[ltp] Thinkcentre M51 USB hotplug issue

[Dmitry E. Mikhailov]

On Monday 15 November 2010 17:10, Joerg Bruehe wrote:
> This sounds frightening.
No, it doesn't. Only desktop motherboards for Pentium4 on Intel chipset are 
notorious for this failure mode. Otherwise it's possible (as anything else in 
our life) but unlikely.

> How can a user protect against this?
Ordered by decrease of effectivity.
1) Most effective. Power off a PC and USB device before connecting it. Not 
quite Plug&Play, sorry. But it surely eliminate the problem. Yes, with my 
$5500 server I do just that. But I very rarely connect anything to it.

2) Use an add-on (PCI/PCI-E/Cardbus) USB controller. If sh*t happens, you'll 
replace it instead of the motherboard.

3) Use a powered USB hub.

4) Least effective. Touch the metal USB connector by your bare hand, then 
touch the metal (conductive, not painted) part of a PC with your (second?) 
bare hand, then connect the device.

But if you don't have a Pentium4 desktop with intel chipset motherboard, I 
wouldn't bother at all unless that device is very important for you.

I've inserted a hell lot of USB devices onto my 4+ year old X41 and it's still 
happily running.