Zio Compact Flash Reader Causes Kernel Panic

A new driver for MicroTech's Zio, a USB flash card reader that requires no external power, is the cause of kernel panics when some systems are waking from sleep. One poster on Apple's discussion boards laments:

"Well, I just ran some tests and sure enough, when the Zio was plugged into the USB hub the machine had (a kernel panic) every time it came out of sleep. Unplugged there was no problem."

Individual users confirm that the problem began occuring after installing the latest update for the Flash Card reader's driver, version 1.0.9. A note on Micro Tech's Web site states that the driver update "supports Mac OS X 10.1 and 10.2."

As workaround, users can either disconnect the Zio Flash Card reader when not in use, or keep their Macs from going to sleep by sliding the "Put computer to sleep when it is inactive for:" bar to "Never" in the Energy Saver pane of System Preferences.

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