T60/T61p + 2503 Dock, No Post

[LexLocatelli]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to use both a T60 and T61p with a 2503 Advanced Dock and a PCIe GPU. T61p has Middleton BIOS, T60 has Stock BIOS. Here's what I've done so far:

1. PCIe Empty, Boot While Docked - Works
2. PCIe Empty, Boot while Undocked, then dock - Works
3. GPU in PCIe slot, Boot While Docked - 1 long beep, 2 short beeps, then no post. Or sometimes, just no post.
4. GPU in PCIe slot, Boot While Docked, Less than 2 GB of RAM - 1 long beep, 2 short beeps, then no post. Or sometimes, just no post.
5. GPU in PCIe slot, Boot while Undocked, then dock - Works as far as the system booting, but Code 43 on the Dock GPU
6. Capture card in PCIe slot, Boot while Docked - Works
7. Capture card in PCIe slot, Boot while Undocked, then dock - Works

GPUs tried: Nvidia 7300 LE, 8400 GS, 9300 GS, AMD HD 5450

I've tried setting the BIOS to prefer the PCIe GPU, as well as the internal one. I've also changed the post screen to the Thinkpad LCD, Analog, and Digital, none of which helped.

I've lowered the RAM of both systems to below 2GB to see if that helped, which it didn't.

I have a PCIe capture card which works just fine in the slot, and allows the systems to both boot from the dock.

Does anyone have experience with a setup like this, who can help me get the system working? I really wanted to use my Advanced Dock for a video, and this is preventing me from moving forward.

[Shredder11]

Following this topic as I have one of the Lenovo versions of this dock, and never got it to work at the time in 2013 with a Z61p (same as T60p). I posted here at the time with my setup details viewtopic.php?f=29&t=22358&p=719490&hilit=dock#p719490

[n2ri]

I use a T61 on this dock daily no issues why wouldnt a T61P work. is the T61P worth getting now as outdated as the series has become I even still have issues with my W500 units mostly heat and display driver going black and restarting often but it does have wireless sim card LAN which never got fully finished in the T61 series MB. just wondering if a T61P would be a viable option now as I love the T61-W500 builds and the W520 are totally different builds using lots more power and no compatibility with older accs which I have lots of and external hardware/software that require the older OS and hardware to use. only thing I have complaint on this Dock is the internal card slot is very limited as to what it will work with besides video. like it wont use a surround sound audio card for more than just 2 channels so why bother. its function is about as useful as the Turbo memory chip internal TP adon. if running 64bit with 4gb am the Turbo chip is like adding [censored] on a Bull lol. the 2503 Dock thankfully has other very useful adds like a backup drive in ultrabay etc. many model Thinkpads will work in the 2503 too just not the W520 and higher. the older units all work on the big Dock II which even had adapter for the old 701c butterfly keyboard units. the new replacement docks that are still availabl are about same as a Dock stick that snaps on rear/bottom of older TP models and not worth much IMO