laptop carputer setup

**geeoice** · 01-16-2005, 05:00 PM

I have a Toshiba M200 tablet pc and I thought I'd take the easy way out and get a docking station and have it mounted in my car. This is the port replicator I have.

http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=111450

This is what I use to power the system.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/laptopsf...cadpowadf.html

Everything seemed fine until I took my first long drive. After about 20 minutes, the tablet just cuts off. The power LED stays on when this happens. Sometimes when I try the power switch after this happens and the tablet doesn't respond. Other times it just restarts. I checked all of the connections and it all seemed fine but the same thing keeps happening. I checked the voltage going into the port replicator and it reads 15V when the engine is off and 16V when the car is running. The output of the power brick for the tablet is supposed to be 15V 4A. I tried switching to an inverter and the power brick and the voltage is right around 15V, engine running or not so I thought maybe it wouldn't do it anymore, but the problem persists. What should I do now?

**bing** · 01-16-2005, 05:45 PM

What are you using the dock for? Can you start the laptop using the dock. I use a laptop travel adaptor, hard wired under the carpet, works well but no way to turn the laptop on remotely yet.

**geeoice** · 01-16-2005, 06:36 PM

the dock has the usb gps receiver plugged into it as well as the audio cable which is hooked into my stereo system's auxillary input. it also provides power. basically it's there so that i don't have to plug 3 different things into my tablet after i get it mounted. i wanted to be able to get into the car, drop the tablet onto the dock and be ready to go, and it all works as i want it to except that it randomly shuts off.

**NiN^_^NiN** · 01-16-2005, 07:06 PM

Basics first:

Check the power settings in Bios
Then check the power settings in windows

Right click the desktop and click properties

Click the screensaver tab then click the power button.

Check the settings are set it to always On and make sure power down HDD monitor etc is all off.

Now try it out

If 1 of the settings is set to power down it is most likely the problem.

**geeoice** · 01-16-2005, 08:25 PM

the computer actually does not go through a shutdown process. it is as if the battery were pulled out and the power was unplugged. the computer just turns off. the weird thing is that when i run the computer on the docking station in the house everything works fine. the only thing i can guess is happening that it's overheating. i installed motherbaord monitor and i saw the cpu temp go up to 100 celsius. when the laptop is running off of batteries it's usually around 50 celsius.