T43 touchpad malfunction - Help Needed

[Neil]

Here are the symptoms:

With touchpad plugged into motherboard, neither the touchpad, palm rest mouse buttons, trackpoint or trackpoint mouse buttons will work. Keyboard itself works OK either way. I've tried two different palm rests/touchpads with the same result.

If I disconnect the touchpad from the motherboard, the trackpoint and keyboard mouse buttons all function OK.

Seems to me to be a motherboard malfunction, but PC-Doctor for DOS didn't show any errors. Can anyone give me something to look for or to check?

[RealBlackStuff]

All of those functions are 'steered' by the Southbridge (Intel chip under the wifi card).
Put pressure on that chip in various places, then try again.

[Neil]

Probably...maybe...Southbridge issue, but I have not been able to get it to change behavior by applying pressure to the chip. Not too bad just using it like it is...I suppose....wasn't long ago that I thought the trackpoint was the only pointing device I needed. Didn't like touchpads at all, but now I've grown accustomed to using it.

[RealBlackStuff]

Try another keyboard from one of your R51s.
They may be different in screw-posts (3 in 15", 4 in 14.1"), but the connector is the same.
Maybe it's the keyboard?

[Neil]

Swapping keyboards was the first thing I did. Didn't make any difference.

I actually have two identical T43 here ATM, so plenty of parts to swap. Seems I've eliminated everything other than the system board as the problem.

[ajkula66]

So, you have two choices:

a) replace the board

b) sell it as a custom-built T43 motherboard for touchpad-haters...

All jokes aside, this is a first for me. I've never seen a problem quite like the one that you're describing.

Good luck.

[Neil]

I'll either go with choice b)... or use it myself as-is, as I'm a reformed touchpad hater.

If only I could find a palm rest without touchpad...then this T43 would work perfectly! Do they even exist? I've owner T30 with and without, and seen R61 with and without. But, don't recall ever seeing a T4x without touchpad.

[ajkula66]

They do exist for 14" models, not for 15"...otherwise *all* of my 15" units would have them.

[Neil]

Well...#!@&...this is a 15"er. Guess I could keep an eye open for a 14" model without touchpad, I have the perfect motherboard to put in it.

[ajkula66]

I'm pretty sure I have a touchpad-less palmrest for a T4x somewhere...just in case you find the rest of the machine...

[RealBlackStuff]

Since long winter evenings are soon upon us, why not do a bit of DIY?
Find any palm rest without touchpad, cut out a matching part to cover the touchpad area, and glue that in/on/over/under, so it becomes flush with the rest of the palmrest.
If you do a good job, you may have the start of a new cottage industry!

[Neil]

Umm...yeah...I don't think so. None of that kind of fabrication has ever turned out well for me. And, I don't forsee having that kind of time available even with the long winter nights.

[automobus]

Let me chime-in and report a second instance of this. With trackpad connected, the pointing devices do not work at all. With the UltraNav disconnected, the ThinkPad is as reliable as can be: no symptoms of failing southbridge. Once the pad is reconnected, both pointing devices are again frozen. I ran a live test, hot-plugging and unplugging the UltraNav while the ThinkPad is operating. For the record, it is a 14-inch T43 with integrated graphics.