“Trashcan” Mac Pros running older versions of macOS and AVID’s Media Composer software are refusing to reboot after shutting down. Variety reports Hollywood Film and TV editors discovered the issue late on Monday.
Apple and AVID didn’t respond to requests for comment.
“A lot of L.A. post shops and people out on shows having their Macs slowly crash,” reported video post-production consultant Matt Penn on Twitter.
While the root cause of the issue isn’t yet known, online speculation includes a few possibilities, one of which is a virus specifically targeting post-production Macs in the Hollywood area.
Others have speculated that there is an issue with AVID’s iLok activation dongle, or perhaps a conflict with the software and a recent system update – which could be related to Apple’s Safari browser – is corrupting data.
For now, affected users are advised to try to boot in single-user mode and disabling Wi-Fi to prevent their Mac from pinging the license server.
FOR ANYONE WITH AN AVID LICENSE WHO HAS SHUT DOWN: Here is how to boot in single-user so you can deactivate Wifi and prevent your Mac from pinging the license server: https://t.co/5CrLfik07z
— Brit DeLillo (@This1sWrong) September 24, 2019
AVID users not yet affected have been told not to shut down their Macs so they can also deactivate Wi-Fi and any other networks until a solution is found.
https://twitter.com/mattpenndotcom/status/1176355775096205313
Several companies have reportedly been hit by the issue. We’ll keep you posted when there is more to report.
UPDATE: In an update to the Avid community, Avid posted a video with Jeff Rosica, CEO & President, and Dana Ruzicka, Chief Product Officer. They shared that the Avid team continues to work diligently to determine the root cause and resolve the issue. It includes practical and preventative advice for users. Avid will continue to update customers directly and via our community forums and social media platforms.
