HP Envy 32 AIO: USB-C 'Thunderbolt' Port Output Failure.

[Bryan_D]

Bad day:

Yesterday, the rear USB type-C Thunderbolt port (with HP Sleep and Charge) on my HP ENVY All-in-One 32-a0012na ceased to function with no warning - I only found out when I went to access a file on my attached LaciE d2 Thunderbolt 3 external HDD and it failed to load with a message that the drive was not accessible..

Thinking the HDD may have gone to sleep I attempted to reboot/power down/re-attach etc but all to no avail; the drive appeared to be dead!

However, attaching the drive to the AIO's USB or USB Superspeed ports resulted in the Ext HDD coming back to life!? What the f*** was going on? Maybe it could either be a 'dead' Thunderbolt port on the drive or a 'dead' Thunderbolt port on the HP Envy?

I tested the HP Envy port with another external SSD drive and that too failed to power up - so that proved that the HP Envy Port had failed. Less than 6 months of ownership on a premium machine, this can't be right?

Good day:

Scouring the internet I discovered that some laptops over the last few years had experienced something similar, and that it had been resolved by unplugging the computer then holding the power button for 30 seconds (discharging the internal components maybe?).

I tried this with the HP Envy 32 and it worked! After reconnecting and powering back on the Envy, the Thunderbolt port came back to life and powered up the Ext HDD! Joy of Joys - my files are saved!! 🙂

Can anybody from HP explain why this sort of issue is STILL happening on a £3K top of the range AIO from HP?

[wb2001]

@Bryan_D,

You have to appreciate, but respect this answer. While you unit is likely the unit with an RTX 2080

You noticed the laptop PSU.   Essentially it is a laptop built into a monitor shell. The AIO is not really a desktop.  It has the Max-QQ video chip,  "Max-Q is an innovative approach to crafting the world's thinnest, fastest, quietest gaming laptops. It hits the sweet spot of ultimate GeForce gaming and impossibly sleek design. Finally, a gaming laptop you can put on you lap". Source

[Bryan_D]

Thanks for taking the time to respond but, that doesn't answer the question as to why residual circuit charge would adversely affect the function of an output port during day-to-day operations. I would guess that there's an argument for an additional shunt somewhere in the mainboard circuit? My 38 years as an engineer leads me to believe this is probably more of a mainboard electronics, composition and constructional issue - never-the-less, whether it is, or isn't,  a 'laptop in disguise' as you put it, this electronics issue should NOT be happening in a unit costing £3K, I've certainly never had anything like it on any of my many iMacs over the years.

[Bryan_D]

Well since my original post about this problem in September, I have experienced the loss of power to my Thunderbolt port (and subsequently the disconnection of the external Lacie TB3 drive on no fewer than 3 more occasions. Each time it has required the disconnecing of all external devices, power supply and the holding down of the power button (30s) to get the PC functioning correctly and the TB3 drive recognised again. Annoying to say the least..

[wb2001 · Accepted solution]

@Bryan_D,

The power supply is still supplying power (stand-by) to a laptop board. That is why when you unplug the power cord and do a hard (power switch depressed 30 seconds) reset, it will then function.  Try a power strip. After shutdown, power off the strip.