Lenovo U300s Owners Thread

Hi all,
I just got an U300s yesterday. Are there any known downwards compatibility issues with the USB 3.0 port at the right side? My USB mouse stops working after a few minutes, and so does my USB webcam. I don't get any error messages then, but replugging doesn't help and I sometimes then get a bluescreen at shutdown. The minidump points me to the USB 3.0 drivers, however reinstalling the drivers didn't help either. Has anyone had similar issues, or even better a solution?

 

That doesn't sound good, especially the bluescreen. Try rolling back your computer to a state before you first used the mouse and webcam. I can't imagine the mouse is the problem, but perhaps the webcam has some dodgy drivers that have played havoc with the USB.

Unlikely, but...

 

I did a rollback to the system's initial state but that didn't help either. After 2-20 minutes of use my USB mouse stops responding. I tried another mouse but have the same issue. First I wondered if the USB port is somehow broken, however when I deactivate the USB 3.0 drivers and then re-activate, the mouse works again for another few minutes only, so this looks more like a driver problem? Both mouses work fine on other computers.
Still I'm not sure if it's software or hardware issue. Hoewever, I would expect to be able to run a simple mouse on the USB 3.0 port.
Is this reason enough to return the device, or am I overlooking something?

 

It sounds like a hardware problem to me. Try this though...

- Open up your Device Manager (Control Panel/System/).
- Go to the Unversal Serial Bus Controllers section.
- Right click on Generic USB Hub AND the USB Root Hub entries.
- Go to Power Management
- Deselect Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power (do this in each of the USB Hub entries)
- Reboot

Now try installing and using your mouse again. If this solves the problem, there is probably some Windows based problem. This could be hardware triggered.

I don't know if this will work, but it's an experiment. You may have to take your laptop back

 

How do you feel about your U300s? Is it the best of the Ultrabooks? There is a poll going on at Ultrabook News. Lenovo could do with some votes, especially since the Asus UX31 is in the lead (!?)

 

I agree with some of the other comments. Leaving the MBA or the Samsung Series 9 out of the poll is odd.

 

Thanks for the help, therourke. Unfortunately this didn't solve it as it couldn't be applied to the USB 3.0 controller. However, I returned the U300s to the retailer and after a short inspection and reproducing of the error, I got a new machine. Let's see if it works with this one

 

What retailer? Do they have any Orange units?

 

I'm in Germany
AFAIK they only have the dark grey ones here.

 

I just got my U300s yesterday. So far I love it, but the touchpad is giving me problems. I'm doing a major installation of software, and midway had 42 Windows updates. Ever since then the touchpad doesn't "click," instead you have to tap it. Is this a "feature," or a defect?

Also, I can't find instructions anywhere for how to use the Touchpad, including all of the gestures and multiswipes etc. Any help is greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance!

 

OK, I found instructions:
Synaptics Gesture Suite? for TouchPads | Synaptics

But still wondering if I am going to have to learn to live with tapping instead of clicking.

 

I didn't have this issue, neither on the unit I have now, nor on the one I had to return. Does it help to remove the Touchpad drivers from the system (device manager) and then to re-install them? I'm fairly sure the drivers are on the D: drive.
And you will find more info on gestures etc when you configure the touchpad in the system settings.

btw what remaining battery time do you get when you fully charge the battery and then boot up the system, or how long does the battery last with the energy setting set to "Energy Star", screen brightness 5/10, wifi enabled and some office or web browsing? I get wildly changing figures on remaining battery times while I use the U300s, basically anything between 4 and 8 hours. Seems like it will be around maybe 5 hrs in fact.

 

There is a distinction in the latest synaptics software between taps and clicks. Have you missed the option somewhere?

I don't have time now, but I did dig around in REGEDIT and found a way to enable some tap and click settings that are not available by default in the synaptics software (like a two fingered 'tap' for middle mouse button option). More shortly...

 

I had a horror of an event yesterday I wanted to tell the owners about (and ask if this has ever happened to you.)

I take my U300s (I have the orange core i7 256) to work every day in a soft $13 sleeve from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...5A6_1?ie=UTF8&m=A1WR9ETVM9G5A6&n=&s=&v=glance

I used my U300s like normal all morning, at noon I closed the lid, put in in the sleeve and in the back seat of the car where it sat for two hours. (slid under the back seat so it wouldn’t get stolen, of course)

Two hours later, I grabbed the sleeve and it was BURNING hot, I pulled out the U300s and the aluminum was so hot I could barely hold it. At first, I thought it was just from being in the warm car (it was the warmest day we've had in a while), but I then realized the computer had never gone to sleep! It was on, and had been on, screen lit up and everything, struggling for air inside that tight sleeve, for TWO Hours! ...the battery was nearly drained. Also, I had it in High Performance mode.

I immediately turned it off and let it sit off until it cooled down. After I calmed down and felt like it had cooled down, I powered it back up... everything has been running fine since. It's been 24 hours and I haven't had the problem occur again, and performance appears normal... apparently my processor isn't completely fried.

