crippled USB port

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Paul Unger · #1 Post by **Paul Unger** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:02 pm

This is staggering! I'm on the phone with Lenovo Canada and am being informed that the USB port on the right side is underpowered as a result of the motherboard design!

The two on the left side get full power, but the one on the right does not. They have informed the mobo manufacturer who is trying to come up with a workaround, but until then printers, wireless mice, etc., may experience the "USB Device not recognised" error warning on the port. My issue is with a Logitech VX Revolution mouse. I really want to get the USB wireless transmitter up out of the way as it's plugged in all the time, but it won't run up there . . . I've got a flawed machine, and Lenovo knows it. What do I do?!

[edit]: 43 minutes later (I need a speaker-phone!) the problem has been "escalated to level 2 techs" to see if they can reproduce the problem (case number 00060S9). Hmmm . . . I thought it was a "known issue" (as the rep was quick to inform me when I first called).

Peak2Peak · #2 Post by **Peak2Peak** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:09 pm

This sounds as if it will be a new Motherboard replacement job.

Paul Unger · #3 Post by **Paul Unger** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:05 pm

Yes, it does . . . The scary thing is that I'm leaving the country in a few weeks for over a year. What are the odds they'll ship a replacement to me?

r. aster · #4 Post by **r. aster** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:29 pm

Paul,

My T60, delivered just about a year ago, behaves the same way: my wired optical mouse is not recognized in the RH port but works in the other ports. Other devices do work in the RH port.

I personally would not risk sending it back to Lenovo or even letting anyone replace the MB here on site just for this flaw. Like getting major surgery to fix a hangnail.

RA

Paul Unger · #5 Post by **Paul Unger** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:33 pm

So this motherboard flaw has existed for a year?! Through two generations of computers?! UNBELIEVABLE! No offence, r. aster, but I consider this to be more than a hangnail. This is a matter of useability and functionality. If the ports are not USB 2.0 compliant (including motherboard supplied power levels), then I have a faulty machine that needs to be fixed.

pae77 · #6 Post by **pae77** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:39 am

Are all the variants of the T61 supposed to be affected by this issue?

Fwiw, my Logitech Vx Nano works fine plugged into the right side USB port on my machine.

In general, whenever possible, to be extra safe I like to use an externally powered USB hub for any power intensive devices, but it would be unacceptable to me that Lenovo posts official specs that are not accurate.

Paul Unger · #7 Post by **Paul Unger** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 5:19 pm

r. aster wrote:My T60, delivered just about a year ago, behaves the same way: my wired optical mouse is not recognized in the RH port but works in the other ports. Other devices do work in the RH port.

Any chance you could provide a brief overview of devices that do and do not work in the RH port? I'd appreciate it.

I have a Logitech V450 that works in the RH port. pae77 has a Logitech VX Nano that works in the RH port. My Logitech VX Revolution does not work in the RH port (but works fine in both LH ports). This--to me--is the most disturbing thing. I don't understand how it can be software (drivers, etc.) given that it works in some ports but not in others. All in all, the Lenovo rep's comment about an underpowered USB port seems most consistent with the data.

Dodge DeBoulet · #8 Post by **Dodge DeBoulet** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:56 pm

I had USB power problems with the original motherboard in my T60, but a replacement seems to have solved them. I use a Logitech VX Revolution mouse and charge my Blackberry, Jawbone and Zune with no problems from both the left and right USB ports.

ShaggyDog · #9 Post by **ShaggyDog** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:36 am

Have a T60 for 1.5 yrs, it has 2 usb on the right - some usb connections are not recognized (gps for one)in the right, but work fine in the left one. Bluetooth being on seems to make it worse.

icantux · #10 Post by **icantux** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:24 am

Hmm... I read that inserting an SD card into the X61(s) will cause problems with the USB ports as well due to IRQ ( ? ) or PCI bus sharing issues. Strange.

meekus · #11 Post by **meekus** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:24 am

FWIW my T60 has a pair of USB ports on the RH side and only one on the LH side. IOW the USB port arrangement is reversed wrt. a T61.

That said, I don't notice anything funky with the operation of all three of my T60's USB ports.

