How do I make the Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter work on my PC?

[Videogamer555]

I have a Windows 11 laptop with Thunderbolt-3 ports, and also an old camcorder with Firewire DV output. I did what others across various internet forums recommended for this situation and bought an Apple Firewire to Thunderbolt-2 adapter as well as an Apple Thunderbolt-2 to Thunderbolt-3 adapter. Everything physically connects from my camcorder to my PC now, but unfortunately Windows doesn't recognize that any device is even plugged into it, at all. It doesn't even show up in Device Manager as an "unrecognized device" (what it normally would show for a device without the correct drivers installed). Nor do I get any popup box saying a driver needs to be installed when I plug in my setup. So it's like Windows doesn't even know that anything is plugged into that port I know the adapters are made by Apple and Apple usually doesn't want interoperability with other operating systems, but on various places on the internet it is stated that this setup will work for Windows PCs (not just Macs). I even checked my PC's firmware settings and made sure that the Thunderbolt ports had actual Thunderbolt functionality enabled (they did). I even completely disabled Thunderbolt security (just in case there was an issue with the Thunderbolt adapter hardware being older and not supporting all the Thunderbolt security protocols). Even after this, I still couldn't get Windows to recognize that anything was plugged into it when I plugged this adapter into either of my computer's Thunderbolt ports.

Anybody here know what might be wrong, and how to fix it?

[october262]

I have a Windows 11 laptop with Thunderbolt-3 ports, and also an old camcorder with Firewire DV output. I did what others across various internet forums recommended for this situation and bought an Apple Firewire to Thunderbolt-2 adapter as well as an Apple Thunderbolt-2 to Thunderbolt-3 adapter. Everything physically connects from my camcorder to my PC now, but unfortunately Windows doesn't recognize that any device is even plugged into it, at all. It doesn't even show up in Device Manager as an "unrecognized device" (what it normally would show for a device without the correct drivers installed). Nor do I get any popup box saying a driver needs to be installed when I plug in my setup. So it's like Windows doesn't even know that anything is plugged into that port I know the adapters are made by Apple and Apple usually doesn't want interoperability with other operating systems, but on various places on the internet it is stated that this setup will work for Windows PCs (not just Macs). I even checked my PC's firmware settings and made sure that the Thunderbolt ports had actual Thunderbolt functionality enabled (they did). I even completely disabled Thunderbolt security (just in case there was an issue with the Thunderbolt adapter hardware being older and not supporting all the Thunderbolt security protocols). Even after this, I still couldn't get Windows to recognize that anything was plugged into it when I plugged this adapter into either of my computer's Thunderbolt ports.

Anybody here know what might be wrong, and how to fix it?

with the devices plugged into the Thunderbolt-3 ports, did you try checking windows update
for drivers ??

[Alwyn]

I watched this some time ago but cannot remember the need for Firewire drivers when using Thunderbolt. Have a zip through it to see if Scott says anything about Firewire drivers. Firewire on Win 10 and 11 has been a bit "wonky" but can be set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3OIcw4QH1w

Also note the comments about the generation of Intel CPUs that don't work.

I have written an extensive expose on the topic of DV Transfer/Firewire here. Suffice to say, there are other good options.

[Alwyn]

And check right down the bottom of my webpage re granting Windows permission to use your "camera" and "microphone".

[Videogamer555]

I watched this some time ago but cannot remember the need for Firewire drivers when using Thunderbolt. Have a zip through it to see if Scott says anything about Firewire drivers. Firewire on Win 10 and 11 has been a bit "wonky" but can be set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3OIcw4QH1w

Also note the comments about the generation of Intel CPUs that don't work.

I have written an extensive expose on the topic of DV Transfer/Firewire here. Suffice to say, there are other good options.

