Re: ThinkPad T41 - Strange USB 2.0 behaviour

Robert de Rooy
2007-06-07T21:42:57Z

Joel Becker wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 07, 2007 at 10:23:19PM +0200, Robert de Rooy wrote:
>
>> On my ThinkPad T41 USB 2.0 behaves strange. Most USB 2.0 devices, refuse
>> to function as such. Under Windows I get a message that I should plug
>> the device into a USB 2.0 port (but it continues to function as USB
>> 1.1), while under Linux I need to manually unload ehci-hcd before I can
>> access the device.
>>
>> The strange thing is that these USB 2.0 devices used to work just fine,
>> and still do on other machines. In addition I have one USB 2.0 memory
>> key that still works fine (both under Windows and Linux).
>>
>> Now to be honest, I think this is a hardware problem, as I have had
>> another T41p before that also suddenly no longer liked USB 2.0 devices,
>> and if you search with Google you find other ThinkPad T41 users
>> complaining about similar behaviour.
>>
>
> Hardware problem. You need a new system board. I had this
> problem on my T41, devices would sometimes work, sometimes not
> (depending on the reboot). If I plugged in a USB 1.1 hub, then pluged
> the memory reader into the hub, it would always work at 1.1 speeds.
> New system board, USB 2.0 works just fine.
>
> Joel
>
Yes I figured it was a hardware problem, but that was not really the
point I was trying to raise ;). I would like, if possible for Linux to
automatically fallback to USB 1.1 like Windows does (preferably with a
suitable warning).

Regarding getting the systemboard replaced, this machine is already
scheduled for replacement, and I should be getting a new one in the next
few weeks. But other users apparently have been having similar problems,
and might not want to get the (presumably out-of-warranty) systemboard
replaced.