T61 and prior T series ThinkPad Laptops

[#1]

I have both and T60 and a T61p.  Both of them will hang every time when I simply remove the power cord from my docking station while the computer is docked.  I would expect the computer to simply run off the battery until it is drained and hybernate according to the power managment settings.  Instead it hangs the instant I remove the power.  This is an issue because it means I need to install a UPS on a laptop in case I loose power at my house which seems crazy.

Any thoughts/ideas? 

The computers sound card is still working as it does make the normal beeping noise to signal power removal and re-insertion.  Fn-PgUp will turn the mini-light on but no other functions/action seem to work (including Ctrl-Alt-Delete).

Thanks

Ryan

[#2]

Hi rcmaross, welcome to the forum,

A dock needs power for the usb hub etc, I think what may be happening is that windows has a problem with the unannounced removal of hardware. I presume that when you hot-dock / undock you don't have a problem, just when the power dissapears?

[#3]

Andy,

Thanks for the quick response!

I have no issue with dock/undock just power loss.  Does anyone have a solution for this?  My only recourse is to install a UPS for my laptop to avoid ungraceful shutdowns during power failures/surges.  It seems really silly to need a UPS for a laptop computer dont you think!

I would think removing power from the dock would be just like removing a USB port from the PC, kind of like hot undock.

Ryan

[#4]

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rcmaross wrote:

My only recourse is to install a UPS for my laptop to avoid ungraceful shutdowns during power failures/surges.  It seems really silly to need a UPS for a laptop computer dont you think!

Ryan

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I agree it would be silly to need a UPS for a laptop but not silly for a laptop in a docking station. You are adding a lot of extra components that are not battery powered and they are a bit more complicated than a few simple USB devices. I don't believe the original intent of a docking station was to attach a laptop to it and then carry them around (not that you are doing that). It is supposed to be used to create a stationary base to make a laptop into (somewhat of) a desktop replacement. When it is docked it should get the same consideration as a desktop. It becomes a laptop again after it is safely un-docked. IMHO

[#5]

I had this problem with my ultrabay battery causing my system to hang.  I belive the problem lies with the complex nature of power management on the thinkpads.  I would recommend reinstalling the power management software, both ACPI console and the Lenovo Power Management utility. That's what I did to fix my hang problem anyway...

[#6]

Good point.  I agree.  However, all I want to do it be safe during a power outage.  My previous port replicator for my T43 and for my previous sony viao had no issue with loosing power and at least not freezing up the laptop.  I am completely aware of the difference between a docking station and a port replicator but my usage of them is the same in this instance so I should see no behavioral differences.  Sure on my old port replicators the USB devices went away (photo printer, KVM...) but at least I didn't loose my work.  That to me is unexceptable.  Even if I did hook up a UPS the PC would not shut down when the UPS was drained because the PC (ie Windows) is smart enough to know it still has battery life (via its own battery) and I would be screwed anyway. 

This is, in my opinion a major oversight by either Windows or IBM/Lenovo whomever is to blame for this issue.  I am sure it is an issue with Windows XP but I am also sure IBM/Lenovo could have builtin a mechanism that made loosing power to the dock a bit more graceful.  Drain power from my battery if you need to and gracefully shut everything down.  I would rather that - followed by the already built-in windows hybernate-on-low-battery mechanism.

Again the only thing I think is of value here is graceful shutdown/hybernation when there is a power loss.  Not any useful access to peripherals or anything.

[#7]

Doesn't your dock have a serial port? I thought that a UPS had a serial or USB connection to the computer that could send a shutdown command when it detects a power loss.

[#8]

sure it has a serial port and some UPS's have serial some don't.  However, I believe windows is smart enough to realize that it still has the internal battery and will not shut down until both batteries are low.  The UPS I have for my desktop does come with special SW and that does seem to do what you suggest - shut off power regardless of internal battery.  This may be a reasonable workaround but not a solution (IMO).

This is a bit off topic.  My main question is whether anyone knows if this problem is going to be fixed.  It is clearly a regression from the older T42/T43 dock and this T60/T61 dock. 

Thanks

Ryan

[#9]

rcmaross wrote:

I would expect the computer to simply run off the battery until it is drained and hybernate according to the power managment settings.

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I don't have a dock for my T60p, but if I did, I would expect it to work that way, too, since I've never had one that didn't.  My work-issued HP Compaq nc6220 running XP keeps on running if I pull the power from the dock, and the Ultrabase for my X61 Tablet running Vista doesn't have a problem with having the power removed.

Are you using the same dock with both systems?  If reinstalling the power management utility doesn't fix it, I'd call support.

Message Edited by nonny on 12-10-2007 11:51 AM

[#10]

I had the same problems and here's how i fixed: go to your connections properties, click on configure, click on Advance tab, highlight Deep Smart Power Down from the list and disable it. you can now use your laptop using its battery.