T43p Keyboard Error 0211 on POST -- Cannot Boot System

[Norman Litell]

The backup (clock) battery in my 5 year old T43p (2668-PDU) finally died, and the computer's second fan was clearly about to die (first one was replaced under warranty after 2 years), so I just now replaced them both.

Disassembly and reassembly of the computer was simple and straightforward, with no apparent damage to anything. Although I had the usual difficulty getting the fan heatsink assembly unstuck from the top of the CPU and -- particularly -- the GPU, in the end they came off with a lot of (hopefully) gentle effort and no apparent damage to either one.

HOWEVER.... when I restarted the computer, I got the following sequence of error messages in POST:
0271 -- Date / time not set
0211 -- Keyboard error
0260 -- System timer error

The system then went to the opening page of the BIOS Setup Utility. Everything on the first page of the BIOS Setup screen was correct -- version numbers and dates, memory size, LAN MAC ID, etc.

HOWEVER...., the keyboard did not work, so I couldn't do anything about setting the time in the BIOS. I tried taking the keyboard out and replacing it again, checked the connector, and also checked the connector on the Touchpad, but could not get the system to work -- same sequence of POST error messages. I had vacuuumed and blown all the dust off the keyboard and the rest of the system as I was disassembling it, and have done so several times again but to no avail.

I then took the laptop's keyboard off, put the computer in a docking station, connected a (known working)mouse and keyboard to the docking station, and powered on. Same result. I also tried it with both the laptop keyboard installed and the external keyboard/mouse attached to the docking station. Again, same result.

It seems to me that, if I had somehow damaged the laptop keyboard in this process, the computer should have worked with the keyboard removed while using the external keyboard and mouse attached to the docking station.

Is there somehow a fatal flaw in the BIOS logic that does not allow the keyboard to be recognized at POST if the sytem clock is not yet set.?? How do I get around this problem -- and first of all, determine what the real problem actually is.??

[ajkula66]

Error 0260 is the odd one, I've never seen it on a T4x unit, and I went through thousands of them, replacing a couple of hundred CMOS batteries in the process.

Try borrowing another T4x/R5x keyboard somewhere for testing purposes...you may be looking at a motherboard problem.

Good luck.

[Norman Litell]

George, thank you for your comment. However, I still have two questions...

1. Although I replaced the CMOS battery with a supposedly new one, I had no way to test the new battery (no voltmeter), so I cannot say for sure it is good. However, it did come from a reliable parts distributor (ACS), and I got it in the same purchase as the new fan. Is it possible that the battery I replaced might be defective... and thereby causing the two system time errors, or is the clock and timer function totally independent of the keyboard function.?? And is it perhaps worthwhile trying a USB Keyboard / mouse interface as well.??

2. If the problem is the motherboard, does it make sense to replace the MOB.?? I did just replace the fan; also replaced the hard drive last fall (new Seagate 160G with all required SATA functions -- works fine, although IBM has not updated its BIOS firmware to include this drive as acceptable). I also replaced the screen last year and the 1400x1050 screens on the T43p are a lot more expensive that the lower-end versions. If I do replace the MOB, it will also be one of the more expensive MOBs, with the 128MB ATI FireGL V3200 GPU chipset.

In short, I guess the question is whether or not the T43p product line has good enough bones to make it worthwhile continuing to invest in it

[ajkula66]

A bad CMOS battery will only throw a 0271, not 260 in my experience.

I wouldn't go any further without having the machine tested with another keyboard.

I love T43p generation, and I'd do anything to keep mine running, but that's a very subjective approach...

Try locating another keyboard and we'll take it from there.

Good luck.