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RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

X200/X201/X220 (including equivalent tablet models) and X300/X301 Series
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ranjanv
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RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#1 Post by ranjanv » Tue Aug 09, 2011 10:09 pm

Having problems using the MC8775 HSPA device with Win7 running on my X300. After standby/sleep, the MC8775 goes missing and can't be detected by Sierra Watcher....it even goes missing in Device Manager. Only a reboot will bring it back again.

A Lenovo technician tried tinkering with Power Manager settings but no resolution still.

The MC8775 works fine in Windows XP and Lenovo says the problem is "maybe" owing to my Windows 7 not being from Lenovo themselves. (I have my own licensed copy of Windows 7).

Wrote to Sierra Wireless but they refused to offer any support stating it's Lenovo's problem.

Can anyone help? It's very frustrating!

EOMtp
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#2 Post by EOMtp » Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:49 pm

"Windows 7 not being from Lenovo" has nothing to do with this issue! Perhaps the problem is with your version of Sierra's Watcher. The newest "Generic" version is Build 3004, and anything prior to Build 2849 did not support Windows 7.

GomJabbar
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#3 Post by GomJabbar » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:28 am

Check Windows 7 Update Modules and BIOS updates on the following page.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-69378
DKB

ranjanv
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#4 Post by ranjanv » Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:15 am

EOMtp wrote:"Windows 7 not being from Lenovo" has nothing to do with this issue! Perhaps the problem is with your version of Sierra's Watcher. The newest "Generic" version is Build 3004, and anything prior to Build 2849 did not support Windows 7.
My Watcher is R10.11.0.0 Build 2849. Where do I get Build 3004?

ranjanv
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#5 Post by ranjanv » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:20 am

GomJabbar wrote:Check Windows 7 Update Modules and BIOS updates on the following page.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-69378
I have the latest BIOS. In terms of modules, the HSDPA driver from Lenovo specifies the following prerequisites:

- ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows 7 version 5.40 or higher
- Lenovo System Interface Driver for Windows 7/Vista (Needed for Windows Vista) version 1.01.0907 or higher
- ThinkPad Power Management Driver for Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7 version 1.55 or higher
- Hotkey Features for Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000 version 2.22.0000 or higher

My system meets all the qualifications mentioned above.

EOMtp
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#6 Post by EOMtp » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:30 am

ranjanv: Read the Private Message (PM) that I sent you.

ranjanv
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#7 Post by ranjanv » Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:22 am

EOMtp wrote:ranjanv: Read the Private Message (PM) that I sent you.
Thanks! I updated my Watcher....but still the problem persists. The device goes missing after resuming from standby/sleep mode.

Any other ideas would be warmly welcomed!

EOMtp
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#8 Post by EOMtp » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:45 pm

What happens when you do the following:
After you resume from Standby/Sleep mode, start Sierra's Watcher, and select the "Reinstall Drivers" option. Does that "rediscover" the device?

I know that this is not the solution you want, but I am curious, for debugging purposes, if this action has any effect on the card's visibility.

ranjanv
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#9 Post by ranjanv » Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:00 pm

EOMtp wrote:What happens when you do the following:
After you resume from Standby/Sleep mode, start Sierra's Watcher, and select the "Reinstall Drivers" option. Does that "rediscover" the device?

I know that this is not the solution you want, but I am curious, for debugging purposes, if this action has any effect on the card's visibility.
After reinstalling the drivers, Watcher still says the device is not detected. Win7 Device Manager doesn't show the device anymore and there isn't even an "unknown device" listed there either.

EOMtp
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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#10 Post by EOMtp » Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:02 am

Three more questions:
1) What is the effect upon "wakeup" if you Standby/Sleep while 3G Watcher is active and the MC8775 is connected?
2) Is the MC8775 invisible after Hibernate, as it is after Standby/Sleep?
3) Does Add New Hardware Wizard rediscover the device?

ranjanv
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Location: Singapore

Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#11 Post by ranjanv » Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:52 am

EOMtp wrote:Three more questions:
1) What is the effect upon "wakeup" if you Standby/Sleep while 3G Watcher is active and the MC8775 is connected?
2) Is the MC8775 invisible after Hibernate, as it is after Standby/Sleep?
3) Does Add New Hardware Wizard rediscover the device?
1) The message on Watcher changes to "Device not detected"

2) Hibernate seems ok! (you could be on to something here)

3) Doesn't discover any new devices - The Lenovo guy already tried this

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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#12 Post by GomJabbar » Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:08 pm

ranjanv wrote:I have the latest BIOS. In terms of modules, the HSDPA driver from Lenovo specifies the following prerequisites:

- ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows 7 version 5.40 or higher
- Lenovo System Interface Driver for Windows 7/Vista (Needed for Windows Vista) version 1.01.0907 or higher
- ThinkPad Power Management Driver for Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7 version 1.55 or higher
- Hotkey Features for Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000 version 2.22.0000 or higher

My system meets all the qualifications mentioned above.
The Windows Update Modules are not drivers, but hotfixes from Microsoft to fix specific issues on some computers. I did not read through what the various update modules do for your model ThinkPad, but I know that historically some of these are related to Standby problems. I was thinking there might be one for USB devices that are powered off during Standby. I suspect that the modem is recognized as a USB device in Windows. I know that my Sierra Wireless 890 AirCard is.
DKB

ranjanv
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Location: Singapore

Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#13 Post by ranjanv » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:32 pm

The Windows Update Modules are not drivers, but hotfixes from Microsoft to fix specific issues on some computers. I did not read through what the various update modules do for your model ThinkPad, but I know that historically some of these are related to Standby problems. I was thinking there might be one for USB devices that are powered off during Standby. I suspect that the modem is recognized as a USB device in Windows. I know that my Sierra Wireless 890 AirCard is.[/quote]

How can I tell if it's considered considered a USB device? In device manager, it's identified under Network Adapters with Location 0 and Port COM7. I'll do a review of the Microsoft modules you've mentioned.

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Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#14 Post by GomJabbar » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:58 pm

In Linux they are recognized as USB devices. I would think the same would be true in Windows.

https://sierrawireless.custhelp.com/app ... /a_id/641/

Looking just now in Windows 7 I see that my device is listed in Device Manager under: Universal Serial Bus Controllers > Sierra Wireless HSPA Device
DKB

ranjanv
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Location: Singapore

Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#15 Post by ranjanv » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:12 am

GomJabbar wrote:In Linux they are recognized as USB devices. I would think the same would be true in Windows.

https://sierrawireless.custhelp.com/app ... /a_id/641/

Looking just now in Windows 7 I see that my device is listed in Device Manager under: Universal Serial Bus Controllers > Sierra Wireless HSPA Device
You're right, I do see it under USB Controllers too (it's also listed under Network Adapter). Location: Port_#0001.Hub_#0005.

I checked all the Windows 7 modules on the Thinkpad site....all of them have been applied to my system previously.

ranjanv
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:20 am
Location: Singapore

Re: RE: Win7 and Sierra MC8775

#16 Post by ranjanv » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:51 am

Managed to solve it - thanks for all the hints!

The Lenovo forums has a post alluding to the BIOS - So, I went to BIOS and used F9 to reset to default values. It solved the issue and now the device doesn't go missing upon resume anymore! (Don't ask me about the logic behind this though)

Next, the Watcher was given an error message about SIM card missing. I took a chance and did a firmware upgrade....it solved this problem too!

Overall, it's been an excellent and productive day! Thanks all for your hints and inputs.

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