T21 Win2k Freezing at Splash Screen

[fleamourian]

My mates T21 had BoD syndrome, but when it does decide to work it freezes at the Win splash screen. The blue line when 2k is loading stops dead & it'll jst hang there indefinitely. It took me roughly 20 attempts to power the [censored] thing on, as I write this now. It even has frozen up when within Windows.

I know it's jst patching up a broken system but any suggestions welcome.

[rkawakami]

I'd recommend the following:

- first remove the MiniPCI modem or modem/ethernet combo card. System hangs like this can be caused by a defective card. If the T21 starts to boot properly and continues to do so (BoD aside) every time, then you've found the problem.
- if removing the MPCI card does not help, then boot the system without the hard drive using a CD or floppy containing memtest86+ (assumes you have an Ultrabay optical drive or floppy). Let it run for at least two passes through the memory tests. If it fails, then the problem may be the memory module(s).
- boot the system with the hard drive installed, but from a CD or floppy set containing PC Doctor for DOS for T2x. Run the Fixed Disk tests. If it fails, the hard drive needs to be replaced.
- finally, there could be a problem with the motherboard which would require more troubleshooting to determine if it's something that's easily repaired (re-soldering a loose part) or would require a complete replacement. Given that the system does have an actual BoD problem, then that might be the best course of action. Latest news on the BoD front suggests that a current sensing issue could be the cause.

memtest86+ available here: http://www.memtest.org/
PC Doctor for DOS T2x: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4YZM3F (diskettes)
http://www.kawakami-ca.com/ibm_t2x/ibm_t22_pcdiag.iso (CD image file)
Blink of Death: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 906#457906

[fleamourian]

Having read BoD solution I am not much good at component level, but would replacing the main board likely solve the BoD syndrome? I was thinking of buying a tested board from deal-deal.com on eBay. I'm hoping the odds are with me on this?

Thanks for your concise post!

[fleamourian]

Replaced the main board & BoD symptoms disappeared. But it has recently started locking up again from within Windows. My mate uses his T21 for study & research so it has fallen to me to fix it.

I have run the fixed disk test from within PC Doctor & it passed. I have run chk dsk from the recovery console whereupon it fixed one or more errors. So far it still freezes.

I have yet to try memtest86+ with HDD removed. Also I guess I can try booting/running the laptop semi permanently without the MiniPCI modem or modem/ethernet combo card, to see if that solves it.

It does seem to freeze after being used for an hour or more, turning off then rebooting leads to more freezes. Could it possibly be overheating? Would you advise reapplying the thermal paste? When running IBM Fan test it does not spin up to a great speed like mine but rather it seems to be a set speed.

[RealBlackStuff]

Every time you remove the fan, you need to refresh the thermal paste.
Use only a small dollop about the size of a rice corn and spread that evenly over the small CPU square, using e.g. a credit card.

PS: did you ever receive the PCMCIA cage I sent you?

[rkawakami]

The program that I normally use to monitor system temperatures is MobileMeter. It can be downloaded from here:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/M ... 24748.html

I generally use the "Softpedia Mirror (US)" link. Extract the mobmeter.exe file from the .ZIP archive and run it. From the description of freezing after an hour or so, I'd suspect that the system is overheating. A bad MiniPCI card or ethernet card should hang the system right away. However, that does not mean that the memory is perfect; you could be dealing with a temperature-related failure.

Yes, I would definitely recommended application of Arctic Silver 5 or equivalent in order to keep the heatsink operating in prime condition. The fan diagnostic in PC Doctor should spin the fan at two, maybe three distinct speeds. There should also be a thermal sensor test in that program as well. Make sure you run that one too.

[fleamourian]

Every time you remove the fan, you need to refresh the thermal paste.
Use only a small dollop about the size of a rice corn and spread that evenly over the small CPU square, using e.g. a credit card.

PS: did you ever receive the PCMCIA cage I sent you?

Yes received cage, with thanks, I PMed you.

