Laptop/Traveler sometimes won't start up

[audiodb]

I'm using a new Traveler with a new Dell Latitude notebook that only has the little four-pin FireWire port. Sometimes, this system won't start up successfully. I suspect the culprit to be static/grounding issues, and want to know what I can do about it.

Now, the details. Usually, after following the startup procedure religiously (first boot the PC, then the Traveler, then turn on other components), I'll open the software (Sound Forge) and try to go into record mode. If the PC locks up, I'll have to power everything down and start over. If it works, it'll work for the whole session. As a stand-alone mixer, the Traveler has been reliable.

The odds of a clean startup decrease in conditions conducive to static accumulation (dry air, handling friction before setup, wind, carpeting, etc.). Simply trying again often works; if not, reconnecting the FireWire cable before the next power-up sequence often works. For outdoor recording on a humid summer evening, it has been starting up cleanly on the first try.

At it's worst (one particularly dry and windy location), the Traveler refused to complete it's boot with the PC on; disconnecting or shutting off the PC would allow the Traveler to continue. I tried a dozen times with various combinations of reconnecting cables, but could not get the PC and Traveler to work together, and was forced to leave the PC off and record to a CD deck via the Traveler's SPDIF output. Midway through the session two hours later, I tried once more and got the PC and Traveler started up on the first try, recording to both PC and CD as I normally do.

If it is static charge, I'm not sure how best to guard against it. Touching the components doesn't seem to help (I don't feel any static discharge when I do). Not sure if running the PC on battery would be better or worse than plug-in power. Also don't know if the FireWire cable brings PC and Traveler to equilibrium with each other, or if the four-pin variety is less effective in that regard. Anyone who does know these details, please advise. Thanks!