R40 USB 2.0 stopped working

[eldin]

I have a thinkpad R40, with Windows XP SP3 installed. Last week, the USB 2.0 stopped working. USB 1.1 devices (mouse, gamepad, keyboard) still work normally, but high-speed devices like my external DVD recorder or my digital camera sometimes don't work at all, while other times work, but at very slow speeds. The non-working USB devices have been tested to work fine on a different system, so it's not a problem with the devices. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? or have any advice on how to fix it?

Thanks,

Eldin 

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

This has been a common problem on some other ThinkPads, namely T40/41 units, and amounts to a minor motherboard failure. To the best of my knowledge, there is no permanent fix to it short of motherboard replacement.

You can buy a PCMCIA USB 2.0 card and run your devices from it.

Before you do that, make sure that the glitch is in the board, and not in the OS: download or borrow a copy of a "live" Linux CD, and boot from it, to check the functionality of the ports. Make sure that all of your USB hardware is plugged in when booting.

Good luck and let us know.

[rfkaia]

I have a similar problem and wonder whether it is witihin my range of technical competence to fix.  A few months ago all the USB ports on this nice R40 stopped working, though I don't have any knowledge of the circumstances.  Now, Device Manager / Properties indicates all USB ports are "working properly."  I've tried deleting the USB drivers and rebooting to have them reinstalled, which they did.  I've also run the Windows Troubleshooting routine in Device Manager, resulting in a messaage suggesting I download Windows online updates.  Done this - no updates needed / available is the resulting message.  My next step is to take the machine to a local shop or ship it back to PCConnection for diagnostics and repair.  Prior to this, anyone have a friendly suggestion?