Paul Unger · #12 Post by **Paul Unger** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:59 am

I should update my experience so far. I recently heard from Mark_Lenovo regarding the same issue as I have posted it at the lenovo community forum who has been pursuing this with me (perhaps those experiencing similar problems could post there as well?). He recently wrote: "L2 support bought the same mouse you have and tried to recreate the right side USB port issues unsuccessfully so far - the system here works. The CMVC case is 66719 for your records. I'm willing to press the issue, but expect that we will be asked to replace the system board first to see if the issue get's resolved. Just wanted to update you on that part." So obviously it does not affect all machines and is going to be a difficult matter to resolve. Is it worth swapping out system boards? I'd almost feel guilty doing that considering the cost in time and materials. On the other hand, having a machine that doesn't function properly / entirely is not what I paid for . . . This is a tough call.

SHoTTa35 · #13 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:50 am

well just a lil note - my T60 has 1 USB on the left and 2 on the right and they all power my USB 2.0 HD just fine as well as my IBM Laser mouse

pae77 · #14 Post by **pae77** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:29 pm

Paul Unger wrote:
r. aster wrote: . . .

I have a Logitech V450 that works in the RH port. pae77 has a Logitech VX Nano that works in the RH port. My Logitech VX Revolution does not work in the RH port (but works fine in both LH ports). This--to me--is the most disturbing thing. I don't understand how it can be software (drivers, etc.) given that it works in some ports but not in others. All in all, the Lenovo rep's comment about an underpowered USB port seems most consistent with the data.

I just got a new VX Revolution (wanted a slightly larger size mouse than the Nano) and wish to report that it also works just fine in the right side USB port on my T61p, although atm I'm running it from one of the USB ports on the Advanced Mini Dock.

k0NRaD · #15 Post by **k0NRaD** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:24 am

as someone already knows, i have almost the same issue with the usb port on the left of my t60 (type 2007 fxg) with a logitech wireless mouse. all the other usbdevices i have tried work perfectly. i opened a ticket with the european support and the guy at the phone told me he was going to open a level two issue because in the common problems a t60 can have there is no any usb issue at all. i'll let you know. may i ask what is your model type if it is affected by the same problem?

Paul Unger · #16 Post by **Paul Unger** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:08 pm

See my signature for affected model type. I look forward to hearing what Europe's L2 people find.

marlinspike · #17 Post by **marlinspike** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:36 pm

It was my left one that got wonky whenever I tried to plug my card reader into it, but now that I have a new board (which I feel bad about - the headphone jack broke and I didn't realize that would entail a new board - I feel especially bad since I'm buying a new board to upgrade my video anyways) the problem seems to be gone.

I wouldn't worry about the cost in time though. I was the tech's only call so we were shooting the breeze while he did it (they're paid by the call apparently) and it still took less than an 45 minutes.

hellosailor · #18 Post by **hellosailor** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:43 pm

My T61p has two ports on the right side, one on the left side.

Got a surprise last week (after 6 months) when a system message popped up saying one of the ports on the right was NOT A HIGH SPEED PORT.

Speed, power....I don't want to hear about this nonsense. (Well, I do, but you know what I mean.)

marlinspike · #19 Post by **marlinspike** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:27 pm

They are all high speed ports. Every now and then, windows, especially Vista, has a hiccup. Try rebooting.

hellosailor · #20 Post by **hellosailor** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:35 pm

Yes, it was a "just once" happening. Nevertheless, computers don't just do things--there is always a cause. Even if it is just a cosmic ray strike corrupting a data bit (which is supposed to happen 4x/year for a 24x365 system at sea level) there's always a reason. They don't have the ability for creative thought, no matter how fickle or evil they may seem to be.

Most likely there was a hardware problem, a dirty cable connection, a cold solder joint opening up...some type of transient cause that will eventually get worse.

pae77 · #21 Post by **pae77** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 2:07 pm

I should mention that my T61p referred to in previous posts in this thread also has two usb ports on the rt side and only one on the left.

Sometimes my cell phone which I connect by USB fails to get recognized properly by Nokia's PC Suite software. It has something to do with their USB drivers interacting or not interacting proprely with the USB ports. Seems it can occur in any port, so I don't think it's a port specific problem but more like a driver problem.

hello sailor: I guess you should update your signature to say something about the funky USB port Lenovo also sneaked by you.

hellosailor · #22 Post by **hellosailor** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:37 pm

So far the USB ports seem work WORK properly, but then again I haven't run a speed test on them. Know of any?

crippled USB port

crippled USB port

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