T23 Red Screen (Pic Warning)

Message

sparta.rising · #1 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:38 am

I just picked up a broken T23 to play around with. When I turn it on, I get a beep and a solid RED screen. What specifically is this problem? Any fixes?

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:02 am

Just the one beep is impossible to diagnose.
Remove everything you can, incl. modem, NIC, drive(s) etc.
Then put 1 stick of RAM in it and see what happens.
The red screen means you need to replace the backlight (CCFL tube).
Check with 'our' Jamiphar for a repair: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=48458

#3 Post by **Harryc** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:03 am

What shows up on an external monitor hooked to the T23?

sparta.rising · #4 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:17 am

Okay, now that I try it again, theres no beep, the sound was just the fans starting, but seeing the red LCD made me think "Oh no" and my brain went BEEP. Hah. Unusual though, I hear the fans "pulsing" when I leave it running.

Is the T20 LCD compatible with the T23 board? I have a few of those LCD assemblies.

Hooking up to external LCD shows nothing (hit FN+F7 a few times) but I'll still try swapping in a T20 LCD.

sparta.rising · #5 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:34 am

Okay, I just tried putting in a T20 LCD assembly, when it powered on I got white expanding hot spots with a few vertical and horizontal colored lines with a black background. I know this panel works (pulled from a machine with PCI bus problems).

Is this because the panels aren't compatible or because the T23 has a problem? GPU issue?

pianowizard · #6 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:40 am

Why not just buy this near-mint T23 that I'm selling? It has 1400x1050 and the fastest processor available for the T2*. I can deliver it to Boston South Station in person.

#7 Post by **Harryc** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:47 am

Very smooth PW

, but why stop at a T23 when there's a mint T30 for $10.00 more LOL ...

Seriously, to the OP, you should be able to swap LCD assemblies. I'd suspect a bad system board.

#8 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:20 am

Pulsing fan (There is only 1 fan in a T23) means a loose or fallen off inductor.
Take the motherboard out of the laptop, turn it over, and on the right of the sound jacks, under the big Intel chip, you (should) see two square blobs, one with 2R5 and one with 5R2 on it.
These either have fallen off or will come off when you wiggle them slightly.
Scrape the contacts clean, 'tin' them with solder and resolder them back.
Put the mobo back in, put CPU and fan in, stick 1 RAM in, push the keyboard in place and power on to test.

sparta.rising · #9 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:25 am

Har, no thanks guys.

Can I swap the T23 CPU into a T20?

EDIT: Hadn't seen the last post, I'll check that now

sparta.rising · #10 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:07 am

You are a genius, outstanding, the 5R2 had fallen off (and was sitting on the base). I want to make sure I have the alignment correct before I solder. With the 2R5 and Intel chip text rightside up (as opposed to upside down), should the text on the 5R2 be rotated 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise?

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:19 am

sparta.rising · #12 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:19 am

Okay I re-soldered the chip, reattached the mobo to the base, put in the cpu, a stick of RAM, the speaker and hooked it up to an external monitor. The fan no longer pulses, but now I've got the 1,3,3,1 beep. Since the RAM thats in there is good, does that mean the system board is dead? Could I have killed it soldering the chip in, or was it already dead?

And if it is dead, back to the earlier question, can I put this CPU on a T20 mobo?

#13 Post by **Harryc** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:27 am

Describe the RAM you are using exactly...manufacturer, part#, speed, etc.

sparta.rising · #14 Post by **sparta.rising** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:45 am

Well I just picked up some thinkpads from a buisness that was upgrading their laptops. 6 T20's, 1 T23, 1 A31p (and a mini-desktop and a Compaq Armada M300 just to play with). All sold as broken / for-parts. So far I've gotten 4 of the T20's up and running, but I still need a few parts.

The point of that story is that the RAM came out of these machines, I'm not sure which came from which machine, but the 2 sticks I've tried using in the T23 both work in the T20's. But now that I look at the tawbook, it does say the T23 takes PC-133... so maybe I have to go find of stick of that.

kti 256MB PC-100 MSPB632-68KI2

and

128MB 100MHz CL2 MTBSLDT1664LHG-10EB1 PC100-222-620

#15 Post by **Harryc** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:48 am

sparta.rising wrote:the T23 takes PC-133... so maybe I have to go find of stick of that.

