X31 CompactFlash Slot

[Sweet Pete]

I recently purchased an X31 (2673-Y13) from ebay. I've managed to do a network installation of windows XP SP2, and I've downloaded all of the latest drivers from IBM using the software installer. It has been a great little computer so far, however I cannot get the compact flash slot to function properly. When I insert a card from my digital camera, the "Welcome to the new hardware found wizard" pops up saying:

"pcmcia unknown_manufacturer"

Having XP install the hardware automatically does not work. I have tried installing it as an IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller (PCMCIA IDE/ATAPI Controller). Doing so results in a "code 10" "the device cannot start".

I've also tried installing it as "generic PCMCIA memory card". When I install this driver, the drive shows up in my computer, but I get a message saying :

"F:\ is not accessible, incorrect function."

I know the card works because it can be read from my PCMCIA compact flash adapter just fine. It finds the card immediatley and installs the card properly.

Has anyone else had a problem using their compact flash slot?

[tomh009]

You should not need to install any software. On my X31, when I insert a CF card in the slot, this is what I see in Device Manager:

PCMCIA IDE ATA/ATAPI controller
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Location: on Ricoh R/RL/5C476(II) or Compatible CardBus Controller
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 2001-07-01
Driver Version: 5.1.2600.2180

Ricoh R/RL/5C476(II) or Compatible CardBus Controller
Manufacturer: RICOH
Location: PCI Slot 1 (PCI bus 2, device 0, function 0)
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 2001-07-01
Driver Version: 5.1.2600.0

So it sounds like it's not recognizing the Ricoh PCMCIA controller.

You could try downloading a driver from here ... though I'm not certain that that's the problem.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/36275

Which specific X31 model do you have?

P.S. Even if/when you do get this working, I'll have to warn you that the performance of the built-in reader is quite poor. I use it only as a last resort if I don't have a USB2 or CardBus CF reader with me.

[Sweet Pete]

Thanks for the reply.

My X31 is a model 2673-Y13 (1.6, 30gb, 512mb ram). It is still under IBM warranty until March 2008. Device manager shows 2 PCMCIA adapters:

Ricoh R/RL/5C476(II) or Compatible CardBus Controller
Manufacturer: RICOH
Location: PCI Slot 1 (PCI bus 2, device 0, function 0)
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 2001-07-01
Driver Version: 5.1.2600.0


Ricoh R/RL/5C476(II) or Compatible CardBus Controller
Manufacturer: RICOH
Location: PCI Slot 2 (PCI bus 2, device 0, function 1)
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 2001-07-01
Driver Version: 5.1.2600.0

I wonder if there is some sort of IRQ conflict?

[tomh009]

Those are the same ones that show for me (I have a 2672-PBU). Hmmm. IRQ conflicts should be unlikely unless you have been doing some strange hardware upgrades.

If you really want to get it working, maybe a call to Lenovo would be worth a shot?

[Ken Fox]

I keep a CF card in my X32's slot all the time; it is a Sandisk Ultra II 2gb card.

This is considered a disk drive by Windows XP. There are 3 drivers shown related to this and maybe one of them is the one you need. Here they are:

C:Windows\system32\DRIVERS\disk.sys
C:Windows\system32\drivers\drvmcdb.sys
C:Windows\system32\drivers\partmgr.sys

the first and 3rd of these have green check marks on the left side in the listing of drivers under device manager.

Under PCMCIA (IDE/ATAPI controller) drivers I also found this one:

c:\windows\system32\storprop.dll

this is in addition to "atapi.sys" which I'm sure you have loaded from windows.

Hope this helps.

[tomh009]

I keep a CF card in my X32's slot all the time; it is a Sandisk Ultra II 2gb card.

Ken, how do you use the CF card, given that you keep it in the slot permanently?

Unless the X32 has a different CF card slot than the X31, the performance is by no means stellar; with my X31, it's on the order of 1 MB/s with a Lexar WA high-speed card, when the same card can do around 6 MB/s using a CardBus CF reader or an external USB 2.0 CF reader.

