Yes, I have the same issue with our two new E6400s, but it happens every time.  Re-docking freezes the laptop and only a hard reboot will free it up.  Even emailed Dell support for assistance, and it's been 4 days with no answer.

Dean

Hi Dean

Since i posted the first article we have also added  Precision M4400 to the error  list

we have changed docks and are in the process of testing  one E6400 with change of systemboard ( which the new had been upgraded and needed extra PCI drivers)

we are now waiting for our customer to reply with status !!!!!   whether or not it helped.

Robert  

Hi

(sorry for my english, I'll try to do my best)

someone here also have the same problem. We tried to replicate the problem somewhere else, but we can't: the "docking and undocking" just work fine. We tried it again at the person's office and the problems was there again. We changed everything connected to the E-port replicator and found that the Ethernet port may cause the problem.  We changed the hub connected to the port replicator... and nothing changed. The problem still there.

Also have all latest bios and power management.   

Nik

I too am having this issue. I'm in IT for AT&T Wi-Fi, we're rolling out the E6500's and E6400's along with E-Ports. So far, haven't had any complaints about the E6400's (we only have about two rolled out) but the E6500's have had the "freezes when docked" issue.

I've tried disabling the various options in the BIOS related to "when docked..." such as Smart Card reader, USB ports, etc etc. I've updated the BIOS to the latest version. I've disabled power management on all devices in Device Manager that had them.  Yet the issue still persists.

The worst part is that the freezes are intermittent. I've had them once or twice (though I don't undock very often) another user has had them several times, and I just got a new ticket today from another fellow who has started having the trouble. Though, he initially did have some problems, it turned out the dock was bad. So I called it in, they shipped out another, and this one was much larger than the one before (two DVI ports, various other extra ports here and there) and I've been using that one since it arrived.

It occurred to me just now that I'm going to swap this out for the users dock that is having the most trouble and see if the problems go away, and I'll use her dock (though I did swap her out to another eport, but both were the "small ones")

I hope that I'm able to find an ultimate cause or resolution to this.

We are also experiencing this specifig issue with E6500 machines. This error has been ongoing for a year now, and we have recieved numerious suggestions from Dell to fix this issue but still no help. If any of you previous posters are still experiencing this error, could you please drop me a couple of lines through email. We could compare our configurations to find the common factor causing this.

<ADMIN NOTE: Email id removed per privacy policy>

Thanks!

Hi all,
I have same problem, i try anything, replaced Mb, dock, ac adapter, external monitor, new os... etc.. 
Still, computer freeze when i boot it in dock.. 
I think and hope, dell maybe fix this some new bios.. 
someone who speak better english, please tell to dell this issue.

Thank you

Hi Guys!

We are facing the real world issues due to the new "DELL": they go for cheap, offer poor support, and can't find a solution.

I'm affraid Dell used to be the best but it is now old times.  Nowadays you need to do it yourself, and find the fix on your own.

As I read your issues, it looks like mine: problems with a E6400 latitude machine, which can not turn of and restart when DOCKED on this Edock serie.

Solution is to Disable the "imaging device" Creative Integrated Webcam.   Then everything "works" (can turn off, restart, etc...)

The creative drivers  on Dell drivers ( 1.06.03.0309, A06, 27/03/09) are suppose to resolved compatibility issue with dock, but does not change much.

I can now restart when on dock, but still can't turn off.

Of course, when I disable the webcam it works FINE and I can reboot!

Hope it helps you aswell

test

Yeah that's my problem. We don't have cameras. All of our systems are AT&T standard Level 3 systems. E6500 / 6400 (though we haven't really rolled out many of the 64's yet) 4GBs of RAM, Core 2 Duo at 2.66GHz on e-ports. It's just a couple of end-users, myself included, that are getting the freezing issue. I even went so far as to search for a way to install the the fingerprint reader driver contained within the DCP WITHOUT having to install the DCP (I have a link that somewhere, some fellow figured out how to make an MSI for JUST the fingerprint reader hardware, which I'm sure  you know that you have to install regardless of whether you have the actual scanner itself, as the chipset is still built into the board) and I still have the intermittent hard-freeze when docking.

It's vexing, but I have a gut feeling that it has something to do with power management when docking "kicking in correctly." The only reason I suspect this is that when I undock, my LCD goes to the dimmest setting, and when I redock (and it works correctly) it goes back to the brightest setting. When the freeze occurs, the LCD stays dim. Though this certainly does not preclude the fact that the freeze occurs before the software can kick in and cause the LCD to go back to the brightest setting.

Overall, I don't feel this is something that we as IT personnel are going to be able to solve on our own. I believe it's a fundamental flaw in the hardware itself, whether it's the dock AND the dock connector on the bottom, or one or the other. Or maybe, it's an issue with XP and power management software. We only use XP, with the SP3. Has anyone had this issue in Vista?

The only other problem I've had is that it seems a few of the systems, while you're typing on the keyboard on the laptop itself, the I-bar cursor will jump to wherever the mouse pointer is. It's very aggravating.

I don't have a cam :(