Adding a FireWire PCI card to replicate defunct built-in ports

As we noted in our tutorial "Dealing with FireWire problems (drives not mounting, devices unrecognized, etc.)", adding another FireWire bridge -- via an extra PCI-based FireWire adapter or other means -- can eliminate conflicts from devices that reside on the same bridge.

MacFixIt reader Adam offers a case example:

"I hope this hint will help some of your readers whose FireWire ports had stopped working after an update.

"Someone had suggested installing a FireWire card, and i tried it, it worked but the Mac firewire ports stayed dead but the card ports work.

"I also went through all the various methods of reviving the dead FireWire ports of my Mac."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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