windows 11 thunderbolt 4 bug

Copper Contributor

Hi, I got a new Dell XPS 15 9520 (12th gen i9) few months ago. When I connect a Thunderbolt audio Interface, nothing happens, like if the port was dead. I've look in device manager and I cannot find any Thunderbolt Controller. No Thunderbolt services was running and even Intel Driver and Support Assistant cannot find any Thunderbolt controller on my laptop. I've opened a ticket with Dell. They change the motherboard, change the controller, nothing is working. After some search about this issue, I find other people with similar issue with other brand laptop (hp, Asus, Lenovo) but always with a 12th gen Intel. I made a clean install with windows 10 and the Thunderbolt controller show up immediately (model 463e). Everything works fine on windows 10. Finally, I start an update to windows 11, build 22623.730 and my thunderbolt is gone again. On intel and Dell website, both report that there's no additional driver for thunderbolt with a 12th gen CPU and windows 11.  Someone else are aware of this issue?

32 Replies
Same here, seems that in Windows 11 the ports works as USB4 only, it's so weird :\ plis if you find a solution let us know.
I have an Windows11 Alienware laptop (12 gen i7) and starting just a few days ago, my egpu setup is no longer working. It blue screens when I try to plug in my Razor egpu and I also don't see the Thunderbolt Controller in my Device manager any longer. This worked fine just a few weeks ago!
Same here. Lenovo slim 7i pro x
i7-12700H, there's no thunderbolt controller on Windows 11

@Projectik - I am experiencing the same issue on latest Windows 11.

 

Thinkpad Yoga X1 Gen 7

Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

12th Gen Core i7-1280P

32GB RAM

 

I have had the motherboard replaced, tried a handful of drivers (Windows 10 drivers from Lenovo, Intel NUC driver package, www.catalog.update.microsoft.com) all of varying version numbers and via various methods (running the exe package, manual install via device manager). I just finished performing a factory restore from a USB Lenovo sent me, and am checking Device Manager before every update. Haven't been able to get the Thunderbolt controller to show up in Device Manager.

Okay, so my issue turned out to be a bit different after all... It appeared to be due to driver miss-match. Here is the solution for my specific problem--https://mysupport.razer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5870/kw/Core%20X%20Chroma
By showing hidden devices under Device Manager when disconnected from the internet, I was able to find the hidden device and remove the driver causing the issue.  

...same here on HP Studio G9

@Projectik A couple of my machines transferred data at usb 2 speeds.  There were no new drivers. I checked the BIOS and added support for thunderbolt. I now get usb 3 speed.  The Thinkpad said I didn't need to add thunderbolt support unless I was using linux or win10 pre 17????? Thanks Microsoft, I can always depend on you to f... things up.

@Projectik 

Same here with the 2022 Asus ROG M16. Sad to see that the thunderbolt port just doesn't work with the 12th gen intel CPU yet these companies can continue to advertise a thunderbolt 4 port when it's inoperable. I would hope we can at least see some acknowledgement form Intel/Microsoft/etc.

actually it does work, even without thunderbolt controller(or we just can't see it). I tried JHL7440 SSD enclosure with ssd or egpu, all worked very well.

@MasonLi2022 you're enclose is USB 3.1 compatible so yes it work in USB mode (10mbs/sec)  Plug your enclosure on the right port and it will also work (I've made the test with a dell TB4 dock) There's no issue with USB 4 protocol on the port. If you connect a TB only device like an audio interface, nothing happen.

my enclosure is TB only, without the JMS583 controller

@MasonLi2022 it's working for me too, it's weird but it worked after 22H2

@Projectik I have opened a case with MS for a very similar issue with the Intel 12 gen Windows 11 USB4 issue. I have a Dell Vostro 7620. I purchased a Sandisk extreme pro external SSD. The external SSD device has advertised transfer speed support up to 2000 mbs, However, when connected by the USB 4 (thunderbolt 4) it only transfers at a capped 1096 mbs on crystalmark speed tests, and around 600 mbs ish realtime. When I looked in devices it appears to be recongnised as a USB3.0 device (not USB 3.2 2x2). The same issue happens on a windows 10 windows to go install with it speeds capped at 1096 mbs. But, this is the thing - The Windows 10 Thunderbolt driver runs 10 - 20% quicker 700+ mbs. This means the USB4 implementation on Windows 11 is A: not as quick as using the thunderbolt driver on Windows 10 and B: windows OS 10 & 11 doesn't run the SSD with the supported USB 3.2 2X2 functionality. I know this is not strictly a Thunderbolt issue. but the fact the thunderbolt drivers on Windows 10 run more efficently than  the Win 11 USB 4 implementation is worth noting.

@Kowleone  Lenovo finally got around to telling me that I needed to upgrade firmware.  I did that and it solved the problem.  I still think that it's a pretty sorry state of affairs when MS breaks hardware simply by updating their OS, and doesn't bother to say anything about it. :(

JTF

the external SSD support USB3.2 gen2x2 (20gbps), but I'm pretty sure that your thunderbolt port only support thunderbolt device or USB 3.2 gen2 (10gps). There is no LAPTOP support USB3.2 gen2x2 (20gbps) in the current market

@johnt69 I Totaly agree ! It appears that MS roll out changes on there OS without any decent change control or quality assurance testing nowadays. If they use TB drivers on Windows 10 and the TB drivers works more efiifenty than the new MS USB4 implementation then there is something wrong with there planning and implementation process. I'm glad you managed to sort your issue out in the end though.

Hi Mason, On the official Dell specs PDF for the Dell Vosto 7620 it states that the Thunderbolt 4 port supports up to 40 GB transfter speed and is backwards compatible with USB 3.2, 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3:

4. Thunderbolt 4.0 port with Power Delivery and DisplayPort
Supports USB4, DisplayPort 1.4, Thunderbolt 4 and also enables you to connect to an external display using a display adapter.
Provides data transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps for USB4 and Thunderbolt 4.

If the above is true from Dell official specifications I would expect the the external SSD to run in USB 3.2 2x2 on the USB4 implentation on Windows 11. However, Dell won't support 3rd party products. MS will blame Dell, and Sandisk will blame Microsoft. I'll see what they say on the case I have opened. Hopefully it's just an OS bug that will be resolved in the future.

Also if you are correct, which you probably are (and I appreciate your input and the reply), If the thunderbolt 4 conncector I have only supports 3.2 gen 2, then SSD only runs at about 2000 mbs max which is less than a quater of the (10 gbps) supported by 3.2 gen 2.

@Kowleone 

Thunderbolt 4/ Thunderbolt 3 not compatible with USB3.2 gen 2x2(20gbps). You can use thunderbolt SSD enclosure though. Attached is my SSD enclosure speed test