The easiest way to test for USB failure (which is one of the way a Southbridge failure shows its face) is to plop any device, preferably a low-power consumption one like a mouse or USB stick and check whether you're getting the "this device can perform faster" message.
If it doesn't, you're (still) OK. If it does, re-balling the Southbridge, replacement motherboard or a new laptop altogether may be in order. Good luck. Cheers, George -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Webber <[email protected]> To: ThinkPad List <[email protected]> Sent: Sun, Mar 21, 2010 1:40 pm Subject: Re: [Thinkpad] T41p: USB problem (& $Mft problem?) [thanks for the responses, I've consolidated my answers into one email =aw] Sunday, March 21, 2010, 6:41:35 AM, RWM wrote: > I've found the starting current draw on some external drives exceeds > the 500mA spec on a USB port. > This will result in the sort of error you describe. (Though I > haven't seen the cyclical behavior.) > Some large external drive adapters utilize either a supplemental > (dual) USB power solution or a USB plus PS/2 port power solution in > order to supply more than the single USB 500mA limit as a > workaround for the higher starting current. I've seen those cables and in fact I have a couple somewhere. I figured with a pre-assembled external drive I'd be safe. The drive does have a jack for external power, though it wasn't supplied with an adapter. It's worked in other machines with just the single-headed mini-USB adapter so I think it's probably safe. I have two of these, one of them rattles when I turn it, sounds like the HD itself isn't mounted as firmly as in the other one. The second still makes no sound when I turn it. Of course they're not powered on at the time, this is like putting it in my bag. Sunday, March 21, 2010, 12:54:30 PM, RB wrote: >Some require 640 mA, whereas the standard is 500 mA, and some ports >still provide only 350 mA... it is a technical error, but we have >seen it on a number of laptops... not necessarily Thinkpads. >If you are using anything else in another port, the total available >will often be less than 500 mA. I'm confident this isn't looking for >500mA, if for no other reason than it works elsewhere (and the other ports are not the 1000mA ports I've seen advertised on some non-ThinkPad machines). I wasn't aware of the reduction when sharing ports, should my T41p be delivering 500mA to both ports at the same time? My X300 to all three? And would a powered hub normally provide 500mA to all 4 or 7 ports? Sunday, March 21, 2010, 1:22:30 PM, Bruce wrote: > T4X are notorious for the USB ports going bad.... That might be it. I have a similar problem on an old desktop machine too, it used to work but now I need a powered drive or hub to get the front USB port to support a HD. Though it (the desktop PORT) has had almost no used compared to the T41's, is the a going-bad-with-use problem or a going-bad-with-time problem? We want to continue using this T41. what's the best solution? PCMCIA USB? I have a FireWire card in one slot but I have one slot free and don't have to use the FireWire any more (I got it for a small external USB/FW DVD burner to keep the USBs open). Thanks again everyone! -- Andrew mailto:[email protected] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Repair Clinic" <[email protected]> > To: "Andrew Webber" <[email protected]> > Cc: "ThinkPad List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 12:54 PM > Subject: Re: [Thinkpad] T41p: USB problem (& $Mft problem?) >> Some require 640 mA, whereas the standard is 500 mA, and some ports still >> provide only 350 mA... it is a technical error, but we have seen it on a >> number of laptops... not necessarily Thinkpads. >> >> If you are using anything else in another port, the total available will >> often be less than 500 mA >> >> >> RB >> - - - - - >> >> >> I've got all the money I'll ever need, >> if I die by four o'clock. >> >> ... ... .... ..... ...... ~ Henny Youngman >> >> >> On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 10:46 PM, Andrew Webber >> <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> I'm not sure these are related, so I'll start with the known problem. >>> >>> I have an external bus-powered drive that's always worked well. I >>> plugged it into the top USB port of the T41p and while the light went >>> on, I got a message about not recognizing the drive. I moved it to the >>> bottom USB port and it was recognized. >>> >>> Is it possible the top port is delivering less than the required >>> voltage? Would that seem like a reasonable thing for it to be doing (I >>> don't recall it happening in the past). Right now I have a >>> self-powered desktop external in the USB port and it's working okay. >>> >>> Also, with the bus-powered drive, I got an error at one point related >>> to E:\$MFt (not sure of the exact spelling). I googled and found a lot >>> of posts on error messages for this. Master File Table I think and it >>> sounded serious. No number of shutdowns and restarts (of the computer) >>> seemed to make a difference. >>> >>> I plugged the drive into another machine and it worked fine, no MFt >>> error. Put it back into the T41p (bottom port and through a powered >>> hub this time) and got the MFt error again. It seemed to be cycling >>> through it: MFt error, E: drops off My Computer, E: is recognized, MFt >>> error, etc. >>> >>> Is it possible the MFt message is stuck in a record somewhere and it's >>> producing this message without actually seeing anything's wrong? >>> >>> Thanks! >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Andrew mailto:[email protected] >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Thinkpad mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Thinkpad mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
