Driver issues with lodestar and polemaster

[Alien 13]

I do feel that the Dell drivers are somewhat nobbled compared with the component manufacturers ones but I do tend to stick with them and dont seem to have any problems with hardware compatibility so far. Will be interested to see how you get on with the OS rollback.

Alan

[Barv]

Hi Guys

This is so frustrating. I have done all this and am back to Windows 8.1. The prognosis is not good:

I checked for windows updates and there weren't any which seems a bit strange, so I downloaded the latest software from the starlight xpress web-site, installed the lodestar and the files arent even loading now with the green adjustment box that comes up when you insert into the usb port. Needless to say that the port is still accepting then continuously rejecting the usb cable. I am really at the end of my patience with this now. Dell support are adament that it's software related but I am not so sure. not relly sure what I can do next? I have tried a usb 2 memory stick into the port and it looks like it's accepting it? 

 

[Thalestris24]

How long are your usb 2.0 cables? are they rated hi-speed 480Mbit/s?

Louise

[Oddsocks]

Probably won't make any difference but there are some USB specific settings in BIOS that may have been changed.

During boot when the DELL logo appears press F2 to enter BIOS setup, navigate to the exit menu, choose item "Load Optimal Defaults" then save and exit.

Have you tried with a different USB cable?

[Barv]

3 hours ago, Thalestris24 said:

How long are your usb 2.0 cables? are they rated hi-speed 480Mbit/s?

Louise

The cables are quite long but they were supplied with the camera. I have just tried a shorter one though that came with theusb hub that I bought yesterday.

[Barv]

2 hours ago, Oddsocks said:

Probably won't make any difference but there are some USB specific settings in BIOS that may have been changed.

During boot when the DELL logo appears press F2 to enter BIOS setup, navigate to the exit menu, choose item "Load Optimal Defaults" then save and exit.

Have you tried with a different USB cable?

I have just changed the settings as you mention in the BIOS but nothings changed. Tried a shorter Belkin cable that came with the hub I purchased yesterday. - All to no avail i'm afraid

 

[Oddsocks]

Since DELL support are convinced it is a software problem then the only options left are:

Have a break for something alcoholic and a rest for a day....

Try to uninstall the Lodestar software if it appears in the uninstall list, I doubt it will uninstall cleanly and remove all it's drivers but it's worth a go, then just try connecting the Belkin Hub with the new USB cable.

If the same issue of continual dropping out on the USB port exists with the Belkin Hub then...

Go back to recovery mode and restore the laptop again to the factory default software, when it boots up, do not update but try the Belkin Hub straight away, if it does not work and has the same continual dropping out of the port then contact DELL support and tell them you have positively proved it is a hardware problem and you want it fixed. But, if it works then....

Update the laptop to Windows 8.1 and try the Belkin Hub again, if everything still works install the Polemaster next, not the Lodestar, does this now work? If so, draw a deep breath and install the lodestar software but not the camera yet, try the Polemaster, does it still work? if so connect the Lodestar camera and see if it will work.

It might just be possible that the Starlight software for the Lodestar is the culprit, if you follow the above steps you will be able to prove one way our another whether it is a hardware fault on the laptop or a software problem.

Can't think of anything else to suggest at this time.

William.

[Barv]

34 minutes ago, Oddsocks said:

Since DELL support are convinced it is a software problem then the only options left are:

Have a break for something alcoholic and a rest for a day....

Try to uninstall the Lodestar software if it appears in the uninstall list, I doubt it will uninstall cleanly and remove all it's drivers but it's worth a go, then just try connecting the Belkin Hub with the new USB cable.

If the same issue of continual dropping out on the USB port exists with the Belkin Hub then...

Go back to recovery mode and restore the laptop again to the factory default software, when it boots up, do not update but try the Belkin Hub straight away, if it does not work and has the same continual dropping out of the port then contact DELL support and tell them you have positively proved it is a hardware problem and you want it fixed. But, if it works then....