Again, this is the Orange Core i7 256 model U300s from Newegg in early December.

Any one else had this happen? If not, I'd urge all of you to be sure it actually goes to sleep when you close the lid and slip it in the sleeve.

 

^
This has happened to me with my 8-year old Dell Inspiron in my backpack... so it's not just your Lenovo.

Sometimes Windows hibernate/sleep/shut down doesn't work properly... so yes... make sure your notebooks is still not on before you put it into an enclosed bag.

 

I have had this happen, although it didn't get as hot as yours. Haver taken to watching the lights blink on the front, like you said, before I stow it

I'm sure it will be fine

 

Had it a few times with an HP laptop but not with my u300s yet.

No bad effects from it on the other laptop though.

Agree with the post above - I always check the lights to be sure. Sometimes a windows gremlin running won't release for the hibernate/sleep mode.

Jay

 

Quick change of subject.
I would like to merge the D partition into the C partition as the D partition is 23.1 gb and only contains some outdated drivers.
This seems as wasted space, as I dont think this space is used for anything else.
Any ideas on this. Do you need a program to do this, also I dont want to mess up my laptop.

 

EASEUS Partition Manager is free and will do the job. You can also shrink the D: drive and extend the C: drive. I always think it's worth having a second partition loaded with drivers and backups. This means that you can restore the computer to its factory state and retain anything on the second drive. Very handy

 

I'll take the opposing viewpoint. If you don't think you'll ever use the recovery partition to factory restore the machine, you can delete the partition then expand C: using the Windows 7 built-in diskmgmt. Especially if you have the 128GB SSD machine. If you have the 256GB machine and have free space I would probably leave it alone.

Aslo, if you create a DVD set of the factory image using the Lenovo tools, then there's little reason to keep the partition.

 

I don't have an external DVD burner. Is there a way to create a factory image backup as an .ISO? If this were possible I might consider shifting those partitions

EDIT: I figured a way to do this using Virtual CD. It has a Demo version that you can run a Virtual DVD burner from. Clever stuff.

I now have a 13GB .ISO... I expect this could then be put on a USB drive and booted?

 

wow. after I had to exchange the first unit I bought after just two days (broken USB 3.0 port), the unit I have now just suddenly turned itself off without any warning and I lost all data in opened programs. And this has already happened twice within 7 days. I just installed Firefox, some extensions, Skype, but not a whole lot of software. After one week I can already say I would not buy this machine again. Now that was 999 Euros well wasted.

 

Hmmm. You sound either very unlucky, or... Have you wondered that maybe something you did with both machines has caused the issues? I'm not accusing, but wondering whether you have a piece of hardware perhaps, or a faulty power outlet, that has fried these machines?

The USB issue could have been caused by a fried connection. The shutting down death, likewise.

Seems very unlucky otherwise. Worth checking

 

I can't think of anything. I've had other laptops plugged into the same power outlet, and I don't see how any issues here should be able to make it past the charger anyways. The only hardware I connected were my mouse, webcam, harddrive which work fine on other machines. I'll return the thing to the retailer tonight and see what they say. I do wonder if I should really give it a third try. Either I am unlucky, or there's a huge problem with build quality, or the shipment my retailer got fell off a crane or something

 

Anyone hear any word on when the orange u300s' are coming out? I've been anxiously awaiting the day after my first order was auto-canceled.

 

Orange U300s are back on Lenovo's site. Sales rep says they've got several hundred in the works right now.

 

That's great news! I'm glad to hear they're selling more... I was beginning to believe they were moving on.

I wonder if the new ones will be Cypress or Synaptics?

 

How does one determine if the touchpad is Cypress or Synaptics? Is there any way to make sure that it's Synaptics (from what I've been reading here, that's the preferred one)? Is that grounds for exchange with Lenovo?

 

You can see in the Mouse properties of the Device Manager, or by going to the Mouse settings within the control panel. Each version has clear markings and settings within the Control Panel settings.

As for being able to tell from the model number or box label, we've determined that is not possible. The touchpads have been random, showing up in all models from random resellers... we really don't know.

According to many reviews, YES, having a Cypress is grounds for exchange. IMO. Customer satisfactions should still be important! (although, I have the Cypress with updated drivers and adjusted setting and am finally happy) Good luck to you!

 

I wrote a review for the U300s which was published over at Ultrabook News today. It covers a few common issues, such as the Cypress/Synaptics debacle. Might be worth getting involved in the comments sections over there.

 

Nice write up. Have you had the opportunity to use one of the new 13.3" MacBook Airs?

 

Has anyone activated the Intel anti-theft that's built in to the mobo/processor? My understanding is you have to create an account with Intel... I'm curious if anyone has done that.

 

Lenovo just changed the shipping date of my Orange i7 U300s
I ordered on December 31st and was given a date of 2/7/2012.
I spoke to a rep on Monday who said it is on target to ship this week.
They just changed the shipping date to 3/14/2012

I guess it is time to cancel - as much as I want this machine I can't see waiting over 3 months for a laptop.

