Windows fails to initialize firewire interfaces when returning from a
low-power state. Period. Might not be true on all chipsets, but I do know
that it's true regardless of the bus used to connect the firewire interface
and devices. PCMCIA, PCI, even if you've got one of those retarded 1394 hubs
that attaches to a USB2 port, when windows enters a low-power state, it's
going to shut down your firewire and the the only way to get it back is to
hot-plug your card or attach a device to it. I've been dealing with this
since XP, and the problem persists through Vista and even my beloved beta of
Windows 7. Microsoft does not appear to be able or willing to address this
issue. Get used to using 'safely disconnect' before the computer enters a
low-power state (to protect data) and hot-plugging your firewire card or even
rebooting (yuck) to initialize the interface again.
To everyone who displayed their pinheadedness in this thread - PC Card is a
perfectly acceptable term for a PCMCIA card. Thanks for ignoring his real
problem and picking apart his post like a pack of hungry dogs. You've clearly
displayed your technical aptitude and problem-solving prowess.