Vaio Z13 Freezing while using Expresscard

I just bought a AKE 34/54MM Express to USB 3.0 Card from dealextreme but I have been having a lot of trouble trying to get it to work. Since the driver that was included with the purchase was out-dated, i found the most recent driver myself and installed it. I was able to get the expresscard to read my usb3.0 external harddrive but it freezes everytime I try to move something into the harddrive. i was able to read files off of the harddrive though. and when I say freeze, my whole computer freezes until I remove the expresscard and everything returns back to normal.

any tips?

 

What drivers are you using?

 

Sounds like a driver/device problem to me...

Why don't you try with an older driver!? Does it do the same?

 

Try the driver I linked here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...s-esata-expresscard-review-5.html#post7035926

 

ive tried fresco_usb3_3.0.105.11, 108, 110 and pyr0's but they all failed to work properly...

 

anyone?????

 

Hard to figure out what the problem actually is related to. Try a USB2.0 drive with the card, try the card with another computer, try to reformat the drive you are getting trouble with. This would be the first steps to take IMO to figure out where the problem comes from.

 

I have the same problem with my esata expresscard. But it freezes every time I insert it, regardless of if I have a hard drive connected. It it stays frozen until I reboot. I thought it was a device problem but the same card worked fine in every other notebook I've tried it.

 

um... usb2 seems to work fine. what the problem?? is it possible my 2.5 external harddrive isnt getting enough voltage?

 

QUESTION: Has anyone heard of an EC/USB3 or EC/eSATA card working in the VPC-Z11/12/13?

 

I got freezes with a crappy eSATA card that I bought. I don't remember the brand, Syba maybe. I have decided that I will buy a more expensive eSATA card and hopefully that will work better. I have an Option 3G expresscard that works perfectly and I can pull it out or put it anytime I want.

I think the issue is crappy hardware. I'm not sure if there is a driver fix for yours but there was only one driver package for mine and it would freeze the whole computer when ever it felt like it.

 

Where did you get your Option 3G card? Do they also make USB3 versions? Did you just get it by trial/error or did you find a source that tested them all?

Thanks.

 

If you mean the ExpressCard -> USB 3.0 & EpressCard -> eSata... yes, the AKE USB 3.0 Card mentioned in this thread works, I have one as well as Pyr0. It's not working for the OP, might be a dud, etc, but for $15 off ebay, it's not bad.

 

Thanks. Guess I'd rather one from a place like Newegg, and concern is not that it's a good deal, but rather that it is good qc and has no chance of damaging other components in the Z, not just a freeze that can be undone by removing the card and rebooting.

 

I don't know about USB3 versions, there are plenty of USB2 3G adapters out there. The links and info about the Option GT Ultra Express are on my site computercowboy.com including my hacked firmware update and a link to buy them cheap.

 

What does your hacked firmware do?

 

Updates the AT&T card to the latest firmware. By default the carrier branded cards can't be updated. I just used a Hex editor to fix the installer so that it recognizes the AT&T branded card as one that supports the update. The firmware that came one mine was old like '06 or '07 my hacked firmware brings it up to the '09 final release version. I got the firmware from Home | Option I am also using their latest drivers and their connection manager. The AT&T connection manager sucks.