and if I pull out the USB cable and plug it into my EeePC sitting next to the Acer, da(4) attaches fine ... but all the other laptops are running a 8.x version; matthias -- Matthias Apitz t +49-89-61308 351 - f +49-89-61308 399 - m +49-170-4527211 e <guru at unixarea.de> - w http://www.unixarea.de/