neelyh
asked on
USBs Not Working on ThinkPad X40 and dock
I have a Thinkpad X40 on XP (sp2). I also have a docking station for the laptop, which includes a cd-rom and extra ports.
All of a sudden all my USB ports stopped working, that's the 2 USBs on the laptop and 3 USBs on the docking station.
I first noticed the problem with the laptop wasn't docked. I wasn't doing anything unusual at the time, and hadn't just recently upgraded the OS or installed apps.
I have read a few similar postings and have tried all the recommendations. I'm wondering how I can determine if this is a software or hardware problem.
Here's what I've tried:
Uninstalled all USB device drivers, restarted (without any devices plugged in) and let Windows reinstall all drivers
In Device Manager, there are no errors with the USB devices
Upgraded to the lates IBM BIOS
Updated XP with all the latest patches & security fixes.
Verified that USBs are enabled in the BIOS
Shutdown, removed battery, waited, then restarted.
Booted with BartPE via CD. (I still wasn't able to use a usb mouse, access a memory stick, or use a usb keyboard)
Verified that the components I'm trying to use (printer, scanner, iPod, mouse, keyboard, memory stick) all work.
Ran PC Doctor for Windows, no errors with USBs
The one thing that is unique to my situation relative to the other postings of X40 USB problems is that my USBs on the dock are also not working. Many of the posters have suggested a faulty motherboard, but that wouldn't explain why the dock's USBs aren't working, would it?
I've ordered a PCMCIA to USB card, but I see this as a temporary workaround and am desperate to resolve the issue.
Can you suggest anything?
Thanks.
All of a sudden all my USB ports stopped working, that's the 2 USBs on the laptop and 3 USBs on the docking station.
I first noticed the problem with the laptop wasn't docked. I wasn't doing anything unusual at the time, and hadn't just recently upgraded the OS or installed apps.
I have read a few similar postings and have tried all the recommendations. I'm wondering how I can determine if this is a software or hardware problem.
Here's what I've tried:
Uninstalled all USB device drivers, restarted (without any devices plugged in) and let Windows reinstall all drivers
In Device Manager, there are no errors with the USB devices
Upgraded to the lates IBM BIOS
Updated XP with all the latest patches & security fixes.
Verified that USBs are enabled in the BIOS
Shutdown, removed battery, waited, then restarted.
Booted with BartPE via CD. (I still wasn't able to use a usb mouse, access a memory stick, or use a usb keyboard)
Verified that the components I'm trying to use (printer, scanner, iPod, mouse, keyboard, memory stick) all work.
Ran PC Doctor for Windows, no errors with USBs
The one thing that is unique to my situation relative to the other postings of X40 USB problems is that my USBs on the dock are also not working. Many of the posters have suggested a faulty motherboard, but that wouldn't explain why the dock's USBs aren't working, would it?
I've ordered a PCMCIA to USB card, but I see this as a temporary workaround and am desperate to resolve the issue.
Can you suggest anything?
Thanks.
Howdy neelyh
Very possibly the reason the dock isn't working, not knowing for sure how your doc mates, but it should use the same controller port as the board uses. I would almost guarantee the board is bad. I had a similar problem with a Dell just last week. All of the usb ports quit working, turned out to be mainboard.
Jappo
Any questions, just Holler! It's how we communicate in the mountains <smile>
Very possibly the reason the dock isn't working, not knowing for sure how your doc mates, but it should use the same controller port as the board uses. I would almost guarantee the board is bad. I had a similar problem with a Dell just last week. All of the usb ports quit working, turned out to be mainboard.
Jappo
Any questions, just Holler! It's how we communicate in the mountains <smile>
Sorry I do not have anything to add in regards to how to fix your problem. I also think it is a motherboard problem.
However, I still thought you may be interested in checking out the troubleshooting site dedicated to ThinkPads (legacy and new): http://forum.thinkpads.com
However, I still thought you may be interested in checking out the troubleshooting site dedicated to ThinkPads (legacy and new): http://forum.thinkpads.com
If the ports on the dock and laptop quit at the same time I would suspect a software problem first.
Those ports {dock/laptop} should be physically on different USB chips.
If part of the 5 volt power distribution on your motherboard went bad that might kill them both at the same time but that would be a real odd-ball fault.
As said, knoppix is the best way to tell if it's hardware or software.
If you don't know knoppix is basically a non-windows operating system that will run off a bootable CD.
There is no need to remove windows, knoppix will run right off a cd (don't need to 'install' to the hard drive.).
All you have to do is set the BIOS to boot from the CD first.
.
Those ports {dock/laptop} should be physically on different USB chips.
If part of the 5 volt power distribution on your motherboard went bad that might kill them both at the same time but that would be a real odd-ball fault.
As said, knoppix is the best way to tell if it's hardware or software.
If you don't know knoppix is basically a non-windows operating system that will run off a bootable CD.
There is no need to remove windows, knoppix will run right off a cd (don't need to 'install' to the hard drive.).
All you have to do is set the BIOS to boot from the CD first.
.
ASKER
Thanks, I seem to have run out of blank CD-Rs but have knoppix downloaded and ready to test. I'll report back with the result.
ASKER
No matter what I've tried, I couldn't get my thinkpad to boot from the Knoppix iso cd, so I've had to order the Boot CD and will update you when that arrives and I can do a test. From the remarks it sounds like it will definitively indicate if this is a hardware or software issue.
If you burned the CD properly and couldn't boot it, then you probably won't be able to boot to other CD's either. Then it looks like you have a bad CD drive. What software did you use to burn the CD and how did you burn it?
ASKER
I used windows XP to burn the CD. I recently burned a few CDs in the same way without problems, but these weren't boot cds. I used the Thinkpad PC Doctor utility to test the CD Drive and its apparently working fine (it does have a problem writing DVDs but it appears ok for CD). I've already paid for the Knoppix CD, so I guess I'll wait and try that...
You need a specialized CD burning software to properly burn ISO images to a CD. The builtin burning functions of XP are very limited and won't allow you to do that (One of the limits is that you can't burn DVD's...). I find that nero is a very good and complete burning software. If you install it just NEVER include InCD in the installation (with the new versions it is disabled in the standard installation which is good). A free tool which can also burn iso's to CD is
http://cdburnerxp.se/
Then look for a menu item like burn image or burn iso CD, select the iso file you downloaded, and burn the CD.
http://cdburnerxp.se/
Then look for a menu item like burn image or burn iso CD, select the iso file you downloaded, and burn the CD.
ASKER
I have tried the Knoppix CD to see if my USBs work. Is there something I need to do within Knoppix to download drivers?
If not, then none of the USBs worked (connected them to mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner).
It looks like this is leading to a hardware failure, unless I am using Knoppix improperly.
If not, then none of the USBs worked (connected them to mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner).
It looks like this is leading to a hardware failure, unless I am using Knoppix improperly.
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