New Power Manager versions - issues with X32 (WinXP)

[dr_st]

My X32 has been running XP happily (dual-booting Win7, but using XP as a primary OS). I've been using Power Manager 1.99j.

Recently, on a whim, I decided to upgrade to the latest version (Power Manager for Windows XP version 5.20).

Immediately issues started, or more specifically one very big issue, which manifests itself during certain power state changes (going to idle).

The symptom is as follows - after the X32 has been idling for a while, and I come back to it, instead of seeing an idle Thinkpad with the screen off, I see a half-locked-up Thinkpad - processes still run, there is even network connectivity, including file sharing and VNC, but the LCD is blank, keyboard and mouse are completely unresponsive, and the machine cannot even be turned off/restarted, even with the power button. Only pulling the battery out helps.

This has happened several times. I haven't bothered to investigate what the incompatibility culprit is, because, frankly, I don't see anything very useful to me in the new version. Rolling back to the old version restored normal behavior.

I've been experiencing somewhat similar lockups when power states change under Windows 7 as well. I wonder if these issues, which I wrote off as fundamental driver incompatibility between the X32 and Windows 7 might be due to poor support for older hardware in new versions of the Vista/7 Power Manager as well. I'll have to get an older version and experiment. Right now the oldest you can get on Lenovo's site is 3.25.

Just thought this piece of information might come handy if some folks here encounter similar issues on old Thinkpads.

[RealBlackStuff]

You can get the 98/W2k/XP Power Mgmt drivers V1.30 from a T23 here: http://ps-2.kev009.com/pccbbs/mobiles/1yku08ww.exe
Try those.