[Ken Fox]

I keep a CF card in my X32's slot all the time; it is a Sandisk Ultra II 2gb card.

Ken, how do you use the CF card, given that you keep it in the slot permanently?

Unless the X32 has a different CF card slot than the X31, the performance is by no means stellar; with my X31, it's on the order of 1 MB/s with a Lexar WA high-speed card, when the same card can do around 6 MB/s using a CardBus CF reader or an external USB 2.0 CF reader.

It's just for backup of files (like Quicken, or other data files) and anything I'd want to have a separate copy of in case of a hard drive failure. This particular card is in there because I used to use it in my digital cameras but with the "famous" buy.com "google checkout" deals before Christmas, I picked up another one of these cards for about $30 shipped. The X31/32 only has 2 USB ports, and only one is powered to any extent, so it is nice to use the CF slot rather than tying up a USB slot with something like a memory key.

If I'm doing photography and have this notebook with me, then I'd be using the slot to read in image files as well, or would have the option of using a cardbus adapter, which I also have.

[tomh009]

It's just for backup of files (like Quicken, or other data files) and anything I'd want to have a separate copy of in case of a hard drive failure. This particular card is in there because I used to use it in my digital cameras but with the "famous" buy.com "google checkout" deals before Christmas, I picked up another one of these cards for about $30 shipped. The X31/32 only has 2 USB ports, and only one is powered to any extent, so it is nice to use the CF slot rather than tying up a USB slot with something like a memory key.

That's a very good idea for critical files -- and for many of those the somewhat slow speed of the built-in CF slot is not critical. Now that I bought a 4 GB Microdrive for my photography, I might leave one of my 1 GB cards permanently in the CF slot as well ...

[Ken Fox]

That's a very good idea for critical files -- and for many of those the somewhat slow speed of the built-in CF slot is not critical. Now that I bought a 4 GB Microdrive for my photography, I might leave one of my 1 GB cards permanently in the CF slot as well ...

Just be sure you remember where you put that little plastic thing that occupies the CF slot when nothing is in there . . . . .

[bujie]

In the CF slot once I put a 4GB microdrive, that had a small hard disk inside (the one that spins ) ) It was so cool! Windows recognized it in a flash, as a disk drive. The transfer rate was... 800KBps... SLOW! That might be because of the little hard drive inside maybe an flash microdrive is faster! Maybe the XP SP2 in question misses a driver, who knows?

[avexdevil]

Just be sure you remember where you put that little plastic thing that occupies the CF slot when nothing is in there . . . . .

just bought a 2nd hand x31 recently, and the cf slot cover is missing...is it possible to get one anywhere? or order for ibm perhaps? ... in fact I woulnd't mind a dud cf card just to cover the gaping hole .

[tomh009]

In the CF slot once I put a 4GB microdrive, that had a small hard disk inside (the one that spins ) ) It was so cool! Windows recognized it in a flash, as a disk drive. The transfer rate was... 800KBps... SLOW! That might be because of the little hard drive inside maybe an flash microdrive is faster! Maybe the XP SP2 in question misses a driver, who knows?

Unfortunately, that's about all you can do through the built-in slot, even with a high-speed CF card (a MicroDrive can do much better, too). You need to use either a USB reader or a CardBus adapter to get better performance.

[Ken Fox]

Just be sure you remember where you put that little plastic thing that occupies the CF slot when nothing is in there . . . . .

just bought a 2nd hand x31 recently, and the cf slot cover is missing...is it possible to get one anywhere? or order for ibm perhaps? ... in fact I woulnd't mind a dud cf card just to cover the gaping hole .

Buy yourself a cheap 1gb CF card and use it as both a cover and for backups of data you don't want to lose in the event of a hard disk failure or data corruption.

[KristianJ]

Buy yourself a cheap 1gb CF card and use it as both a cover and for backups of data you don't want to lose in the event of a hard disk failure or data corruption.

Exactly what I'm going to do now that my X31 has arrived (and what a lovely little machine it is so far ) Just need to find one preferably locally, but will probably end up getting one from China off Ebay.