A22e monitor issue

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charlesayer · #1 Post by **charlesayer** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:28 pm

Okay, I unplugged what I think is the video card (Intel Pro Adapter?) and plugged it back in, now my screen has shrunk up into the left corner of the monitor. There is a black strip on the right hand side where the screen is blank. Also, the screen viewing area "stops" about 80% of the way down and starts over again. What did I do and how do I fix it?
Pictures available on request.

phool@round · #2 Post by **phool@round** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:28 pm

Since there isn't a socketed video card I'm assuming you unplugged your ethernet minipci card which wouldn't explain why your video has gone hay-wire, (Not yet anyways) unless you unplugged it with power on. That might be a problem. First things first.

Here's a link to your laptop; http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:A22e

Here is a link to the manual (HMM or Hardware Maintenance Manual)
with exploded views; ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... p2910a.pdf

Why did you unplug what you unplugged? What issue where you having prior to cause your reaction?

charlesayer · #3 Post by **charlesayer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:06 am

Thanks for the links. I was at least able to determine that yes, it was the ethernet card that I unplugged and then plugged back in.

Background: What little I know about computers I learned by making mistakes and poking around. Which means, I was poking around, the computer was off, I figured what could it hurt to unplug this thing and then plug it back in. Honestly I jus wanted to look it over. The reason I took an interest in poking around was that the hard drive crashed (which I replaced without a problem, but might be relevant to the current issue I'm having - during the downtime, I both replaced the hard drive and unplugged the ethernet card).

I took this to a computer repair shop and he charged me $50 for poking around on it for an hour and said he couldn't fix it. I monkeyed with the screen resolution and BIOS and nothing changed.

So that's where I am now. I wasn't able to find out much from the two links. Any suggestions?[/i]

#4 Post by **schen** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:48 am

I'd suggest starting with what you've done since it work correctly last.

* Since you put in a new HDD and reinstalled: make sure yo have the correct drivers.

* If that doesn't work, go to the HMM and see how to take the screen apart and reseat the connectors (screen first because it's easier, then the ribbon connector on the board itself.

* If that doesn't fix it, you might try a new LCD invertor (which is the cheapest thing to replace).

* Then try replacing the cable.

* Last, consider a MB replacement. Preferably with a non "e" board so you can eliminate those limitations (such as the 256Mb RAM and no dock support).

phool@round · #5 Post by **phool@round** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:39 pm

Great suggestions schen, especially the "e" board tossing........

Well sir charlesayer, you have your work cut out for you.

charlesayer · #6 Post by **charlesayer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:37 pm

Thanks for giving me a starting point. The drivers would be on the IBM/Lenovo website right? And I'm looking for video drivers?

I appreciate all the help - this should be a good learning experience, and there's no real time pressure since this is a backup computer.

Will let you know how I make out. More questions to follow, I'm sure.

#7 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:51 pm

Is the BIOS screen also in a corner on the display? Hold down F1 during boot to get to it. If not, boot into safe mode. Does the problem occur there? If it were me, I'd also try booting to a live Linux CD, like knoppix to see if the resolution was effected there.

charlesayer · #8 Post by **charlesayer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:05 pm

Yes, the problem occurs with the BIOS, and in safe mode and also when I boot Knoppix.

Does that narrow the possibilities?

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:07 pm

Yes, means it's a hardware problem. Try the things previously mentioned. Was the battery and power cord plugged in when you did this?

charlesayer · #10 Post by **charlesayer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:23 pm

No, I don't believe it was plugged in, but the battery was in place.

Does this mean I can skip the drivers and just go to the hardware items?

phool@round · #11 Post by **phool@round** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:23 pm

Also, is the image replicated on an external monitor?

That would I believe isolate the problem to either the video chip or the LCD control board.

charlesayer · #12 Post by **charlesayer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:31 pm

Don't know - I actually don't have ready access to a freestanding monitor.

Is there a way to run it through the monitor on my T22?

phool@round · #13 Post by **phool@round** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:44 pm

No, the VGA port is video-out only. No iny.

Don't know anyone (family member, squeeze, friend) with a monitor that would let you use it for a minute? Might make the difference between replacing the LCD or the system board.

phool@round · #14 Post by **phool@round** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:03 am

While scanning my favorite place for a deal I looked up the specs on a A30 at Thinkwiki.org

And what do I find? An interesting article on the GPU overheating causing artifacts, lines through the screens, and a host of other wonder goodness. Alot of A30 fans are not happy.....

Sir Charles, Depending on how handy you are at taking your laptop apart it might be worth a look at the condition of the inside by simply removing your keyboard. I'm thinking excessive dust in and around the processor fan/graphics chip.

Here's the thread I was reading about A30's; http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Talk:Prob ... led_screen

Now I realize that it's a different model but it sounds awfully similar.

charlesayer · #15 Post by **charlesayer** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:54 am

Thanks again for the research.

I'm gonna test it on an external monitor this weekend, and I'll also see about taking the keyboard off and cleaning it out.

Interesting to note that on that thinkwiki link many of the people having problems were running Linux. I previously had SuSE dual-booting Win98 and then later on I had Lindows on it before going back to just Win 98. Wonder if that's a coincidence or if it means something.

Beyond that, if the motherboard and/or LCD needs to be replaced, I'm thinking that will probably be the end of the road for the A22e. It doesn't sound like the A series was IBM's crowning achievement, there is limited upgrade potential, (RAM in particular) and with brand new name-brand laptops down in the $400 range it just doesn't make sense to hang on any longer. Does it?

Hey, one more thing - can I use the RAM from my A22e in my T21? (Not T22 as previously posted)

phool@round · #16 Post by **phool@round** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:03 am

A note about the Linux discussion on Thinkwiki.org. It's honestly a site on config'ing, tweaking, troubleshooting Linux on Thinkpads and Sony VAIO's......and system specs as a bonus to the measly rest of us.

Yes, to the memory, both use PC100.

Up to you on which direction you go, repair or replace (an A22e is not the top of the heap....lol....sorry, had to say it again.) Most of the members here are IBM fans because they last along time = alot of old timers. When they finally shrivel from old age (the laptops) the forum is the convalescence home and a great place to have an eye poked out.

#17 Post by **schen** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:42 pm

It's starting to sound like you are ready to let that A22e go. If I'm right, it may be a good time for that. As had already been stated, you can use the RAM in any of the other PC100 machines (back to the 600X and all the way up to the A/T/X 22). The later (22) machines can even be found with built-in wireless.

You can use a number of things from you machine on the others of the same era. HDD, Optical Drive, MPCI Card. So you can get a bare-bones unit and get up and running without much of an investment.

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