screen artifacts when docked (T400)

Hi all,

I normally use my personal Dell Studio XPS 1645 for work, but recently our client has been issuing notebooks to us for use: I received a Lenovo T400 + docking station ( this one).

The unit functioned perfectly fine since last Monday (Nov 15), until this morning, I started getting random artifacts across my screen. No changes have been made to either software or hardware.

As of this morning, only while docked, I get these screen artifacts. I ran a Windows Memory Diagnostic and did not receive any errors. I only get this screen artifacting while docked - on any dock I've tried (mine, co-workers, etc.)

Is this a problem with Windows, or a problem with the docking port on my notebook? I've never had a problem like this before - at first I thought it was loose RAM so I reseated it, then I thought it might have been the GPU. when i undocked the unit and found that the artifacting immediately disappeared, i knew that it was not the GPU either. the only possible culprit left was the docking station/port. any ideas on how to fix this issue?

 

Let me guess 3 gigs of ram and win 7 os?

 

I thought Artifacts are always the graphic card problems?

 

Let me also guess... CPU virtualization is on in BIOS ? \

Alright lets not torture the guy

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-74739

 

you guess like you're mind readers.

mind you, i have never used a Lenovo laptop before as my "primary" machine, so i have never heard of this issue before.

and yes, to all of you:
*i have 1x1GB 1066mhz and 1x2GB 1066mhz
*Virtualization is on, for the use of VMWare Workstation/Player
*Win 7 Enterprise x64

as it turns out (thanks for the link unreal25) i have Type B visual corruption. i'll try disabling Virtualization, and also enabling switchable graphics (i disable it to try and eek out as much battery life as i can).

thanks all, i'll update tomorrow whether this fixed it or not.

 

sorry i can't be more of a help in the above post, since i was on my iphone, which makes typing posts quite awkward (thanks unreal for helping the OP out with the information link).

 

You welcome. How did I know - I had EXACTLY the same problem as you described, when I tried the dock in my office. It was also type B. And I just happened to enable virtualization before that as I was running Ubuntu through VMware...

So what's the best fix, if you want to use all virtualization features? I think I would just dish out $25 or so for 2 GB RAM and have it 2x 2GB. I *think* that might do it, since they claim so on the IBM web. I actually ended up not using that linux software so I just removed Virtual Ubuntu and disabled virtualization Vt-d.

On Thinkpad X200 there are 2 related BIOS options:

1. Intel Virtualization Technology (I left that at Enabled)
2. Intel VT-d feature (I disabled this one)

I'm not really an expert on Intel's VT features and how they impact VT performance but disabling option 2 should at least give you a temporary fix.

 

Or just take out the one stick of 1 gig for now.

 

I'd worry about running out of ram with 2 gigabytes.

Renee

 

hi all,

your suggestion/link worked! so far at least, disabling VT-d and Virtualisation has fixed the issue - there are no more visual corruptions.

unfortunately this laptop is a loaner from the university, so i can't change the RAM configuration. at least not without potentially getting in trouble.

at my regular job i use a desktop and supplement it with my personal notebook (the Dell i mentioned earlier). but for this current project the university has loaned me this Lenovo T400. thankfully i can run any virtual machines on my personal notebook, which has 8GB of RAM. no memory issues there

if i may bring up this question, out of curiosity: why does the visual corruption only occur when I am docked? i was at several meetings throughout yesterday and the visual corruption did not occur (i started the day away from my desk). as soon as i docked the notebook, the corruptions appeared. once i undocked and removed the T400, the corruptions disappeared.