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Notebook undocking problems
I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook for work. I sometimes need to have this computer be used as a notebook should. When it is plugged into the docking station it works fine; however, as soon as I take it off the docking station and try to bring it back to life, this is what it says:
The computer is docked and only battery power is detected. This can happen if the power adapter is missing, the power cord is unplugged, or the computer is not properly connected to the docking station.
You should undock, redock, attach a power adapter, or plug in the power cord.
Strike the F1 key to shutdown.
First of all. The computer is not docked and of course only battery power is detected. The first time I tried to plug in the adapter, it broke. Why do I have to have the power adapter plugged in? Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a
portable notebook?
Second. It is undocked and it still doesn't work.
Can somebody help me?
Frustrated
Flooby
2 Intern
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3031 Posts
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Posted December 17th, 2004 12:00
Assuming you're running Windows XP (always a helpful thing to include in the first post), the first thing I'd do is determine whether this is the result of any additional software you might have installed since receiving the system, or at least verify that it worked properly at some point since you started docking it.
Next, it might help to know which BIOS version is on there. A11 is the most current (and is in fact the only one I could find for the D800). You might also want to check the version of the D-Dock firmware on there, as it appears that there have been a few updates, with A04 being the most recent release.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/type.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&SystemID=LAT_PNT_PNT_D800&category=0&os=BIOSA&osl=en&deviceid=3060&devlib=31
Are you following the proper procedures for shutting the system down/undocking? You may want to review the User Guide for your system/docking station, to be sure. You should not necessarily have to have the power adapter plugged in to use the system out of the dockling station, as long as the battery is adequately charged. (FYI, if the system is under warranty, Dell will replace the defective part.)
Also, you mentioned that this is a system you use at work. Was it set up by a local IT department, and do they have a Help line you can contact, to make sure that some proprietary software they might have installed isn't causing this problem? (Doubtful, but always worth a try.)
Finally, based on a search for posts in the Dell forum containing the error message you're getting, there's some indication that this is caused by a bad system board, so there's a possibility that local attempts to resolve this may wind up being fruitless. (This seems to have affected both Inspirons and Latitudes.) If the system is under warranty, you should contact Support (by phone, rather than e-mail), and follow whatever recommendations they make. If it isn't under warranty, you can still make arrangements with Support to have it repaired, however you will more than likely be charged for time and materials.