USB-C and Thunderbolt Docking Stations Not Recognized by the Computer

A USB-C or Thunderbolt docking station does not work with the attached computer.

The issue can be caused by possible Group Policy settings in Windows.

USB-C and Thunderbolt Docking Stations

An issue where several computers are unable to recognize USB-C or Thunderbolt docks. If you check Device Manager, you see a yellow exclamation mark (bang), and get a message if you try to automatically search for drivers on the device with Device Manager.

Group Policy Setting

This is caused by a Group Policy (GPO) setting in the Windows image. The security policy is preventing USB-C and Thunderbolt devices and drivers from being installed. This was likely in the custom Windows image due to a previous vulnerability in Thunderbolt 1 & 2 that is no longer present in Thunderbolt 3 devices.

Dell is not able to provide specific Windows imaging assistance but if the Windows administrator is familiar with the GPOs. Review the following information in the link from Microsoft, and they can adjust their custom Windows image accordingly.
Blocking the SBP-2 Driver and Thunderbolt Controllers to Reduce 1394 DMA and Thunderbolt DMA Threats to BitLocker

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Recommended Articles

Here are some recommended articles related to this topic that might be of interest to you.

• How to Install or Update the Thunderbolt Controller Driver and Firmware Using Dell Command | Update on Dell Computers
• How to Connect and Set Up a Docking Station With a Dell Laptop
• Guide to Thunderbolt 3
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Thunderbolt port on a Dell Computer