OK, I need a computer geeks help (again).

[TheVTCGuy]

You know… being an Engineer I find it infuriating when I can not solve a technical issue. I mean, I am the geek, the all-knowing wizard right?

Here is an issue, I have sent an email to the manufacturer, contacted the PC support leader at my company, nothing yet, but working on it for three days I thought maybe one of you smart-inteliganteae PC folks here on TRF might be able to solve it. Yes, if it is something obvious by all means tell me and I will admit to being a Dorklehead.

My work PC is a Dell laptop, I can get the model number if it helps but it is a robust system. I had it connected to a docking station, the model is JDC381 and made by a company called J5create. It supported two HDMI ports, a CAT-5 port, two USBs and a USB-C power/charging port connecting it to the laptop. It is known as a mini port and is pictured below. It worked flawlessly. I never had any issues and used it daily for several hours.

NOW, my company is adding on some additional updates to software and procedures. The bottom line is I am adding a third monitor and doing some more robust programming. SO…. I purchased an updated docking station, same company, a model known as the JCD543. This one offers more USB and HDMI ports but is the same manufacturer and it’s picture is below. It should be no problem right?

IF, the docking station is plugged in to the laptop through the USB-C port (as it is 100% of the time) and I power up the PC, THE LAPTOP WILL NOT BOOT UP. It freezes about 50% of the way through. I unplug the station from the laptop and it boots up fine.

Now, I said to myself I said: “Self!, this can’t be that much of a problem, let’s figure it out.” My first thought was the boot sequence was somehow set to look for an external USB drive to boot from first. NOPE, external boot drive it turned off. My SECOND thought was it must be the “Secure Boot” feature, something about the hardware is not conforming and it is stopping the boot process when it detects the docking station. NOPE, I turned secure boot off in the BIOS and IEFL and…. Same result.

FINALLY, I took a second laptop, this one a Lenovo, and tried it; same result.

I contacted J5create but am thinking the only possible issue is some kind of hardware failure? What could be causing two PCs to halt their boot process when connected to this docking station, keeping in mind it is the same manufacturer as the previous one that works flawlessly, just a higher-end model.

A couple last points, if I boot the laptop, THEN plug in the docking station it works perfectly. Also, I removed every connection to the docking station, no HDMI or USB or anything plugged in to it at all, simply the docking station plugged in to the laptop stops it from booting. Yes, I installed the latest drivers from the J5Create website too.



Anyway, a lot of you guys are smarttter then I am, so thought I would throw it out there, anyone have any ideas I am open to trying anything.