[fleamourian]

The program that I normally use to monitor system temperatures is MobileMeter. It can be downloaded from here:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/M ... 24748.html

I generally use the "Softpedia Mirror (US)" link. Extract the mobmeter.exe file from the .ZIP archive and run it. From the description of freezing after an hour or so, I'd suspect that the system is overheating. A bad MiniPCI card or ethernet card should hang the system right away. However, that does not mean that the memory is perfect; you could be dealing with a temperature-related failure.

Yes, I would definitely recommended application of Arctic Silver 5 or equivalent in order to keep the heatsink operating in prime condition. The fan diagnostic in PC Doctor should spin the fan at two, maybe three distinct speeds. There should also be a thermal sensor test in that program as well. Make sure you run that one too.

I have run memtest86+ for two passes with no errors.

I have some Artic Cooling & some Noctua compound. I should still have a spare T21 fan that does spin up in three stages, replaced mine with 1GHz chip & T23 cooler. I'll run mobmeter.exe, should have a copy in my downloads folder.

[fleamourian]

Musta sold my 800MHz chip with heatsink on eBay. Looked everywhere! Still have an inverter & spare LCD ribbon + HDD caddy without screws. Can I trade? Or can anyone supply a three phase RPM fan/heatsink shipped for under £5.00?

I'll catch it freezing yet! Run always on power scheme, but was set to turn off monitor at 15 minutes, so could not see mobmeter temperature reading when it froze.

[RealBlackStuff]

A T23 cooler does not even physically fit a T20/21/22!
The screw holes don't correspond.

I have a T21 cooler (P/N 04P3295, FRU 04P3448) here that I could mail you for $8.- (= £5.-) incl. shipping.
It's the one with 3 spring-loaded mounting holes.
PM me if interested.

[fleamourian]

A T23 cooler does not even physically fit a T20/21/22!
The screw holes don't correspond.

Hmmm, not sure what I fitted then? It was a beefier heatsink as recommended on this forum.

As for my mates laptop, I'm not sure it is overheating now as it's run all afternoon & evening without freezing. I did find a trace of something with Malwarebytes, also scanned with Spybot & Lavasoft, removing cookies. I've told him to tell me if it freezes again. Totally bizarre.

[RealBlackStuff]

If you have a 1.0GHz CPU, you probably mounted the recommended T22 cooler.

[fleamourian]

The laptop continues to freeze, I think that ever since it was dropped from a considerable height the disk continues to develop bad sectors leading to a random freezes, not always at splash screen. Running chkdsk from recovery console seems to cure it for a good while. I run chkdsk from recovery console because it gives you feedback on whether any bad sectors where found. So quite a cheap fix (buying new HDD.)

And so concludes the matter! (I hope!)

[SMA]

Freezing at the splash screen usually means loose memory socket or bad memory.
And loose memory socket and bad memory will also cause windows to freeze occasionally.
A corrupted disk, fixable by chkdsk, just means that the machine did not shutdown properly.

Hanging at the splash screen can also be loose mPCI socket or bad mPCI card (eg. lan/modem card).

[fleamourian]

Well it will freeze after working for a long time in the middle of a Windows session, saying that it freezes at splash screen may be misleading, as will only do this following a initial freeze halfway through. When he dropped it it would not boot at all, only running CHKDSK from UBCD 4 Win cured it. I thought that every time it froze, finding errors to be corrected was an indication of a failing disk & might be source of freezing. But if you say different...

I have checked memory slots & modem card slot, neither look loose to the eye. I have removed one stick of memory to test the integrity of the remaining stick. He seems to think there's some correlation between moving the thing & it failing, so might support the loose soldering theory, but all highly annoying. Still not got to the bottom of it yet!

[RealBlackStuff]

Try another hard disk.

[fleamourian]

New HDD run faultlessly for couple of months. This morning it froze, hanging at the splash screen. Removed the MiniPCI modem or modem/ethernet combo card & she boots fine now.

[RealBlackStuff]

The T21 needs an ethernet (mini-PCI) card to connect to the web.
So either get another card (ethernet alone or modem/ethernet combo) and hope the miniPCI slot is still OK, or get a PCMCIA ethernet card.