Dell D630 re-dock results in need to hard re-boot

I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if I boot
up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock it.
However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on (either in
standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be unsuccessful. By
"unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT), and there
is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my system. Even
if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to turn back
on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold re-boot.
It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I came
back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista issue? Is it
a Dell issue?

Thanks in advance.

If it does not happen while not docked, your dock is broken.

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click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
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Mark L. Ferguson

"swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:671AFF97-B9C6-4C86-8BF9-569D8306DBA2@microsoft.com...
> I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if I
> boot
> up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock it.
> However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on (either in
> standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be unsuccessful. By
> "unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT), and
> there
> is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my system.
> Even
> if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to turn
> back
> on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold
> re-boot.
> It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I came
> back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
> recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista issue? Is
> it
> a Dell issue?
>
> Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the reply, Mark. However, it only happens WHEN I dock. The
system works fine when it is already docked. And it works fine when it is
not docked. Does that change your analysis at all?

Thanks.


"Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:

> If it does not happen while not docked, your dock is broken.
>
> --
> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a post''
> Mark L. Ferguson
>
> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:671AFF97-B9C6-4C86-8BF9-569D8306DBA2@microsoft.com...
> > I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if I
> > boot
> > up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock it.
> > However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on (either in
> > standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be unsuccessful. By
> > "unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT), and
> > there
> > is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my system.
> > Even
> > if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to turn
> > back
> > on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold
> > re-boot.
> > It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I came
> > back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
> > recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista issue? Is
> > it
> > a Dell issue?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
>

Not really. It's unlikely that the dock needs any special drivers, since all
it is, is a glorified extension cord for the plugs. Unless the hardware were
damaged in some way (probably the docking plug itself) I don't think you
would be getting that failure only AT dock.

--
click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a post''
Mark L. Ferguson

"swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:525EF1F2-D3B7-4B51-8D30-47452EE2F4BB@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the reply, Mark. However, it only happens WHEN I dock. The
> system works fine when it is already docked. And it works fine when it is
> not docked. Does that change your analysis at all?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> "Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:
>
>> If it does not happen while not docked, your dock is broken.
>>
>> --
>> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
>> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a
>> post''
>> Mark L. Ferguson
>>
>> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:671AFF97-B9C6-4C86-8BF9-569D8306DBA2@microsoft.com...
>> > I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if I
>> > boot
>> > up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock it.
>> > However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on (either
>> > in
>> > standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be unsuccessful.
>> > By
>> > "unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT), and
>> > there
>> > is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my system.
>> > Even
>> > if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to turn
>> > back
>> > on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold
>> > re-boot.
>> > It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I
>> > came
>> > back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
>> > recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista issue?
>> > Is
>> > it
>> > a Dell issue?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance.
>>

Thanks, Mark.
I appreciate the info. I'll get a replacement dock.
-SWHEEL

"Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:

> Not really. It's unlikely that the dock needs any special drivers, since all
> it is, is a glorified extension cord for the plugs. Unless the hardware were
> damaged in some way (probably the docking plug itself) I don't think you
> would be getting that failure only AT dock.
>
> --
> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a post''
> Mark L. Ferguson
>
> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:525EF1F2-D3B7-4B51-8D30-47452EE2F4BB@microsoft.com...
> > Thanks for the reply, Mark. However, it only happens WHEN I dock. The
> > system works fine when it is already docked. And it works fine when it is
> > not docked. Does that change your analysis at all?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > "Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:
> >
> >> If it does not happen while not docked, your dock is broken.
> >>
> >> --
> >> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a
> >> post''
> >> Mark L. Ferguson
> >>
> >> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:671AFF97-B9C6-4C86-8BF9-569D8306DBA2@microsoft.com...
> >> > I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if I
> >> > boot
> >> > up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock it.
> >> > However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on (either
> >> > in
> >> > standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be unsuccessful.
> >> > By
> >> > "unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT), and
> >> > there
> >> > is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my system.
> >> > Even
> >> > if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to turn
> >> > back
> >> > on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold
> >> > re-boot.
> >> > It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I
> >> > came
> >> > back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
> >> > recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista issue?
> >> > Is
> >> > it
> >> > a Dell issue?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks in advance.
> >>

In article <495B8DB0-9D78-4A61-814A-2EBFCA8EF806@microsoft.com>,
Mark L. Ferguson <MarkLFerguson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>Not really. It's unlikely that the dock needs any special drivers, since all
>it is, is a glorified extension cord for the plugs. Unless the hardware were

Many docking stations need drivers, either to handle the connection
to the dock itself or to handle the additional hardware included in the dock.
For instance, Compaq Armada notebooks require a driver... The D600 series
doesn't seem to have one, though. I think your problem is a known issue
where the laptop gets confused about where to send output. The workaround
is to toggle through the video redirection (lcd, external, both) with the
F8 key.

You can read the whole thing here:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...n&toggle=false

If you use any addition hardware through the dock, I would try replacing the
drivers on those devices first.

--
click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a post''
Mark L. Ferguson

"swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:85686292-CB41-4D2B-AE66-E8EAA027F00D@microsoft.com...
> Thanks, Mark.
> I appreciate the info. I'll get a replacement dock.
> -SWHEEL
>
> "Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:
>
>> Not really. It's unlikely that the dock needs any special drivers, since
>> all
>> it is, is a glorified extension cord for the plugs. Unless the hardware
>> were
>> damaged in some way (probably the docking plug itself) I don't think you
>> would be getting that failure only AT dock.
>>
>> --
>> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
>> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a
>> post''
>> Mark L. Ferguson
>>
>> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:525EF1F2-D3B7-4B51-8D30-47452EE2F4BB@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanks for the reply, Mark. However, it only happens WHEN I dock. The
>> > system works fine when it is already docked. And it works fine when it
>> > is
>> > not docked. Does that change your analysis at all?
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> >
>> > "Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:
>> >
>> >> If it does not happen while not docked, your dock is broken.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web interface.
>> >> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...help_en-us.htm see ''rate a
>> >> post''
>> >> Mark L. Ferguson
>> >>
>> >> "swheel" <swheel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:671AFF97-B9C6-4C86-8BF9-569D8306DBA2@microsoft.com...
>> >> > I am running Vista on a Dell D630. My docking station works fine if
>> >> > I
>> >> > boot
>> >> > up with the notebook docked. And my system works fine if I un-dock
>> >> > it.
>> >> > However, if I re-dock the system while the system is turned on
>> >> > (either
>> >> > in
>> >> > standby or awake), some of the time the re-dock will be
>> >> > unsuccessful.
>> >> > By
>> >> > "unsuccessful," I mean that nothing comes up on my monitor (CRT),
>> >> > and
>> >> > there
>> >> > is no way to "wake up" my screen so I can resume working on my
>> >> > system.
>> >> > Even
>> >> > if I undock my system at this point, I can't get the LCD screen to
>> >> > turn
>> >> > back
>> >> > on. So I end up needing to hold down the power button and do a cold
>> >> > re-boot.
>> >> > It drives me crazy. Yesterday it happened FOUR times (every time I
>> >> > came
>> >> > back to my desk and re-docked my system). Does anyone have any
>> >> > recommendations? Is it a problem with my dock? Is it a Vista
>> >> > issue?
>> >> > Is
>> >> > it
>> >> > a Dell issue?
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks in advance.
>> >>