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Losing USB3 on XPS15 docking station
I have an XPS15 with a docking station. Attached to the docking station are 2 monitors and a powered USB3 strip with a few items attached (speakers, camera, etc).
Lately I have had 2 issues:
1) I occasionally (every few days) get a blue screen once I login. The error message says "driver_verifier_DMA_violation". I think this has to do with the wireless headset I have connected (the setup is through a Plantronics switch that has a bluetooth connection to the headset and a USB3 connection to the PC). I think this is a secondary issue to the USB3 problem, though.
2) The docking station seems to lose the USB3 capability. The USB3 strip attached to the docking station has LEDs that show me which ports are connected to the PC. Frequently, when I attach the laptop to the docking station (via the Thunderbolt3 connection), it boots up, but the LEDs on the strip stay dark. the strip is powered (separate LED) and a device that only uses the USB3 for power works. When I switch the USB3 port on the docking station, nothing changes. I can get the devices usually going if I switch the USB3 strip to a USB3 connection directly on the laptop. Sometimes I can get them going also if I shut down the whole system, unplug the docking station, wait, then start everything up again.
Has anybody seen anything similar?
jphughan
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July 1st, 2020 11:00
@mike_b2 What exact docking station model are you using?
jphughan
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July 1st, 2020 11:00
@mike_b2 And actually in addition to docking station model, what exact XPS 15 model do you have? There have been many over the years, e.g. 9550, 9560, 9570, 7590, and 9500. When requesting technical support, it helps to provide technical detail.
mike_b2
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July 10th, 2020 08:00
Sorry, yes, I should have probably mentioned that... I haven an XPS 9560 and a TB16 docking station.
In the meantime I have been looking everywhere for fixes, and have tried a few, but nothing has really helped so far. So again, here is the situation:
Up to a few weeks ago: No problem. I would connect the TB16 to my laptop with the Thunderbolt3 connection, the computer would boot, All devices show up (2 monitors, a few USB devices, Ethernet), and everything was fine.
Then (possibly after a Win10 update and addition of a Plantronics device): BSODs as described above, and no USB3 on the dock (tried all ports, nothing. Connecting directly to laptop works). Monitors and Ethernet worked fine.
Current situation (after trying a number of things): Haven't seen the BSOD for a while (knock on wood). When I connect the laptop to the docking station it boots, ethernet and monitors show up. Most of the time - no USB3. Rebooting the laptop with dock attached typically fixes the problem, but some USB3 devices (notably the Plantronics device, MDA220, require unplugging and replugging).
jphughan
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July 10th, 2020 09:00
@mike_b2 The TB16 uses an ASMedia USB host controller that requires its own driver. I haven't looked at the TB16 in a while since it's been replaced by the WD19TB (which uses an Intel USB host controller that doesn't require a special driver), but I remember that the ASMedia driver got updated a LOT and seemed to create conflicts with certain applications. One in particular that caught a lot of people out was Citrix Receiver, which could cause the USB ports not to work and even system lockups if memory serves. That prompted a KB article about it. So if you haven't already, make sure you're running the latest version of that ASMedia driver and the TB16 firmware. It's possible that Windows Update pushed a driver in the background that might have been responsible for the change in behavior, otherwise it could be an adverse interaction with something else you installed, just like that Citrix Receiver issue I mentioned.
mike_b2
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July 10th, 2020 15:00
I saw the Citrix issue, but I can't find any obvious citrix software under programs or services. How do I find out if that is installed?
I did delete teh ASM drivers and software and rebooted the whole system, then plugged in the TB16. The laptop then installed a Microsoft ASM driver, but that had it's own problems. Ethernet and USB3 would constantly connect and disconnect, so that was not usable. I then installed the ASM drivers again and that is where I am now. I did update the laptop BIOS and firmware on the dock. Perhaps I should try that again ...
mike_b2
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July 10th, 2020 15:00
Also, can I use the WD19TB with my laptop?
mike_b2
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July 17th, 2020 08:00
Guess nobody has seen this?
jphughan
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July 17th, 2020 09:00
@mike_b2 Haven't seen this, but yes you can use the WD19TB with an XPS 15 9560.