Some Notes on the Machines

Here is the standard procedure, as given just now by an HP tech, to get HP Thunderbolt docking stations to work, when they don’t. The report is that these things are emphatically not plug-and-play, each of these steps has to be done in order.

The order below is consistent for all HP Thunderbolt-equipped laptops and HP Thunderbolt docking stations. The very specifics are correct for just one particular model of each (ia HP Zbook 17 G4 on an HP Thunderbolt Dock G2), as of right now, 2020-02-04.

1. Update the BIOS.

2. Set Thunderbolt to no security, in the BIOS.

We need to change thunderbolt security level to no security: Boot into the BIOS via F10, go to Port options, and if it’s set to user authentication or secure connect, change the dropdown to no security. If the option of no security is not available, disable the setting that reads ‘require thunderbolt password to change thunderbolt security’. Once the change has been identified and made, save and exit.

3. Install Intel Thunderbolt 3 Secure connect. Reboot.

ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp98501-99000/sp98877.exe

4. Install or update HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 Firmware. Reboot.

ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp98501-99000/sp98906.exe

5. Install or update Intel Thunderbolt 3 FW for HP Zbook 17 G4. Reboot.

ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp98001-98500/sp98136.exe

Lots of info concerning offline files, here:

http://offlinefiles.blogspot.com

This little bit of shareware can be very helpful for some laptop users:

http://www.wctc.net/~jodeand3/tygi.html

To prevent problematical files from being cached, go here in group policy:

Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Network -> Offline Files

and set up the entry “Files Not Cached”.

Recently, a Windows 7 PC was experiencing reboots right in the middle, no warning, no errors.  A large CAD package with its own built-in Explorer analogue was kept running all the time.  I finally turned off Offline Files on the PC:  under 7, it turns out that offline files is default turned on for everyone, and every five minutes it checks to see if the network has become slow.  Apparently this detection is faulty, and not only is it faulty, but it can conflict with a file explorer subsystem badly enough to cause a system reboot!