[TheMechanic]

Greetings,

So I upgrade the Mini 9 to a Runcore 16GB ssd and a full install of Windows 7. All is well and it is much nicer than XP. Added a usb tuner, a generic one from ebay and it works perfectly in Media center but only on the right USB port. On other laptops I can be watching TV and unplug the tuner hot and move to any other port and it warns you no tuner then reconnects and goes back to tv. On the 9 the left ports seem different. The tuner is recognized in device manager but no go in media center, tuner not found. If I try to reconfigure on the left ports it hangs up media center. Can someone confirm for me these ports are not all the same? Yes, the left ports work fine to read from external CD, flash drives etc.

Thanks,

[rrfranczak3]

I am not sure but maybe the right USB port is a full powered USB that the tuner needs or is more sensitive to than the other devices you use on the left USB ports..I know not all the USB are full powered USB's, I think there is only one and it is probably the single one on the right

[TheMechanic]

Hey thanks rrfranczak3,
I guess you are the only one with Guru status that has any input on this. Been busy fighting fires at work but I'm going to RFM and maybe the documentation that came with the mini 9 explains the ports. You know you are in trouble when you have to Read the Friggin Manual (RFM).

Thanks again,
TheMechanic

Just RFM'd nothing, page 46 "three 4-pin USB 2.0 compliant connectors"

[holmes4]

On the Mini 9, the port closest to the power connector is a "full powered" port - the others are rather lower powered. There's nothing in the manual about this. I am surprised that the right-hand port is the one that works for you - that's not what I would expect. Other than the power issue, all the ports really should act the same, but I have seen cases with various PCs where they don't.

One thing that can be a problem is that Windows recognizes combinations of devices and ports - it will remember device X plugged into port A, but the same device plugged into port B is treated as something new. So perhaps it is an issue where Windows "remembered" bad information about the tuner in the other ports.

Offhand, I'm not sure how to resolve this except, perhaps.. Plug the tuner into a "bad" port. When it comes up in device manager, select the option to uninstall the device manager. Remove and reinsert the device.

[TheMechanic]

Thanks Holmes,

I fiddled with this a bit more and no go. It would have been nice if Dell let us in on this. It is strange that other laptops allow you to swap the tuner to any port and it snaps right in. I would prefer the tuner hanging out the left side with the power cord but unless someone else has made this happen and is willing to share I'm moving this to low priority/giving up.

Your input is appreciated,
TheMechanic

[reflex]

I doubt it's a Dell problem. It's probably crappy drivers for the tuner causing a problem like holmes described.

[TheMechanic]

Crappy drivers??? Oh well now that I'm paying attention I'll try my other Hauppauge tuner. Drivers should be more compatible as this unit is certified for Windows 7, 32 and 64 bit. I'll check back. This one works from any port in my win 7 64 bit machine.

OK Hauppauge works in left ports but does not swap from port to port like other laptops without reconfiguring in Mediacenter and or rebooting. I guess Windows certified products work best. No updated drivers available for my Auvitek ebay tuner. Might not have this problem in XP.

TheMechanic