I just read your website about thunderbolt 3 or 4. How do I know which type my laptop has? Both 3 and 4 would have the same USB-C type connector. Also, I don't understand why thunderbolt 3 would support thunderbolt 2 but thunderbolt 4 won't support thunderbolt 2. To the best of my knowledge the thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter from Apple has an internal chip that automatically converts between thunderbolt 2 and thunderbolt 3 protocols, so the thunderbolt 4 chip in the PC doesn't actually know you are trying to connet a thunderbolt 2 device. When that adapter is plugged in, it is itself a thunderbolt 3 accessory, so communicates with the host PC using thunderbolt 3 protocol, while communicating with the external device using thunderbolt 2 protocol. So the thunderbolt interface chip in your PC only sees a thunderbolt 3 accessory attached. And as far as I know, thunderbolt 4 ports are compatible with thunderbolt 3 accessories.

[Alwyn]

How do I know which type my laptop has?

Can't help you there, videogamer, sorry. It certainly seems odd that a TB4 port wouldn't read a TB3 cable.

[Videogamer555]

How do I know which type my laptop has?

Can't help you there, videogamer, sorry. It certainly seems odd that a TB4 port wouldn't read a TB3 cable.

Maybe my assumption was incorrect regarding how the Thunderbolt 2-to-3 converter worked. I assumed there was a converter chip that converted between those 2 thunderbolt protocols, and that any computer with a thunderbolt 3 or 4 port would recognize the PC-facing side of that chip because I assumed that it would identify itself to the PC as a thunderbolt-3 device. It could however be a simple passthrough cable that connects thunderbolt-3 pins and to the corresponding thunderbolt-2 pins, and expects the host PC's thunderbolt-3 port to be able to communicate over the thunderbolt-2 protocol (which usually they can). Maybe with thunderderbolt-4 ports though not supporting backward compatibility with thunderbolt-2 though, that's what is making it not work with a simple thunderbolt 2-to-3 passthrough cable. An actual electronic converter cable would then be needed, and I don't know if one of those exists.

But I have still another question. How do I know if the Thunderbolt USB-C ports on my laptop are actually Thunderbolt-3 or Thunderbolt-4? I know they are Thunderbolt ports (the lightning-bolt shaped symbol next to the ports tells me they are Thunderbolt, and not simply USB ports). Is there a system info utility I can run on my laptop that will report what type of Thunderbolt ports my computer has?

[nevillestyke]

I recently sold a PAL Digital8 camcorder to a customer in the U.S.A., as she had PAL analogue 8mm tapes to digitise and (having captured most of them over firewire to her Apple computer) claimed that the camcorder was faulty, as her computer was no longer recognising the firewire connection. Ebay made me pay return postage and I was charged import duty for the return (most of which I had to spend a few hours reclaiming from HMRC). I made a video of the unboxing of the return and it being connected to a desktop, to show that the firewire was working fine, which I uploaded to YouTube, so the customer could see that their computer was at fault. Ebay said that there was nothing which I could do to reclaim the £60 which the return had cost me (although I did request an ex gratis payment from the customer, but received nothing).
Yesterday, I got this message from the customer (but no money):
"Hello, I just wanted to return and tell you that about a month ago I finally figured out what the issue was. I had recently updated my MacBook before the camera wouldn’t connect to the Mac anymore and it turns out that it was the Mac update. The new software (Tahoe) does not support FireWire anymore. Once I realized this, I ended up having to install and run the old software (Sequoia) off of a hard drive so that I can still have FireWire capabilities. I just wanted to return here and let you know in case you come across other customers with connectivity issues. Hope you’re doing well."
Does anyone think that I could claim my out-of-pocket expenses from Apple, as they caused the problem, with their update?

[Alwyn]

Does anyone think that I could claim my out-of-pocket expenses from Apple, as they caused the problem, with their update?

No. Firewire went out with the ark. It's Apple's right to change it's stuff, much as we don't like it.

What is pretty poor is her not offering to pay you for the return costs. Still, I suppose she could have kept quiet and you could have fallen into the same trap again. It's a cruel, unethical world out there these days...