplete circle next to it (missing the very top part of the circle almost looks like a power symbol without the line through it.) press and hold it for 1 sec

reatach the cover tighten the screws and plug in your devices. Start it up and Boom bluetooth was back

Parky · Dec 1, 2004, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by cwis24:
Well Apple's Tech Support solved my problem. Here is what they had me do.
(after running through a list of unsuccesfull attempts this is what worked)

Unplug everything and put the cpu/monitor face down on a soft surface
Unscrew the 3 screws and remove the back
Take in the brilience of the design then find the speaker port
follow a straight path from that speaker port across to about where some gray fans are
right there on the board (right below the fans are to little felt buttons
one has a incomplete circle next to it (missing the very top part of the circle almost looks like a power symbol without the line through it.) press and hold it for 1 sec

reatach the cover tighten the screws and plug in your devices. Start it up and Boom bluetooth was back

Hardly something you can do everyday!
I hope it was a one of event for you.

Ian

CaseCom · Dec 6, 2004, 03:26 PM

Originally posted by cwis24:
Well Apple's Tech Support solved my problem. Here is what they had me do.
(after running through a list of unsuccesfull attempts this is what worked)

Unplug everything and put the cpu/monitor face down on a soft surface
Unscrew the 3 screws and remove the back
Take in the brilience of the design then find the speaker port
follow a straight path from that speaker port across to about where some gray fans are
right there on the board (right below the fans are to little felt buttons
one has a incomplete circle next to it (missing the very top part of the circle almost looks like a power symbol without the line through it.) press and hold it for 1 sec

reatach the cover tighten the screws and plug in your devices. Start it up and Boom bluetooth was back

This worked for me at first ... or at least I thought it did. Once I reattached my USB 1.1 peripherals, my Bluetooth was gone once again. That's when Apple recommended the midplane replacement.

But Parky was right. It didn't fix the problem.

Today I called Apple back and got immediately bumped up to a Product Specialist, the first time I'd spoken to a Product Specialist in person. He wasn't surprised the midplane replacement didn't work and said he would not have recommended that in this case.

Then he said Apple could not address issues of compatibility with third-party peripherals. He recommended getting a USB 2.0 hub as a workaround. It was good to finally hear someone at Apple who had prior knowledge of the problem, but on the other hand, my peripherals worked fine, it was Apple's Bluetooth that showed the symptoms of the problem.

I've spent enough time on this ... I'll try the USB 2.0 hub and if that doesn't work, so be it, I just won't plug my iSub in at startup anymore.