HELP! Garmin Mobile PC GPS 20x USB receiver

A week ago I received my Garmin Mobile PC with the USB receiver.
It keeps on saying "searching for satellites" for several minutes.
First I was in a house, then I thought I should go outside. Went out for 5 min, still nothing. Then, I decided to drive around town for 15 min, still nothing.
Last resort, I go to a OPEN area, where I can see the sky no matter where I turn. Yes, the sky is CLEAR with no clouds whatsoever. Still no signal. Then finally, it showed 1 stick of signal then it goes away.
The GPS unit is a 20x, and I believe it should be very sensitive.
I called Garmin and they concluded that I have a defective unit. However, I received a NEW one today and its doing the same thing!!
I've tried everything, unplugging, changing usb ports, rebooting, etc. NOTHING works!!!
I am running Windows XP SP2 on a HP tx1000 and Asus eeepc. Both systems have the same problem.
In device manager, I have see that the Garmin GPS uses 120mA of power. I went into the power management and turned it off so that it will have power supplied even if the laptop is running on battery.

I even tried to install in on my desktop computer, but the program would not run at all!!!
Thanks

Hi chungenhung,

Welcome to Laptop GPS World.

* Is the Garmin GPS 20x USB receiver plugged in directly to a USB port? If you are using an extension USB cable, please remove it for testing purposes. If you find the cause of the problem was the extension cable, you may later try to use a powered USB hub.

* Interference from other computer/electronic equipment could prevent a GPS receiver from working properly. Remove your Garmin USB GPS receiver from your car to see if this may be the cause of the problem.

* Some vehicles come with windows that contain metallic particles to block sun/heat. Such tinted windows can effectively block GPS satellite signals. For testing purposes remove your USB GPS receiver from your car, and then try your Garmin Mobile PC.

* Sometimes it may take even 30 minutes for GPS receivers to acquire the first GPS fix, after they have been transported over long distance (shipped from a store, etc). Let the USB GPS receiver sit for a half hour (in an open space) while Garmin Mobile PC is turned on.

Thank you for the reply.
I did not use any USB extension cords.
It is tested out in the open area, where you can see the sky clearly on all sides. My other Pharos GPS have no problem picking up signal within a minute.
Garmin tech support indicated it should take 2 min to pick up the first signal, even after long transports.
The only Interference that I can think of is the laptop, since that's the only electronic equipment closest to it. Again, it is tested out in open grass area.

Hmm, that's a mystery. I don't know what to suggest. I wonder if it has something to do with USB voltage - but you've already tested it on two different laptops, so that's likely not it. Still, I'd like to test it on another PC.

When you are testing with your tx1000 or EeePC, are they running on batteries? If yes, try to plug them into a car charger, or a wall outlet.

Sorry, I have no idea what the problem may be. Hopefully someone else suggests something better to try.

Somehow I managed to get it work by going to another city and putting it on my car's roof. It picked up the signal within minutes.
Maybe the GPS just don't like my home town....

That's great news!

Sometimes, after a GPS receiver travels a long distance (in mail), it may take exceptionally long for it to get its first satellite fix. But once it does, there should no longer be these kinds of issues the next time you start it.