T40 USB 2.0 Not Working

[hchaniar]

I have a T40 (model 2373-58U) and just recently my USB 2.0 devices (external hard drive, external dvd-rw) stopped connecting at the higher speed. They will still work, but connect at the slower USB 1.1 speed which is sooo sloooow.

Whenever I plug in a hi-speed USB device I get the following message in my taskbar "The USB device can perform faster if you connect it to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. Please click here for a list of available ports". When clicked, all 6 hi-speed usb ports are empty.

The system device manager lists the following USB Controllers:
Intel 82801DB/DBM UBS 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller - 24CD
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4
Intel 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7

I tried removing all USB items from the device manager and restarting with no avail. I also downloaded and installed the latest intel chipset drivers from lenovo.com.

Anybody have any ideas on what I can try before I resort to restoring the laptop from the recovery partition

[GomJabbar]

This is only one of several threads covering this issue with the T4x series. You can use the Search button at the top of the page to find more.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=29057

[cmarti]

Anybody have any ideas on what I can try before I resort to restoring the laptop from the recovery partition

hchaniar,

98% of the time it's hardware related, the motherboard has some damage.

[rxtech27]

be careful . . the last time i plugged my usb drive into my T40 was the last time my T40 started. It flickers with lights now and doesn't work

[hchaniar]

GomJabbar,

Thanks for the link. It looks like this is a common issue with no real fix. I think I will try using a PCMCIA USB 2.0 cardbus and see if I can work around this issue.

[dcouzin]

hchaniar,
My T42 is right now in the IBM shop after the identical trouble. See my strand http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=37445.
Lenovo tech support asked only whether my drivers were correct, and my BIOS and embedded controller each latest, and then said they'd replace the system board. Well, in a few days I'll know if they really replace the board or whether they return the laptop unfixed saying it was software. I can let you know.
The systemboard includes the CPU and is expensive, so I was lucky to be within a 3 yr extended warranty.
If you are not so lucky, then assuming you can't live with USB at about 1/20 of desired speed, a USB 2.0 Card Bus would seem a cheaper and simpler fix than a new system board.

[dcouzin]

I restored my T42 from the recovery partition -- it is a way to check whether it's software. Also update your BIOS an embedded contoller.
I phoned the shop, which has decided to replace the system board, confirming cmarti's opinion.

[rxtech27]

Looks like you guys had some luck on your side tackling this battle. I plugged my Seagate USB drive in one day and it hasn't turned on since. I am looking to replace the system board. I am sure the processor and other components are still ok. I went to an uncle's house and saw that he had a T40 with an PCI USB port .. . funny how it was too late when I saw that. All in all, T40s are great computers when they are working . .but IBM customer service sucks. and that is where we are stranded as consumers. I got another T40 that starts up then freezes . . or sometimes the screen doesn't show up. Im sure some of you are asking . . why do you have two T40s?? I caught a good deal from a buddy of mine and had to jump on it . . . do I regret it??? Helll yes. But, I can't do anything now . . and must deal with it. Stay tuned !!!! I am going to talk to some peeps and decide whether I should buy the system board later on this week. GL in the crazy world of IBMs.

[dcouzin]

My T42 returned from the shop with a new system board. However USB 2.0 still wouldn't work. I brought in additonal drivers from the Intel package, and tried the "driver dance" described in http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=29057 without luck. I restored the whole system to factory condition. No luck. Then what could it be? Only the BIOS. I returned that to a 2005 version. No luck. Wiped gthe c:\ drive again. No luck.
USB 2.0 is flakier with my new system board than with the previous board. Now my wee external hard drive stops and starts fitfully. The new ports can't sustain the current that the old ones did.
These early T4x computers -- mine is from November 2004 -- have horrible USB electronics. I have 9 more months of warranty, but won't use it with hope of having proper USB 2.0. The USB cardbus, even if it sticks out, offers greater hope. Will a $30 cardbus work, or must I pop for a $60 model?
Perhaps it is a delusion to expect a 21st century laptop to work perfectly. Many of us have wasted untold hours struggling with the USB 2.0 deficiency because of our refusal to accept that the Thinkpads are [censored] in (at least) this one respect.

[TooManyIDs]

This just started on mine a couple weeks ago. Went through all the driver updates, uninstall, rediscover, etc. and no change.

Ordered a PCMCIA USB 2.0 card to get some more life out of this machine.

[rbena]

My T42 returned from the shop with a new system board. However USB 2.0 still wouldn't work. I brought in additonal drivers from the Intel package, and tried the "driver dance" described in http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=29057 without luck. I restored the whole system to factory condition. No luck. Then what could it be? Only the BIOS. I returned that to a 2005 version. No luck. Wiped gthe c:\ drive again. No luck.
These early T4x computers -- mine is from November 2004 -- have horrible USB electronics.

My T42 (mfgrd 2005-03) simply quit operating and USB2 gave out one day when I plugged in my external DVD drive. Had the system board replaced, and USB2 has been operating OK for past 2 years using the same external DVD, memory sticks, etc. I use W2k, but no problems with XP either.

Perhaps is bad USB electronics as you say, and interesting yours also worked initially. Might try contacting support, and see if they can get it working again (perhaps they can confirm success with another MB replacement). Best of luck.

[iamdmc]

Same problem, but with T41

Backed up a T41 with XP SP2 using USB 2.0. Format, then reinstall XP SP1, then SP2, then SP3. All drivers and necessary software also restored.

... no USB 2.0
WHY GOD, WHY!?

Similar thing happened to my X31, then I installed the latest Intel Chipset drivers and *pop* USB2.0 worked on that system again.

So what's so different between the X31 and my T41?

[rbena]

This is only one of several threads covering this issue with the T4x series. You can use the Search button at the top of the page to find more.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=29057

iamdmc, if you review the above thread, you'll get a Very detailed rundown re the USB2 issue....some think it's software, some think it's hardware, or a combination.

If yr T41 worked with USB2 before the reinstall, there may be hope for recovering USB2 with the right software setup.
Or you could just live with your optimum software configuration, and get a PCMCIA USB 2 card. Really depends on what you value most ....Good luck with this, as it's the only problem I've ever had with my T42 in 3.5 years (fixed with a new mobo).

[TooManyIDs]

The IOGEAR Hi-Speed USB 2.0 CardBus (GPU202) is working nicely with a Seagate 500GB USB2 drive and certainly my flash drive.