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    Powered USB/Charging port, how it suppose to work?

    Discussion in 'HP Business Class Notebooks' started by tempoct, Jun 18, 2011.

  1. tempoct

    tempoct Notebook Consultant

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    Hi,
    Recently purchased a Probook 4230s ( HP ProBook 4230s Notebook PC overview - HP Small & Medium Business products. It came with one weird looking USB+ port. It's supposed to be "always-on" USB for charging when computer's off. However, I can't figure out how to enable it since it behave like the other two USBs. It has power when notebook is on or sleep, not any other cases (off, hibernated, etc).
    Anyone know how to enable it? or any specific driver I have to install? I'm running Win 7 32-bit Pro, latest patches on everything, including the BIOS.
     
    tempoct, Jun 18, 2011
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  2. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    The weird looking port is a USB 3.0 port.
     
    naton, Jun 18, 2011
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  3. tempoct

    tempoct Notebook Consultant

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    No, the weird looking is this USB+, which is USB 2.0. It has small hole on the right side of the port which I dont' know what it's used for. Thanks for the info that it is not always-on USB. The USB 3.0 is marked as USB "SS" which is on the left side of my machine. It's not even blue-colored as other manufacturers.
    I brought this laptop in Thailand and it came with HP external DVD-RW USB drive. I also have one external HDD USB. I can plug them in to any of the USB port and they all work fine. I guess that the USB+ doesn't do much good for me then.
    Thanks for the clarification anyway. The following is the USB+ and USB SS pictures on my laptop.
     

    Attached Files:

    tempoct, Jun 18, 2011
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  4. Sotton

    Sotton Notebook Evangelist

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    Edit: oops, too slow, Indrek was a little faster ;)


    There are from HP external drives, the older Multibay II cradles for optical drives or hard disks e.g.:

    [​IMG]


    These can be used with external power supply or a special cable for USB and power, USB only is not enough to drive them.

    Normally the plugs with "this hole" for the power chord you find on docking stations from HP, never seen these on laptops.


    The cable, BTW, looks like this. On the other (cradle) side the hole for the power chord (or power supply chord) is a little further away from the USB mini connector.

    [​IMG]
     
    Sotton, Jun 18, 2011
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  5. tempoct

    tempoct Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks all for the info!
     
    tempoct, Jun 19, 2011
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  6. Sotton

    Sotton Notebook Evangelist

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    I guess you find these special HP connectors only on laptops with no internal optical drive? So you can connect the external drives from HP...
     
    Sotton, Jun 19, 2011
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  7. KLF

    KLF NBR Super Modernator Super Moderator

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    That would also prevent using those HP drives in other computers that couldn't probably provide enough power. Less people complaining about non-working external drives too.
     
    KLF, Jun 19, 2011
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  8. tempoct

    tempoct Notebook Consultant

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    I don't know about other countries, but external DVD-RW drive (also HP branded) comes with regular USB connector and it works fine with my other computers (a Thinkpad and a homemade HTPC).
     
    tempoct, Jun 19, 2011
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