Problems with Wacom tablet!!!!arrgh!!

[Riddleman]

Hi, I?ve recently bought a Wacom drawing tablet for my PC, everything appears to be normal without. However, when I use the pen to draw it randomly stops. For example, I was just drawing a long straight line and suddenly the pen just stopped writing even though I was pressing the pen against the tablet. The other end of the pen which is blunt works fine though. I?ve tried everything to solve this issue, I read some FAQs on the product, and nothing helped, and I also tried to install the lastest drivers which didn?t help either. So I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem, if so should I just return it?

The Wacom tablet i got

 

[Rottie]

I love my Wacom Graphire2 it works well for me but I am using with w2k pro. But I realized it doesn't sell in the U.S. anymore.

 

[Riddleman]

Originally posted by: Rottie
I love my Wacom Graphire2 it works well for me but I am using with w2k pro. But I realized it doesn't sell in the U.S. anymore.

Do you have any problems similar to what i'm experiencing?

 

[corkyg]

I use the model that came beforew the Graphire - the "PenPartner." Is is a USB 1.1 device and has worked perfectly for several years.

What you describe seems to be a USB disconnect problem - either the Wacom's cable is defective or what it is plugged in to is erratic or lose.

The PenPartner comes with a USB cable molded into the pad. I then connect it to a POWERED HUB. You may need to do that - it could be a voltage drop if you do not use a powered hub for USB devices. That results in a USB "drop."

 

[Riddleman]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I use the model that came beforew the Graphire - the "PenPartner." Is is a USB 1.1 device and has worked perfectly for several years.

What you describe seems to be a USB disconnect problem - either the Wacom's cable is defective or what it is plugged in to is erratic or lose.

The PenPartner comes with a USB cable molded into the pad. I then connect it to a POWERED HUB. You may need to do that - it could be a voltage drop if you do not use a powered hub for USB devices. That results in a USB "drop."

I tried plugging it into my main usb port, but that didn't help either.

 

[Riddleman]

I emailed wacom yesterday and they still haven't replied.

 

[corkyg]

They don't work weekends. Sounds like a hardware problem. Can you try a different Wacom pad?

 

[Riddleman]

Originally posted by: corkyg
They don't work weekends. Sounds like a hardware problem. Can you try a different Wacom pad?

don't have another wacom pad. Its definitely has to be some sort of defect, right?

 

[corkyg]

Yeah - I would say so. My Wacom has a fixed, molded in USB cable (1.1) and if something were to go wrong in the connector, I would replace the entire thing. It is probably due for replacement anyway - it is several years old.

Just one question - do you have any other USB devices with which you can verify the USB port itself? (Such as a USB mouse, or thumb drive.) Is the port "alive" by BIOS settings? Also, try removing it completely in Device Manager, and physicall disconnect it. Then boot and use the mouse. Then power down and connect the Wacom and let it be "found" again and reinstalled.

 

[Riddleman]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Yeah - I would say so. My Wacom has a fixed, molded in USB cable (1.1) and if something were to go wrong in the connector, I would replace the entire thing. It is probably due for replacement anyway - it is several years old.

Just one question - do you have any other USB devices with which you can verify the USB port itself? (Such as a USB mouse, or thumb drive.) Is the port "alive" by BIOS settings? Also, try removing it completely in Device Manager, and physicall disconnect it. Then boot and use the mouse. Then power down and connect the Wacom and let it be "found" again and reinstalled.

I know for sure that my USB ports all work since I have no problems with any of my other USB devices, especially my Raser diamondback mouse which works terrifically. I?ve also tried to reinstall the wacom tablet, but it made no difference. I pretty sure that it?s a defect since the blunt side of the pen is able to write well, it?s just the thin precise side that doesn?t work properly. BTW, thanks for taking the time to help.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: Gl4di4tor
I pretty sure that it?s a defect since the blunt side of the pen is able to write well, it?s just the thin precise side that doesn?t work properly. BTW, thanks for taking the time to help.

OK - the "blunt" end is the eraser - not a writing point. That suggests that you may not have opened up the Wacom Properties in Control Panel. Try that and gothrough all of the settings - that's where sensitivity and other options are established.

 

[Riddleman]

Thanks for your help, but I called up Wacom technical support and they've agreed to replace my pen. Hopefully this will have fix the problem. by the way, their support line was not toll-free, now I'm going to get a killer phone bill.

 

[corkyg]

That's why I always use my cell phone for those calls - free long distance!

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: Gl4di4tor

Originally posted by: Rottie
I love my Wacom Graphire2 it works well for me but I am using with w2k pro. But I realized it doesn't sell in the U.S. anymore.

Do you have any problems similar to what i'm experiencing?

No problems at all.

 

[swisswuff]

Stop and go problems may also be related to the USB connection itself.

We started to have problems with two CRT monitors and the thin Apple mouse cable running underneath. The mouse would stop working all of a sudden, and then go back to working some time later. Someone suggested the cable may not have enough shielding. That seemed to have been the right answer, as we could reproduce that USB problem with different computers and different OSs (Acer PC, Linux Suse, Linux Redhat, Windows XP) whenever a power cable (220V, 50Hz) or a CRT monitor was close to the USB mouse cable.

Since then, we have no problems with the Logitech "First/Pilot Wheel Mouse", for example. That one has a rather thick cable. We have stopped using Apple's mice and MacAlly mice, they seemed to be too sensitive to this problem.

Maybe, what you experience, may have to do with the way you run your power cables, the way you set up your power converters, the way you set up any CRT monitors, in relation to your USB cabling.