Update the laptop to Windows 8.1 and try the Belkin Hub again, if everything still works install the Polemaster next, not the Lodestar, does this now work? If so, draw a deep breath and install the lodestar software but not the camera yet, try the Polemaster, does it still work? if so connect the Lodestar camera and see if it will work.

It might just be possible that the Starlight software for the Lodestar is the culprit, if you follow the above steps you will be able to prove one way our another whether it is a hardware fault on the laptop or a software problem.

Can't think of anything else to suggest at this time.

William.

Thanks again William. I'm sorry I forgot to mention earlier that I can now connect the Belkin hub with the new cable and it doesn't drop out. It only drops out if I try connecting the lodestar into it afterwards.

regards Harvey 

[Barv]

Hello All.

I have made a teeny bit of progress. I managed to uninstall the Lodestar then installed the Polemaster. Although the Polemaster drops out I did manage to see the camera connect first. This is more than it ever did before in W10 so this must be a good sign! As mentioned in the reply to William, i have also managed to be able to connect the USB2 hub aswell, but this drops out with anything plugged into it at all, - even a small memory stick. I think this may be a little step but I am not too sure?

Regards

Harvey

[Oddsocks]

What length USB cable are you using to the hub alone when you plugged in the memory stick and what length cable when plugging in the Polemaster direct to the laptop? 

The old USB 2 ports were happy with up to 5m cables but the early USB 3 ports were not reliable at anything more than 3m even when a USB 2 device is plugged in to a USB 3 socket. 

If a too long cable is used on a USB 3 socket the common failure is at the handshake stage when the device gets plugged in and the port asks the device if it is USB 2 or USB 3, with a too long cable the handshake signal is never resolved and the port continually sends handshake requests until you unplug the device.

If you are trying to use longer than a 3m, ~10ft cable this might be a problem.

 

[Barv]

13 hours ago, Oddsocks said:

What length USB cable are you using to the hub alone when you plugged in the memory stick and what length cable when plugging in the Polemaster direct to the laptop? 

The old USB 2 ports were happy with up to 5m cables but the early USB 3 ports were not reliable at anything more than 3m even when a USB 2 device is plugged in to a USB 3 socket. 

If a too long cable is used on a USB 3 socket the common failure is at the handshake stage when the device gets plugged in and the port asks the device if it is USB 2 or USB 3, with a too long cable the handshake signal is never resolved and the port continually sends handshake requests until you unplug the device.

If you are trying to use longer than a 3m, ~10ft cable this might be a problem.

 

Hi again

The hub has a 1.5 metre usb cable and the lodestars is 3 metres. I have tried both the lodestar and the memory stick on the end of the 1.5 metre one though.

Regards

Harvey

[Oddsocks]

Without being there to see what is going on first hand and looking back over the steps you have taken it sounds as though the USB controller for the external ports is defective and fails as soon as you attach a high power draw device.

The only final step I can suggest was as yesterday, restore again to the the original factory condition, Win 8, don't update but try immediately to connect only the Polemaster, not the Lodestar, if the connection can not be maintained with a short USB cable then it very much looks like the hardware for the USB external ports is damaged or has not the correct driver installed and really needs a DELL tech to test the laptop.

[Barv]

Hi

3 minutes ago, Oddsocks said:

Without being there to see what is going on first hand and looking back over the steps you have taken it sounds as though the USB controller for the external ports is defective and fails as soon as you attach a high power draw device.

The only final step I can suggest was as yesterday, restore again to the the original factory condition, Win 8, don't update but try immediately to connect only the Polemaster, not the Lodestar, if the connection can not be maintained with a short USB cable then it very much looks like the hardware for the USB external ports is damaged or has not the correct driver installed and really needs a DELL tech to test the laptop.

Hi again William.

OK. I'd like to thank you very much for helping me. I am a lot further on with the problem than I was before. I'll keep you posted if I ever resolve things.

Kind regards

Harvey