What's this "Lenovo - Other Hardware - ThinkPad PM Devi

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RBob · #1 Post by **RBob** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:54 pm

I have an R51 running XP Pro SP2 and MS Windows Update just offered me an "Optional Hardware Update" called "Lenovo - Other Hardware - ThinkPad PM Device", but gives no other info.

I've always avoided taking hardware drivers from MS, but I'd like to know what this is.

kaplanfx · #2 Post by **kaplanfx** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 11:42 pm

Whoa, I see it too, wonder what the heck it is.

-kaplanfx

#3 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:24 am

Yes, I saw that today too. I did a search on my download director folder where I keep backup copies of the updates, and their readme files. I searched for PM device. At first I thought I found it, and that it was related to the security chip. But after thinking about it, I began to have my doubts. I did some more looking, and now I am more confident in my answer. It is IBM Power Management. If you look in device manager under 'System Devices', you will see a device called 'IBM PM Device'. If you look at the driver for the device, one is listed as ibmpmdrv.sys. Searching for a reference to this file in my download director directory brought up one readme file for the IBM ThinkPad Power Management Driver for Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP (ACPI).

EDITED

JHaislet · #4 Post by **JHaislet** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 3:28 am

On my T43 it's called "Thinkpad PM Device" for what its worth. Thanks for letting us know what it is; I went ahead & installed it and everything is working fine (fingers crossed

)

dsvochak · #5 Post by **dsvochak** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 6:54 pm

I'm being offered the same update for a T23. The Device Driver matrix, System Utilities Matrix & Software Installer aren't finding an update for Power Management on a T23

andyli · #6 Post by **andyli** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:53 am

As an FYI, when clicking on "MORE DETAILS" I see that the file was released on June 16, 2005 and released to Microsoft/Windows Update on August 8th.

Could it be that it has taken almost 2 months for MSFT to certify this driver? Didn't Lenovo/IBM have a massive update back in June?

I don't trust MSFT for drivers anyway. I'll wait for Lenovo to release.

kaplanfx · #7 Post by **kaplanfx** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:11 am

Ok I've been sitting on installing this power management thing for a while. Is this something that is also provided by lenovo and available through the software installer or driver matrix, or is this something only available through windows update? I am really wondering if I should install it as power management improvements sound good, but I don't want it to conflict with never/official software from Lenovo as so far I have had good luck in that department.

-kaplanfx

Ground Loop · #8 Post by **Ground Loop** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:03 am

I'm in the same boat.. staring at the offering wondering if it's better than IBM's own.

If they're going to have a Software Updater download this stuff, they shouldn't be putting it in Windows Update. Or at least give us enough information to make the right call.

The ATI driver for T43/X300 is also offered in Windows Update.

brooklynboy · #9 Post by **brooklynboy** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:52 pm

So, does anybody know? I'm fully up-to-date according to the Software Installer, but Windows Update still displays the PM update every time.

JHaislet · #10 Post by **JHaislet** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:59 pm

Stay with the lenovo v1.32. The MS one is v1.33 and it caused random crashing on my laptop, something v1.32 didn't exhibit.

#11 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:04 am

brooklynboy wrote:So, does anybody know? I'm fully up-to-date according to the Software Installer, but Windows Update still displays the PM update every time.

This same thing happened before. The driver appeared on Windows Update around Aug. 5th, 2005. It didn't appear on IBM's site until Oct. 17th, 2005. Once it appeared on IBM's site, I downloaded and installed it. After that, I no longer saw it on Windows Update. Now a few days ago I see it on Windows Update again, so there must be yet a newer version. Me, I'm going to wait until I see it on IBM's site before I download and install it.

brooklynboy · #12 Post by **brooklynboy** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 3:17 pm

The only hardware download I've ever accepted from Windows Update, after seeing it come up for months and months, is the "Intel(R) PRO/100 LAN Adapter Software (Ethernet driver) for DOS, Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP, OS/2 for ThinkPad." WinUpd supplied version 8.0.19.0, whereas the Software Installer remains at 6.4.14.0, dated November, 2002. Each time I run the Software Installer, it reminds me that the back version is a "required" update.

gbdesai · #13 Post by **gbdesai** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:19 am

I've had some power switching problems with my Z60M since I got it 2 weeks ago, right out of the box when I unplug my AC adapter the notebook screen goes black and locks up the PC (doesn't happen every single time, but at least 75% of the time). It is related to some power driver I think, anyway, I'm trying the update to see if it fixes anything. Why can't these people include a change list with the driver, it's ridiculous expecting people to try something without any information on what it will do.

Chiana · #14 Post by **Chiana** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 1:00 pm

What does this driver actually control? The only thing I found it controls is some of the Fn+ combos. I have mine uninstalled and disabled because with it enabled the standby and hibernate functions don't work properly. I tried both the MSFT version (1.33), and the latest IBM version (1.32).

-Chris

notebooknewbie · #15 Post by **notebooknewbie** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 1:46 pm

I was trying to download the PM Driver last night on Software Update and it didn't finish through the whole installation...the computer just froze while it was installing it. Did CTRL-ALT-DEL, and opened up Software Update again to try the installation again...but the driver wasn't there anymore and it's no where to be found...kinda odd.

brooklynboy · #16 Post by **brooklynboy** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:39 pm

1.33 finally came up in the Software Installer. After its installation, Windows Update no longer showed any hardware updates pending.

What's this "Lenovo - Other Hardware - ThinkPad PM Devi

What's this "Lenovo - Other Hardware - ThinkPad PM Devi

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