No Thunderbolt Device in Device Manager Z890 Apex

[NirXY]

For some reason it appears i'm missing the TB4 device in Device manager.

I've tried installing the drivers without any change, there isn't even an unknown device at the moment.

Thunderbolt Control Center also says "Controller driver version: N/A".

I'm on bios 1401 but remember the issue was also on 1302. No sure about versions prior to that.

Can anyone confirm if they have the same issue or not? The Thunderbolt device usually appears under System Devices in the Device manager.

[Saltgrass]

Well, here is mine.  The drive seems to be working fine and is plugged into the Thunderbolt 4 plug on the rear of the computer.  Drive model is an Anyoyo TBU401.

It is also listed under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

[NirXY]

That device is USB 3.2 compatible, meaning it doesn't need TB to exist in order to work just fine. Most devices are like that and the only way to tell, that i'm aware of, is via Thunderbolt Control Center.

Just to emphasis i'm not having a problem with connection speeds, but if the interface is not recognized as Thunderbolt, then Thunderbolt Share would refuse to work.

[Saltgrass]

I am wondering how, I show you a Thunderbolt device, but you won't accept it.  I was surprised it shows TB3 and not TB4, but it does.  That entry was not there before I installed that drive, and I do have an external USB drive. 

Connection speeds have never been a subject in this thread, just the fact you could not find a Thunderbolt device, as far as I understood.   These motherboards are different in several ways, and this may be one of those differences.

I am willing to do more testing, if you think it might help.

[NirXY]

This is how Thunderbolt device controller should look like when it's enabled, even without any connected device. I took these screenshots from my laptop.

Your TB device works correctly under USB3.2, because it's supported by the manufacturer, it doesn't mean your TB controller works. You can switch the connection to a USB port that isn't considered TB and it would still work the same.

I also attached a screenshot of how it should appear in Thunderbolt Control Center in "about" menu, it should show the controller and drivers information, which isn't happening in Z890 at the moment.

[Saltgrass]

I unplugged the drive and any mention of Thunderbolt went away.  I do still show the two USB4 designations, in the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.

I also show 5 Serial IO type devices in the System devices section.

I can't afford to purchase anything else to investigate this situation, but I do have a Z790 Hero I will try the drive on to see what it does there.

I do not know what a Thunderbolt Control Center is.  I will post back after I check the Z790 board.

Edit:  This is what the Z790 Hero shows in the System Devices section.

[NirXY]

Yes the Z790 has the Thunderbolt controller properly enabled. the "thunderbolt" device you see in the Z890 is the actual device name, not the controller.

you can get the Thunderbolt Control Center for free via Microsoft store https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n6f0jv38ph1?hl=en-US&gl=US

[Saltgrass]

I am going to guess the Thunderbolt controller you reference, is no longer available for the Z890 boards.

[Saltgrass]

Would this mean anything to you?  I did not notice this earlier.

[NirXY]

I'm looking for the TB controller to appear in the device manager. I've seen it on all TB3/4 capable boards except for the Z890 Apex as of now. Any other information that TB devices are identified aren't much of an indication of TB capability since they will appear regardless due to the port being also USB3.x capable.

You probably don't have anything to worry about, your device works and in full speed most likely, it's just that some software needs TB certification to work, like Thunderbolt Share. 

[Saltgrass]

I know you are looking for a controller.  You can now see my External TB device, and no controller shows up.

The USB4 situation has changed how the new system deals with Thunderbolt, or at least that is what I believe.

I suppose whatever TB device you have is not working or you think it is running with USB?  Maybe the only way to prove a TB device is working is to have something like a TB monitor that can only use a TB feed.  Of course, you could just believe what the Thunderbolt Control Center is telling you.

I will leave you alone now and hopefully, you will find a good resolution for the situation.