Base station USB 'Device Descriptor Request Failed'

Question

I have an odd issue with my XPS 9360 and a base station. To explain... I have an XPS 9360, Win10, x64, fully patched Windows, Dell and intel For a long time it has driven a Dell 1080p HD screen via a WD15 base station connected via the XPS's single USB-C port I was then provided a rather glorious LG 27MD5KA 5K screen. This screen is Lightening only (please note) and if connected directly via the USB-C/Lightening port on the XPS works fine (and is in use as I type) The issue was a second screen (3rd display if we count the laptop panel). This has to be connected via a base station as the XPS only has the single USB-C/Lightening port and all peripherals excepting USB-A devices have to go via this single port and base station I also have a work-provided HP Elitebook G8 which rather helpfully includes 2x USB-C/Lightening + an HDMI port direct to the laptop and so is less reliant on a single USB-C connection and base station for display support The WD15 was not up to supporting the LG display being 1xHDMI, 1x mico-DP + 1x VGA with no Lightening support I was then provided an HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 base station. This is a top-end base station with Lightening, 2x DP and numerous other connections. It's quite a box of tricks The G8 laptop and G2 work perfectly ... LG 5K screen in full 5K + the Dell 1080p H screen The XPS would not work with the G2 until I checked and updated the G2 firmware last weekend. As this ran everything came to life and I had the XPS working with the G2 and driving the LG, the Dell 1080p and laptop screen. It all worked perfectly This was last weekend, and please note, everything worked perfectly, both G8 and XPS both worked via the G2 base station with both screens and other devices hung off the G2 working. This is therefore a proven working configuration. This last week I have been using the G2 with the G8 laptop and all devices have worked perfectly. We came to Sat. I  switched to 'home work' and so plugged the XPS back into the G2 to carry on from last weekend. At this point only the laptop panel would work. The connector was good ... the XPS was taking power from the G2, but device manager was reporting; 'Device Descriptor Request Failed'. The Display control panel showed it knew something was there ... the main laptop panel was shown plus a small greyed out second screen of unknown type/dimensions. It knew something was there, bit nothing about what it was and the possible screen isn't usable. I researched numerous articles on disabling or uninstalling the USB devices and restarting, uninstalling the 'eXtensible Host Controllers', reinstalling the eXtensible Host Controllers, but excepting a few blue screens, I achieve nothing. It is maybe of note that at this moment with only the LG connected directly to the XPS, I have only an 'Intel(R) 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.0 (Microsoft)' under USB controllers. With the G2 connected a second 3.1 eXtensive Host Controller appears ... and both are run, 3.0 and 3.1. Maybe that's significant? So to answer some of the immediate questions: Yes the devices are compatible and have all worked happily together. I even have pictures to prove it! No nothing was changed between last Sun when the XPS was unplugged form the G2 with all screens working, and this Sat when it was reconnected and no screens would work No the G2 hasn't 'gone bad' and has been in use all week with the HP G8 and continues to work with the G8 Yes it's plugged in properly. The XPS recognises it for power and I have tired and retied plugging in, connector both ways up ... although one unplug did result in one of the blue screens of death I have checked Windows Update and there have been no updates applied between last weekend (15/16-Oct) and this weekend. Last update was the 2022-10 Win10 21H1 cumulative update on 14-Oct, just before last weekend and everything working. No update since that date With the G2 plugged in 'unrecognised' to the XPS, it's still possible for me to run the G2 firmware check and update ... so there is communication between the XPS and G2 even when 'unrecognised' The G2 firmware remains updated as completed last weekend ... it's just the XPS no longer recognises what it recognised last Sat and Sun. Odd! I have checked the Dell site which reports my XPS is fully up to date on drivers etc., Windows update reports the same and so does the intel drivers site ... although it provided a graphics driver update this morning ... but no impact of course as the issue seems to be the XPS not recognising the G2 and so we don't get as far as a graphics driver with the 2 screens, the XPS can't setup the G2 let alone make any use of devices connected to it. Anyone any ideas? It's clearly an issue with the handshake between the XPS and G2 that is failing, but why would it be working fine last Sat and Sun but then completely fail all attempts this weekend? This problem is definitely testing me! Ideas on next steps? I know it's possible ... but have no idea why unplugging (all working) last Sun and reconnecting to the G2 this Sat should be so different

iain_h · Answer

Hummm ... the Synaptics fingerprint sensor is also not working...

This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)

The ALPC message requested is no longer available.

Have tried update driver .. nothing
Have downloaded driver from Dell (release date 23 Feb 2017!) ... but install fails "As a more recent version of the driver is already installed"!

Inspiron

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