T60 random shutdowns but not overheating, no virus. Mystery

[dazz]

Hi

My T60 has started shutting down randomly. It has the symptoms of over heating, but the temps don't go above 50 deg C.
The fan is running perfectly. It isn't noisy.
I have removed, cleaned and re-greased the fan heatsink.

I have scanned for viruses. I have searched the registry. Nothing found.

I have tried running PC Doctor but I keep getting a message that it isn't licensed for my T60 (even though I downloaded from the IBM T60 driver website).

I ran a stress test for 20minutes. The temps peaked out to 72 deg C. The temp quickly cooled to 42 deg C after the stress test. No reason to believe the problem is the heatsink/fan.

About 5 min after the test, the laptop shutdown. The problem seems to be related to keyboard/mouse pad use. If not touched, the laptop will run for hours. A shutdown can be initiated within about 10minutes of use.



Any suggestions????

[Harryc]

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 67520.html

[dazz]

Thanks. That utility worked, but didn't solve my problem.
It did fix a faulty bluetooth driver.

[dazz]

Do T60's produce a log, counter or any record of why a shutdown has occurred?

[Harryc]

Other than the Windows system log...no. Look for red flagged items in the system log on or around the time a shutdown occurs.

[HFat]

The problem seems to be related to keyboard/mouse pad use.

When you say "shutting down", are you talking about a Windows shutdown? In that case, I'd try to boot a LiveCD instead of Windows first. If that's stable I'd then try to reinstall Windows.
Or does the hardware shut itself down suddenly as if you had disconnected the power chord and removed the battery? In that case it would sound more like some kind of loose connection than a software problem. I don't know any easy fix for that...

[richk]

There are types of battery failures that cause the symptoms you describe, even if power manager reports it as good. No battery is different from "bad battery". Pull the battery out and try running only from A/C. I am guessing, that is your problem. I have a battery that I use as a paperweight, that has only a few cycles and reports "good" from power manager. (aftermarket, made by AGPTEK) It will cause a T60 or T61 to do exactly what you describe

[dazz]

Other than the Windows system log...no. Look for red flagged items in the system log on or around the time a shutdown occurs.

There were no red flags at the times the T60 shutdown.
The T60 just dies with no warning from the OS. It is just like holding down the power button.

[Yacek]

Other than the Windows system log...no. Look for red flagged items in the system log on or around the time a shutdown occurs.

There were no red flags at the times the T60 shutdown.
The T60 just dies with no warning from the OS. It is just like holding down the power button.

So I guess it's definetely hardware, not software issue. Try what richk said above: remove battery and stay with AC adapter only... see if the problem still remains...

[dazz]

Hi

Left the battery out for a day. No shutdown on AC.

I suspect there is a loose connection that causes the battery to signal a shutdown to the laptop. That would explain why shutdowns normally happen when the keyboard/mouse are used (vibration rattles the connection). I will do some more testing and see if I can induce the fault.

[Yacek]

Hi

Left the battery out for a day. No shutdown on AC.

I suspect there is a loose connection that causes the battery to signal a shutdown to the laptop. That would explain why shutdowns normally happen when the keyboard/mouse are used (vibration rattles the connection). I will do some more testing and see if I can induce the fault.

I bet that battery is faulty. I would get (or try) a new one.

[richk]

The battery is just bad. Recycle it

[dazz]

The battery is under warranty. I want to be absolutely sure that I have correctly identified the fault. I don't want to give the supplier any room to squirm out of their obligations.

[richk]

If it is a real lenovo battery, there will be no problem. If it isn't, the warranty may not be worth much. My battery was only a month old when it died. It had a 1-year warranty. It lives on my desk as a reminder not to use aftermarket batteries.

[rs79]

I'm getting this on a T60 that has no battery and it running on AC. 117V at the wall adapter reads 19.7v at the output.

It'll boot and run for hours, then all of a sudden dies. It died booting XP with the four color xo splash screen greyed out when it locks up.

If I power it down it won't power back up till un unplug it and plug it back in. Pressing the power button does nothing until then.

When I do power it up, if I even go into the bios it'll shut down a few seconds in.

It's not even remotely warm, I don't think it's thermal. Having said that I did replace the fan and heatsink and used new grease.

Is there a list of things to check for these random power downs?

[RealBlackStuff]

That sounds like a faulty charging circuit or a bad battery.
Does it have a battery installed?
If so, remove and boot without battery.
If OK, you need a new/replacement battery.
If still the same, you'll need a new motherboard.