PLEASE NOTE: This guide is intended for Post Production Staff only. If you are experiencing any issues, please get help from a lab assistant.
This article provides solutions for some of the common issues we are experiencing with the new Mac Studio computers
Suites vs Labs
The Hubs and Mac Studios are much more accessible in the labs than the suites. If you are troubleshooting in the suites, you will not be able to access the back of the hub or the back of the Mac Studio, so just skip any steps that are inaccessible.
In the labs, you can restart the Mac Studio by locating the power button on the corner of the computer.
In the suites, we have left the power cable accessible underneath the counter. Unplug it and plug it back in to do a hard restart.
Mouse or Keyboard are not working in suites
Disconnect the mouse from the keyboard and plug it into the USB Hub.
Usually at this point, the mouse starts working. Restart the computer using the on-screen button.
Plug the mouse back into the keyboard once the computer restarts. Give it 15 seconds.
If it is still not working, grab a USB-A Hub from the Annex and plug it into the OWC hub. Plug the keyboard into that. If the USB cable on the keyboard does not reach, use a hot swap keyboard (located in the closet).
Mouse or Keyboard are not working in labs
Most often, this happens because the computer stops recognizing the OWC Hubs. Restarting the computer usually fixes the problem!
If that doesn't work or if you want to investigate further... Look underneath the Hub and see if you can locate two lights shining through - you should see a blue light and a green light.
No Green Light
If you see a blue light but no green light, this means that the connection to the computer has been lost.
Make sure that the Thunderbolt 4 cable is plugged into the back of the hub then check that the other end is plugged into the computer
Try unplugging the Thunderbolt 4 cable and plugging it back in to see if that fixes the issue
If not, try unplugging the power cable from the back of the hub and plugging it back in
If that still doesn't work, try restarting the computer (Note: if you cannot use a mouse, you may have to use the power button (labs) or unplug the Mac underneath the desk (Suites)
No Blue Light
If you don't see any lights at all, this means that there is no power running to the hub.
Follow the power cable and make sure that it is plugged into the back of the hub
Then check that the cable running into the AC/DC adapter (large black box in the middle of the power cable) is plugged in properly
Then check that the other end of the cable is plugged into an outlet.
Teacher Station Mouse troubles
At the Teacher Stations in VEL and DPL, the mouse faces issues following the 2am deletions. Sometimes the cursor does not appear on screen and if it does, clicking the mouse will not work. This means that every morning, we need to make sure that it is working properly before faculty arrive.
Restarting the computer is the only way to fix this, from my experience. Locate the Mac Studio underneath the desk and hold the power button to turn it off. Then turn it back on.
Once the mouse is working, don't forget to check that the projector and the audio are working before class!
Display shows static
Sometimes in the suites, one display will show static.
Turn off the display using the power button, then turn it back on.
If that does not work, restart the computer. If the 'restart' button is not visible on the working display, unplug the Mac Studio underneath the counter and plug it back in.