Topic: Device Manager & USB not recognising Blackberry Playbook

[kat]

Problem
When plugged in to an available USB socket, neither the computer nor Blackberrys Device Manager recognise the presence of the Playbook.

Solution
Assuming there isn't a fault with the USB socket on the PC or the Blackberry Playbook, nor an issue with the cable used to connect the two together, try the following first;

• Unplug the Playbook and power-off (shutdown) the device. Leave it unplugged and turn it on. Once turned on, turn it off again - this simply 'power-cycles' the Playbook to ensure there are no issues there (occasionally the Playbook may need to be forced-shutdown as per the instructions above).
• Next, leaving the device OFF, plug the USB connector cable into the Playbook to see if self-powers - plugging the cable in should automatically start the Playbook. If it doesn't there could be a hardware fault with either the Playbook or the cable - assuming the USB socket on the computer being connected to has been tested with another device to ensure it's working).
• During boot-up, the computer the Playbook is connected to may report a new device connection, let it go through the process of installation as normal. If this happens it means the Playbook is now being seen by the computer. If this doesn't happen repeat step "2" using a different USB socket. If it still doesn't work it may means there's an issue with the cable (assuming the power-block works).

(typically "Device Manager" can be found by right-clicking "My Computer/Computer" and selecting "Properties")

Additional Troubleshooting
From the computer the Blackberry is plugged in to, open "Device Manager" and check the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" listings. For each "USB Root Hub" entry, check the "Power Management" settings to make sure "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is UNchecked (disabled).

When the Playbook is plugged in it's recognised as a Network Device and then 'mapped' as an external HDD, rather than being an additional storage device like a USB flash drive. This means there should be an entry in "Network Connections" that can be checked.