Dell 8600 has stopped working with 002R

[GRay 85]

I have a Dell 8600 laptop (LE 6.1.1) that I've been using with an mBox and it works fine. I also have an 002R that is used with a tower PC. A couple of times a year I take the laptop out with the 002R to record drums or something that needs more than the mBox 2 inputs, and that can't fit in my room. I've connected the Laptop and 002R, but they won't stay connected. With the laptop's built in 1394 connection, the 002 connects briefly, then the 1394 light starts to flash and there is no communication. I also have an HP PCMCIA card with a 6-pin 1394 connector. At times, this will work for a short time (I just mixed one short song with it), but then it also looses the connection (no flashing 002R light, it goes out completely).

Any ideas on what could be causing my problem. Everything is the same since the last time I used this setup, cable, computer, ProTools, everything. The only thing I can think of that changed is I purchased a Western Digital 1394 harddrive for backups. I don't have this connected when using the 002R. I did try and connect the harddrive, and then connect the 002R to it, but still the same problems. Could this have changed my 1394 driver somehow?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ray