 

@corteen

I too had my order shipping date changed to 3/14/2012. I called in earlier to cancel my order but the rep insisted that it is still on track to ship out this week. She said that you see the change because of the new orders of orange i7 are assigned that date. She also gave me a $100 credit. I'm going to give it till Friday to see if it is going to ship if not I'm definitely cancelling my order.

 

Thanks. I haven't played with the new Air, no. Fiddled with one of the older, smaller models though a while back.

Very happy with my U300s

 

I was just curious how they compared. I still haven't written off getting one for my wife. Waiting for the price to drop more.

 

I found a coupon which gives you 74% off the official, Lenovo 4-Port USB Hub with LAN Port H415 (looks like this):



The coupon code is: USP1F26663

Apply at the checkout and the USB hub only costs $11.20

I don't live in the US, so this is completely useless to me, but I thought I'd share. If anyone wants to buy two, I'll happily pay postage ;-) you could put it on eBay and I'll buy from there so it's secure.

Enjoy!

(I'd also really like a HDMI to VGA adapter, but they are not out yet. Being a UK based U300s owner is a little frustrating)

 

Awesome!! That was a huge find! Thank you for finding that and posting the information. I just ordered one for myself + an extra... I'll PM you.

 

I have been using the HP HDMI - VGA adapter with my U300s for presentations at work daily for the past two months. Works perfect every time.

The U300s automatically recognizes it's a VGA adapter output and auto switches to a new display profile for my projector. It's small and compact.

It also is small enough on the HDMI connection to allow full use of the USB right next to it for something else (I use an AT&T 4G LTE aircard).

HP HDMI to VGA Display Adapter | HP® Official Store

I'd gladly pay twice as much for it. Got it in 2-3 days after buying online.

See if any of these stores will ship to the UK:

http://bit.ly/xa4AMP

 

Thanks for that. I think I can wait for the Lenovo equivalent, as long as they bring it over to the UK anyway. Plus, $40 is a lot. Coupon!!

 

@phumanchu

Any news on your U300s ?
I contacted them again and they still say it should ship this week but it is now Friday ! - Did your's get shipped ?

 

Partition question:

I would like to get rid of those extra, hidden partitions on my U300s. I don't want to format and begin fresh. Using EASEUS Partition manager, they look like this:



Do you think those smaller partitions could be deleted and merged with the D: drive without causing any trouble? I'm worried that the bios might go wild at boot. Also, one these is used for the Lenovo hibernation routine. Can I delete one of them perhaps, and not the other?

Advice very much appreciated

 

I just merged the D partion to the C, as it only had outdated drivers on it and took up 26 GB. I left the others alone
Everything works as before. Check first what is on your D partition.
I have the 256GB SSD

 

Does anyone know if it's possible to make custom touchpad gestures? It seems like such a waste to have four-finger swipes and limit them to a gallery and notepad.

 

I'd like to keep the C: partition as it is, and merge the D: partition with the other two.

 

picked up a silver i5 version of the u300s got a good deal on. really love the machine except for one thing which i can't figure out: touchpad recurrently stops working for no apparent reason.
-sometimes sleep or restart fixes it, sometimes it doesn't
-reinstalling/updating the driver seems to improve things for a while but then the problem pops up again
-updated the BIOS to the lastest version so no issues there
-i have the synaptics pad not the cypress

has anyone had similar issues or have any suggestions? would be much appreciated

such a great laptop would hate to return it if can avoid it

 

no I haven't. I actually tried to cancel it. They said it takes 3-5 business days for it to cancel. And today is the 5th day and still no confirmation email it has been canceled. I chatted with one of the reps and they are worthless. Lenovo has terrible business practices to try to keep you as a customer. I'm probably going to report them to the BBB and call me credit company to not let them charge me. BTW they said that it is now scheduled to ship out this week but of course who's going to believe them now.

 

I have the same issues - I keep getting told "It Will Ship This Week" - I have the recordings of the conversation which I play back and ask - Why did you lie to me ? - They are clueless.
I have tried to cancel but the order is still there . .
I am also going to goto the BBB plus speak to PAYPAL about the order - they are the WORST company to deal with and I will never attempt to buy a Lenovo laptop again.

 

I just saw something interesting on the Lenovo site concerning the U300s. It seems they do not offer the U300s with the 128ssd or in graphite grey any more. Could the U300e be the replacement? I have my U300s with the 128GB drive, but could this be the problem with all the shipping delays? I do not really trust them not to change a model specs in the middle of a purchase. Maybe I am wrong, but it looked that way to me.

 

This is nothing new at lenovo.com. They hide SKUs all the time. I don't know for sure but it appears to happen when they have a backlog of orders and a limited supply of parts. People don't like to order then find out the lead time is longer than 30 days.

Pure speculation on my part.

Anyone seen a side-by-side comparison chart of the U series machines?