Thinkpad 600x startup (CMOS battery) **PIC**

[thayes]

I have a thinkpad 600x that I replaced a cmos battery in and it keeps time now but all I get is the time and date setting page with the bird. Do you know what I need to do?

Admin note: Title edited to include "CMOS battery" for better search results.

[rkawakami]

Enter the current date and time then click on the Ok button. The system will reboot and show you a 0 > 1 screen. That means you should turn off the 600X and then turn it back on. If the battery is good and has been installed correctly, all should be well.

edit: I can post some pictures if you need them...

[thayes]

the 600x will not show the 0 to 1 screen. "thayes"

[rkawakami]

I guess some additional background is needed here...

1. Is this a system you have used previously without any problems (beside the CMOS battery dying)? If YES, proceed to 3, if NO proceed to 2.
2. If not, then I assume this is the first time you've tried powering it up, found the CMOS battery dead and replaced it with the proper (02K6502) one. Do you know any previous history on this laptop?
3. If yes to 1, then I would suggest removing the memory module(s), HDD, Ultrabay device, unplug any USB device and remove the MiniPCI modem (bottom of the laptop behind the small square panel. The Hardware Maintenance Manual for the 600X can be found here and it will help you out removing these items. Once they are removed, power up the system and report what happens.

[thayes]

thinkpad 600x error 173 163 before post. thinkpad is still stuck before 0-1 . It posted the 0-1 window before I purchased a panasonic CR2025 battery that I taped to the leads. When I had the laptop at home it was working fine. "thayes" Had to previously purcase an ac adapter. When the laptop was sent to me from home, the power cord was cut in several places and the laptop would not power up. When I used the new ac adapter the laptop powered up with the error 161 163 and the 0-1 window displayed. I previously put a battery in that did not work but then I cut the cover off the old battery
and seen that it was a panasonic CR2025. That is when I purchased the battery by itself and taped the leads.

[rkawakami]

I would assume from your descriptions that the "taped up" CMOS battery is not 100% reliable. My advice is:

• Remove the taped up battery for now and get started looking for a real 02K6502 battery
• Connect the laptop to a known working AC adapter
• Boot the system and enter the date and time
• Power cycle (off then on) the laptop when you see the 0 > 1 screen
• While powering back on, press and hold the F1 key to enter BIOS (Easy-Setup)
• Click on Config, then Initialize, then OK. That should return you to the Config screen. Click Exit.
• You should now be at the main Easy-Setup screen. Click Restart then OK.
• The system should boot normally

Assuming you get this far, your problem was most likely a badly connected CMOS battery. I do not recommend using a taped up CMOS battery. I also do not recommend you try soldering the tabs onto a retail CR2025 battery either. Lithium batteries can go >>BANG<< when exposed to high heat. A 02K6502 battery from eBay usually runs less than $10 shipped. Just make sure that the eBay seller guarantees that the battery will work in a 600X (or 600 or 600E). If you can, get a close-up picture of the connector and compare it to this:



The 02K6502 connector is more rectangular than its cousins for the T2x and X2x series systems.

edit: Here's a CMOS battery I found on eBay (no personal/financial connection to this seller; found it by looking for 02K6502 and screening for lowest cost): https://www.ebay.com/itm/182613993141 ($6.15 including shipping from Arkansas)

[thayes]

I think that you are exactly right about the cmos battery. The clock is not keeping live time and the seconds are not changing while I look at the screen. I will purchase a battery this weekend.

[rkawakami]

So in case anybody else lands here in the future, I've prepared a quick visual tour of what to do when the 600X CMOS battery dies.

ref: http://www.kawakami-ca.com/ibm_600x/rep ... s_battery/

[kfzhu1229]

It's probably the cheapest for you to get a bag of T2x and later CMOS batteries, cut and swap the wires with the connector end and then heat shrink.
I believe those are much easier to find as the T2x connector is used all the way including the newest ThinkPads.
And yeah I have a number of my CMOS battery solutions as being taped up with foil tape and some have a sliver of foil on the inside to help conduct electricity and others have a dump of my conductive pen ink for that purpose. They work sure, but I find them less reliable on ThinkPads because many of their CMOS battery holders require some heavy bending of the cable near where the battery is and it can get dislodged as a result or simply just does not fit.

[FryPpy]

thinkpad 600x error 173 163 before post. thinkpad is still stuck before 0-1.

Bad (and belated) news.
173 and 163 errors say that we have not typical "BAD CMOS battery" problem but very own to 600x problem. May be it is more common to SpeedStep equipped units. And i don't know any ways to resolve it. Even i don't know where is the root of this problem (173 error code is for - configuration data (not date and time) was lost - and in HMM roots are CMOS battery and System Board, for 163 error code - even worse - System Board)

More symptoms:
When correct data and time is set and pressed OK button - one beep is sounded and nothing more happened. Mouse pointer is moving, but keyboard and mouse can't change anything.
After reboot (with power switch) we see 173 and 163 errors and have placed to set date and time screen. And it shows correct date and time!!!!!!
Pressing OK or CANCEL buttons makes one beep and ThinkPad hangs up (freeze) on set date and time screen - mouse is moving and nothing more.

This problem is less common then BOD, but i have found some posts on some forums about this problem with one conclusion - replace motherboard(
And Yes - i have 1 poor thinkpad with this illness.

[hcooll3]

rkawakami,
I have replaced the cmos battery on my thinkpad 600x with an 02k6502 and I still can only set the date and time. Is it possible that you can tell or teach me to repair my 600x through some video links or pictures of the system board and instructions on what to do?
hcooll3

[hcooll3]

rkawakami,
I forgot to mention that I remember before seeing a message on my thinkpad 600x that the configuration was lost. Is it possible that my Bios is flashed or something?
hcooll3