Yes you do

#16 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:13 pm

And the T23 CPU does NOT fit in a T20, nor do the T20/21/22 CPUs fit in a T23.
And the same goes for RAM between them.

vanaya · #17 Post by **vanaya** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 5:42 pm

List what parts you still need from the T2x series lappys. I have quite a few spare parts for this series. My corner space is getting smaller, so if I can part with some to revive another let me know.

BTW the m300 are pretty sweet in size and portability, I used mine to verify connectivity in a new office lan outlets.

EDIT: Didn't see the add in market place for lists, sorry?

Website · #18 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:01 pm

Ok, just to clarify on the red screen issue...

Is it solid red (as in a red colored background), or is it red tinted?

If it is tinted, then it is likely the CCFL, as previously indicated. If the screed is a solid red, then there might be an issue with the LCD, LCD cable, etc. I have seen solid white, solid green and solid blue (deep blue, not like the BSOD blue), but not a solid red.

AS others have stated the T23 requires PC 133 ram. I will also correct a statement that Realblackstuff made regarding ram not being able to be swapped between the T20-T22 and the T23. The T20-T22 series can SOMETIMES use PC133 ram, IF it is low density, and then not always.

As for the M300...NICE machine! My wife had one until I forced her to switch over to an X20... because, you know it HAS to be a Thinkpad in my family....lol

Temetka · #19 Post by **Temetka** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:35 am

Yeah the M300's are sweet machines.

I had one for about a year. God I loved that machine.

Might get another. Might not, money is tight right now.

sparta.rising · #20 Post by **sparta.rising** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:18 pm

Right, list of parts is here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=65063

As for the screen, it looked solid red at the time, but thats because it wasnt going to the BIOS because of the pulsing fan problem. But I tried that panel on a working T20 and it was just very red tinted.

I haven't gotten a PC133 stick yet, so the machine still untested.

I have another question, since I seem to have your attention: I have a T20 that when I turn it on, the lights flash and the circle-z (whatever that stands for) stays solid but the machine doesnt post. I turn it off, and it won't power back on, even if I unplug it (no battery is attached). If I put it aside and try it again later, it will start up with the same non-post, but then not turn on again. Any ideas? The long delay seems like something is overloading/ovrheating and taking time to discharge/cool down.

The M300 is pretty great, I took it to work today. Unfortunately I don't have a battery for it and the adapter I'm using is a little loose, so if I jostle it wrong it shuts off. From what I've seen in pictures, the battery tacks onto the back, which seems kind of lame, ruins that solid light body.

Oh, and thanks for all the help guys, you are all the best. This forum is awesome.

Website · #21 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:10 am

The T20 seems to be suffering from the BOD (Blink of Death) symptoms, wo which there seems to be no work around, other than replacing the systemboard. This is becoming more and more common on the T20-T22 machines...

jronald · #22 Post by **jronald** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:29 pm

I also have an M300.
Bet you did not know they came in 3 different screen housing sizes...neither did I.
I had a floppy hinge screen so I picked up a new screen/housing combo.
Bolted it in works fine but the housing was about 3/4 of an inch two short.

SO

I yanked the hinges....guess what, they figured out the hinges went floppy and made the hinges bigger and the screen smaller (the housing, not the screen itself).So after a bit of grinding the larger hinges fit fine!

The battery is attached to the back, and there are at least 2 versions of the battery.(I have the larger version and it laast 2 plus hours)
The DC jack is loose on mine, just like yours
They do not have an optical on board, so a docking station is required. Mine I grabbed off of sleezebay for like $20.00 shipped.
I found a DVD drive local for $5.00.

If Im sitting through a recital or competition I drag it along and surf or play solitare, it is so small.

Measure you LCD housing, if this one I have is the right size, Ill ship it to you for like $25.00?

Ron

sparta.rising · #23 Post by **sparta.rising** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:28 pm

? Theres nothing wrong with the M300

jronald · #24 Post by **jronald** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:34 pm

10-4
The housing/lcd is to small for mine, so I can never use it.
If the size was right for yours, I was going to sell it to you.
If not it will collect dust with the other stuff.

Ron

sparta.rising · #25 Post by **sparta.rising** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:53 pm

I finally got some sticks of PC133 (thanks vinge) and stuck them in the T23 and it booted perfectly. Thank you all for your help!

virge · #26 Post by **virge** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:17 am

sparta.rising wrote:I finally got some sticks of PC133 (thanks vinge) and stuck them in the T23 and it booted perfectly. Thank you all for your help!

From my T23 to yours. Good to hear that your machine is up and running.

T23 Red Screen (Pic Warning)

T23 Red Screen (Pic Warning)

Who is online