UPDATE: Need some major help here - T42p support

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Kenn · #1 Post by **Kenn** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:00 am

Hey guys,

Potentially serious low-level problem here.

This morning, I hibernated my machine to bring it to class. It seemed like it turned off a little quickly, but I didn't think much of it.

When I got in, I tried to turn the machine back on, but all I got is a blank screen. No logo, no post, no drive access. The status LEDs just flash on and then the machine sits idle. I've tried removing the battery, booting on battery and AC, but nothing. Fn-F3 and F7 don't do anything (but the thinklight works

)

Once every 10 boot attempts or so I either get the user logo to show up (but hitting F1 doesn't work and it just goes back to the blank screen after the logo display time passes) or the backlight come on but without an image (stays black). Either way the machine just sits there doing nothing.

Machine specs are below, this is the 15" 2737-7XU. I have no predesktop area as I reinstalled windows a while back.

Any ideas or tips I could try? I might also need the 800-number for IBM support USA.

Thanks,
Kenn

egibbs · #2 Post by **egibbs** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:11 am

I assume you've tried holding the power switch down for at least seven seconds...?

Are you getting any beep codes?

Try hitting F8 at startup to see if you can get into safe mode.

If that doesn't work see if you can boot from a Windows CD and get to the recovery console.

What have you upgraded or installed lately? New video driver?

Ed Gibbs

#3 Post by **jdhurst** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:42 am

I have seen that problem on a client T30 and a client T41. In both cases it was the system board. The hard drive was fine. I have a spare client T30 and can get those users going quickly. I don't have a spare T41 and had to get the client to use a different machine temporarly because it took a day to repair the T41. ... JD Hurst

Kenn · #4 Post by **Kenn** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 10:16 am

Thanks for the replies. It's definitely not the hard drive since the system doesn't even POST. My first suspicion was indeed that the problem lies with the system board.

Thus far, it's exhibiting behavior that almost seems heat-related in my experience, though I've verified that the fan works when the system is on: I've gotten the system to boot a few times. Each time, within a a few seconds to a few minutes from post, the video corrupts and the system freezes. An immediate reboot never works, but leaving the system off for a few minutes first sometimes allows me to get to this fruitless point again.

I think it may be time to call IBM...

egibbs · #5 Post by **egibbs** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 10:32 am

Since the last thing you did before it stopped working was travel with it (bouncy bouncy), I'd try doing some basic reseating before I shipped it off to IBM. Reseat the RAM, Mini-PCI card, HDD, and anything else you can get at easily.

My T20 used to require the Mini-PCI card to be reseated every few months (usually after a trip) or it would lock on boot.

Ed Gibbs

JHEM · #6 Post by **JHEM** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:03 am

What Ed said, reseat everything, particularly the RAM Kenn.

Regards,

James

Kenn · #7 Post by **Kenn** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 12:24 pm

Just got off the phone with IBM support. They told me to try using an external monitor. I thought, wth kind of suggestion is that?

Well, as luck would have it,

! It looks like the problem is a short somewhere along the video circuitry. One of few occasions that I can get it to boot, it's fine as long as I only use an external monitor *and never touch the LCD*. As soon as it jostles or swivels, the system freezes and video signal either corrupts or goes dead.

They're sending out an on-site tech on Monday with a new panel, inverter, and more parts. Since out of almost 2 million pixels I have zero dead ones, I'm going to see what I can do to not replace the actual display if at all possible.

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll update if and when I get more information.

Kenn

PS: I got disconnected from IBM 4 times as I was getting my case figured out. Each time the rep called me back and we got back on track. So far in the 4-5 times I've used the service, it's always been an A+ customer service experience.

jl209 · #8 Post by **jl209** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:13 pm

Kenn-

My ThinkPad had the same symptoms. If I touched the LCD it would go dead and the system would freeze. Mine was fixed by replacing the system board- it had nothing to do with the LCD panel itself.

Kenn · #9 Post by **Kenn** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:09 pm

jl209 wrote:Kenn-

My ThinkPad had the same symptoms. If I touched the LCD it would go dead and the system would freeze. Mine was fixed by replacing the system board- it had nothing to do with the LCD panel itself.

Thanks Jl,

I just read your post on the same subject and my eyes went

I can't believe it happened to someone else recently as well. Fortunately for me, I troubleshot my system after talking to IBM yesterday and also came to the conclusion that it had nothing to do with the LCD panel - even if I attached the machine to an external monitor and turned off the LCD, it would still crash/hang with horizontal line artifacts if I moved the computer or tried to swivel the LCD. So I called them and modified the case file so they're sending out a system board. Good thing, too, since finals begin on Thursday.

Did IBM ever tell you what was wrong with it?

jl209 · #10 Post by **jl209** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:52 pm

I'm in the same exact situation as you are- I'm a law student and my finals start on Wednesday. I'm glad that my system board went this week instead of during my final!

They never did say exactly what they thought was wrong with it.

Kenn · #11 Post by **Kenn** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:04 pm

jl209 wrote:I'm in the same exact situation as you are- I'm a law student and my finals start on Wednesday. I'm glad that my system board went this week instead of during my final!

Weird, maybe it's not the machines, but the subject? It's entirely possible that thinkpads cannot bear to tolerate the machinations of saucy intruders and fettered asses racing at a smartish pace to outrun service of process from tag jurisdiction?

jparr · #12 Post by **jparr** » Sun May 01, 2005 1:28 pm

It is beginning to sound like there is a systemic problem with the T4x series and system board failures related to the video subsystem. A number of people, myself included have had a problem simmilar to this. System works unless it is justled, and grows progressively worse until it won't POST anymore.

Kenn · #13 Post by **Kenn** » Sun May 01, 2005 2:44 pm

Hmm. Just out of curiosity, what version BIOS was everyone running?

My T42p was rock solid with 3.06f, but I let the BIOS update itself to the newest version because the new Thinkpad software installer downloads it automatically. If I have a new system board on the way, I'm thinking I might try to reflash to an older version and see if that does anything...

Edit: Of course, upon writing this I realized how silly it is. Probably fewer than half of all BIOS settings are able to crash the machine upon swiveling the LCD

It's just desperation talking here.

Kenn · #14 Post by **Kenn** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:48 pm

IBM sent the system board replacement to Nowheresville. The tech arrived empty-handed.

5 days and waiting....

UPDATE: Need some major help here - T42p support

UPDATE: Need some major help here - T42p support

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