Hello all, this is my first post here, and I am happy to be a part of these fine forums!

Allow me to start out with a doozy of a problem concerning a T30 2366-UN7 with 256 megs of ram, a 40 gig hard drive, the IBM high rate wireless LAN card, and no modifications at all. This computer is pretty much bone stock, I got it from my brother a few years back when he upgraded to a T60. This was his college computer, so it got beat up a bit, I think it was repaired by the college once.

Anyway, after he gave it to me, I used it with no problems for quite a while (1 year+) and I replaced the keyboard, because it had a few broken keys.

That worked for many months, but now I am getting some strange things happening to it, namely, everything comes on, but the bios never comes up, and I don't even see or hear the hard drive reading. Before, when the problems first started, it would give the four cycles of four short beeps, indicating a dead security chip, but after disassembling the thing last night (twice! )
The thing is still dead, however, it no longer throws any beep codes (the chip was loose).

I saw another topic on here before joining where someone had a T2X, which I assume is functionally similar to the T30 since they are in the same category here, and it turned out to be bad RAM. I popped out the RAM, fired it up, and it did throw the beep code for no RAM, while I was at it, I threw it in the other slot just to see if I had the usual bad slot, and sure enough, that's an issue too, but I will just look around here for a solution to that one.

So my question for you fine folks is this: Where do I go from here? Get a new RAM chip? Take it down to the local computer shop? recycle the thing and buy another laptop? I really don't want to upgrade yet, I have become faily attached to this little thing, and at 1.8 GHz, it's still fine for web browsing, office tasks and simple games.

Thanks in advance.

Im reading between the lines on this one....the screen never comes up?

Remove everything you can, wireless, HDD, modem and try rebooting it. Since we know it will throw the memory code, I would also try an external monitor.

Ron

@JRonald

I know the screen works, there was something I neglected to mention. Before I went and disassembled the thing, I shook it one night and everything came up, but the next day, it worked for about 20 minutes or so and BSOD'd to a memory paging fault, then after I rebooted it, it threw the same four beep cycle. I know there is nothing wrong with the LCD. I tried to start it up after disassembling it last night, and now I am getting no beep codes, but it turns on, the fan comes on, just no display (and no BIOS). I made sure that all the connections were secure after reassembly.

I will try it with no wireless, hard drive and ultrabay dvd/cd and report back.

Curiosity got me and I tried hooking it up to an external monitor. Still nothing. I have power, the fan comes on, but it won't get past the POST. Still no beep codes.

So I tried again, with everything out of it except the RAM, and I got the same result.
I think I will take it down to this PC shop down the road tomorrow and see if they have an SODIMM of known good PC2100 or 2700. I have heard of bad RAM making a computer not POST.

Is there anything else you would suggest?

Well... maybe the other memory slot is failing, (Partial reason why i had to replace mine's mobo, that and the fact i screwed trying a "Homemade Reflowing", laugh all ya want!)

Anyhoo... i would use a magnifying glass on the motherboard and inspect the memory connectors for maybe damage, (a little tricky without a bright light, but can be done) otherwise, you might perfer the QFE... Get a new motherboard.

Also... could be the processor socket, try removing and replacing processor (just remember to move the little screw in the processor socket all the way to the closed lock, i know i have forgotten that once or twice)

Cheers!

Have you figured out what went wrong?

From your description and my experience with fixing over 20 T30s, it is the RAM slots on your T30 going dead. It is time to get a replacement motherboard. There are a lot of dead T30 motherboards on eBay because of this ubiquitous problem.