T30 power up

[PLatreille]

Since July my T30 2633-Eu2 512MB working RAM in both slots would not come on. Just a black screen. Today I turn it on just because and it fired up. What gives?
Now I'm afraid to turn it off. Any special tests I could run?

Thanks

[RealBlackStuff]

download Memtest86 from http://www.memtest.org/
It will fit on a floppy if you have such a drive, otherwise get the ISO and burn a CD from that.
Run a test with each single RAM in each slot, and with both sticks, swap them too.
You may also want to clkean the RAM contacts with an eraser. Blow off the remnants before you put the stick back in.

And there is always PC Doctor for the T30 from theLenovo website

[poshgeordie]

The T30's are amongst the most reliable of the TP's and the only problems I ever have are the memory slot solder issue.

Having said that, I would suggest trying the following:

Since your T30's running, download and run PC Doctor.

Especially run the memory tests (memtest) a few times to make sure both modules are OK.
If memtest fails, remove one module and rerun memtest on each one to find which is faulty.

Other things to look at in no particular order:

1. Remove the battery; what happens when you waggle the mains adapter jack where it plugs into the TP? If the TP shuts down then I would suspect a faulty adapter jack.

2. Following on from that, does it work when on battery only?

3. Does your T30 work OK via an external monitor?

4. Remove all the peripheral components - HDD, CD/DVD, Wireless cards. On start up and pressing F1, does it boot OK into bios every time?

5. I've had a few T30's which had bad solder joints on both memory slots. It's possible you have such a TP.

Let us know how you get on.

[Mad Max]

I have a T30 and have never seen this issue. Make sure your memory is well seated in their sockets. If that doesn't work, the prior email with the suggestions is very sound advice.

[PLatreille]

I have disconnect everything to no avail. While it was working yesterday I ran PC doctor and everything passed. Today it will not come up again just a black screen. My back up T30 just did the same thing at the house. Turned it on and nothing black screen. Normal internet usage only. No power spikes or anything like that. They are both the same type and age.

Whats going on with both of them?

[poshgeordie]

Are you using the same mains adapter with both of them? if so could it be faulty or just not working.
Are they genuine IBM's or foreign copies? Copies can spell trouble.

Do you have a battery with enough charge to run the TP, and if so, with the adapter removed do either one work?

What exactly do you mean by 'nothing on screen' - does the CPU fan and lights go through the motions of starting up but nothing appears on the screen; or does literally nothing happen on startup?

Have you removed the CPU / CPU fans by any chance? If so are the CPU chips properly seated in their holders - I've had that once?

Are you swapping components or memory chips between the two TP's, or do both have their own full set of components including the mains adapters?
If you're swapping, are you sure you're not transferring the same faulty component between the two TP's and thus transferring the fault?

Carefully Fit one memory chip in the inside holder. If that doesn't work, try another chip in that holder. If that fails repeat for the front holder.

Your memory chips are at least 2100?

Getting to extremes here...

What are the conditions of both TP's? Are they quite dusty inside? Is it possible that both CPU fan assemblies are clogged with dust and the fans not actually running on startup?
The fans are supposed to run for a few seconds on start up, and if they don't do this the whole TP wont start.

If you've been removing all the bits and pieces, if you also removed the keyboards are you sure the connectors are refitted properly?

What OS are you running? Is it possible that there's been an update on both TP's which has caused them to shut down.

Repeat all the tests I've suggested earlier to try and find if they work in any way.

Good luck.

[RealBlackStuff]

Put the T30 TYPE in your 'signature' (you can do that in your 'Profile').
Do they work with an external monitor?
Do they power on at all?
Sometimes the graphics chip goes bad (it's a BGA, Ball Grid Array, where one or more 'balls' become disconnected).
To fix would be about $50.- each
http://www.superiorreball.com/

[PLatreille]

OK ,I tried removing memory from the slots even though the slots were professionally repaired a couple of months ago. I took out both memory chips and installed 1 only in the 1st slot and nothing happened. No beeps or anything. The same thing when moving the same chip into the other slot. When I tried the 2nd chip voila IMB slash screen came up telling me to adjust the time and date since I took out the yellow battery underneath the main battery. I'm currently surfing the net with 256MB of Ram. Do I dare turn it off and see if that was the only problem?

[poshgeordie]

From what you're saying there's no 'no memory installed' beeps with the first chip and yet the TP blank screens; this points to either the first chip being faulty or not fitted properly in the slots.

What happens when you put it into the spare slot?
Does the bios still show just 256Mb? If so then the first chip's faulty.
Does the TP just not work at all with it in? If which case the first memory chip must have some sort of short on it.

Either way it points to a faulty memory chip.

If you power off with the good chip only in, and then find it doesn't start again, then it could be that the mem slots weren't resoldered properly.
It has to be said that it's not a difficult job for any reasonably competent repair shop though.

Other conclusion is that there's something intermittent somewhere else. It could be the graphics chip; it's unusual on the T30, but not impossible.