dan, My alternative would be to create the preference file in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ com.apple.DiskArbitration.diskarbitrationd.plist with this: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist SYSTEM "file://localhost/System/Library/DTDs/PropertyList.dtd"> <plist version="0.9"> <dict> <key>DAMountDeferExternal</key> <false/> </dict> </plist> this, for now, seems to have worked ! yay! system.log tells me that all drives mount on first 'try', no failures of SystemStarter are evident, and my til-now-errant services are up-n-running! marry me! ;o thanks a million! richard _______________________________________________ darwin-kernel mailing list | darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/darwin-kernel Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.