Urgent! R50P stopped working

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iv76erson03 · #1 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:58 am

Hey guys. I got a R50P like 3 weeks ago and it was working fine. However, today it just locked up. When I tried to restart it, it powers on but nothing loads. Every now and then, it will boot, but then the screen will just go black after about 3 minutes, in which point it locks up again. I have alot of valuable info on the computer which i need, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

edit: Now the thing won't even get to the IBM startup screen. it turns on, but nothing happens. I'm thinking there must be a hardware issue.

ajkula66 · #2 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:30 pm

Remove the HDD and the mdeia drive and try entering BIOS.

Let me know.

iv76erson03 · #3 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:37 pm

still no boot. Here's another tidbit. When it first started going haywire, the screen went black and then came came back on (albeit in a frozen state) and proceeded to draw random artifacts on the screen before it shut off again.

So my theory is that it is a display problem, however, the display problem is preventing the computer from booting. This might be complete bs. Have you had experience wit the black ribbin from the vid card to the LCD going bad?

ajkula66 · #4 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:57 pm

No. Never had a defective R50P. But from what you're saying to me it sounds like a video card/motherboard problem. But then again, I'm NOT a tech...

Try removing the RAM from the extra slot. See if that makes ANY difference. If you're up for it, you can try to remove the keyboard and pull the main RAM stick out as well....

Let me know.

iv76erson03 · #5 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:17 pm

my situation is rapidly deteriorating. I took out the ram and now it won't even power on. Put the ram back, and it won't power on. reset cmos, and it won't power on.

edit: AC plugged in, no lights anywhere, AC adapter not warm. I know the AC adapter works. I don't think it started as a power issue but as something else, but since nothing works now, the motherboard must be shot. Its the only reasonable thing i can come up with. Anyone else agree/disagree?

ajkula66 · #6 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:29 pm

Disagree.

Your system is not getting any power. At least the power light should be on for me to agree that it's likely the board.

I'd be looking at the connection and any "cold solder" at the point of entrance for AC adapter. But, once again, I'm NOT a tech.

You may want someone qualified to look at this. There is a chance, in my opinion, that this may be a lot less serious than it looks.

Make sure that "someone qualified" is a friend...

iv76erson03 · #7 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:37 pm

Yeah, i think the power jack could be messed up. The only reason i say mobo is because it won't turn on with battery power either. If there was a lose wire or something from the AC, it should still come on with battery, shouldn't it?

As far as finding someone qualified, i don't know anyone. If there are any respected members in here who want to take a shot at it, I'd be willing to send it out cause right now i have a paperweight. Thanks for your response.

Btw, if i can't fix it, are you interested in being reunited with an old friend for parts?

ajkula66 · #8 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:14 pm

Maybe it would, and maybe it would not. Depends on the case, or better said, on the actual defect.

Let's try to get this fixed...

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:29 pm

If you press the power button and release it, do any lights flash then go off immediately?

iv76erson03 · #10 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:41 pm

Harryc wrote:If you press the power button and release it, do any lights flash then go off immediately?

No they weren't it was completely dead. However, after jigging some wires, i just got a green light when plugged in. I'm gonna let it charge for a bit (in case i don't have a good connection) and then try to fire it up again.

However, there has to be another problem besides the power jack because I still think it should have turned on through the battery UNLESS there is one connection that feeds into the mobo from both the battery and power jack, and possibly that connection is bad which would make a perfectly good battery and a perfectly good power jack not work. If someone knows the schematics between the battery, AC, and mobo that would probably help.

Also, before the power problems, the PC was locking up and giving me a blank screen. Maybe power problems could cause that if there was a loose connection, but i still think there is another culprit. We'll figure that out thought after i can get it to stay for any amount of time. Again, thanks for the help.

iv76erson03 · #11 Post by **iv76erson03** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:37 pm

Update! The computer will now power on. Although I'm still a little uneasy about the reliability of the power since all i did was jiggle wires, I'll take it. So right now, I'm back to fans spinning but a completely black screen. No bios or nothing. Also, i know the screen works so if it was loading, i would see it. this is not a dead screen issue. Futher, the wireless light is not coming on, which usually happens immediately when i power on. So I just have a blank screen with fans spinning.

ajkula66 · #12 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:48 pm

try removing the wireless card

ajkula66 · #13 Post by **ajkula66** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:31 am

Also, now that it powers on-at least partially-remove the RAM and see whether it beeps when powered on...

iv76erson03 · #14 Post by **iv76erson03** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:36 am

Removed the wireless card and bluetooth...no luck. However...something weird just happened. I turned on the PC to see if all of my components were getting warm, and indeed they were, so something is going on. While i was feeling the CPU heatsink, i saw a quick blip on the screen. I applied light pressure to the top of the CPU and the IBM boot screen showed up. While the screen was up there, it looked somewhat pixelated and there were specs and artifacts. I had to look up the manual to make sure it was indeed the CPU i was pressing on and not the video chip. As soon as i released pressure, the screen went away and never returned. Nothing ever loaded and i couldn't get bios, it just showed the very first ibm screen that pops up. Hopefully this helps the diagnostic detectives.

#15 Post by **Harryc** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:50 am

Try reseating the CPU, but realize that by flexing the systemboard when you press down on the CPU you could be making/breaking another badly soldered component. Also, you will need thermal paste to reapply to the CPU before reassembly. If you are not comfortable doing this 'get help'. Read the R50P maintenance manual for the specific steps of disassembly.

iv76erson03 · #16 Post by **iv76erson03** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:53 am

I think i have an extra tube of arctic silver sitting around here somewhere, i'll give it a shot.

Random question: there are two chips to the right of the CPU, one directly right and one down a little bit with a heatsink on it. I'm thinking the one with the heatsink is the video chip, but what is the other one?

phool@round · #17 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:23 am

The North Bridge chip is the other. The South Bridge (Controller Hub) is under your wireless card.

I've read through the entire thread and my news will be very disappointing. I own an R50 - 1836 3SU with a video chip connection that makes or breaks, gaining or loosing it's signals through the solder ball connections to the system board. You have a chip connection failure and you have described it to the letter as being identical to my own for which I'm absolutely certain of.

Original description: P M 1.6GHz, 256MB RAM, 60GB HDD, 15 SXGA+(1400x1050) TFT LCD, 32MB ATI Radeon 9000, 24x24x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD, Modem/Bluetooth(CDC), 1GB Ethernet(LOM), IBM 802.11a/b/g wireless, Secure Chip (TCPA), IEEE 1394, 9 cell Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro

Freezes the video or presents the black screen (no backlight). In any case the hard drive immediately stops, zero activity. You've described it's behavior to-the-letter. You have a bad system board due to the video chip loosing connection. Recently my board smoked a small serial chip near the battery and that was that, it was final. I can repair it but I'm waiting for a T43 board at the right price.

Any warranty left? Hope so.

IBM/Lenovo knows about it, they will ask no questions and replace the system board *IF* you have warranty remaining. If not, you'll need to find another on your own.

phool@round · #18 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:32 am

Mod can delete this post, it was a double posting, site was not responding.

iv76erson03 · #19 Post by **iv76erson03** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:09 pm

Phool:
I believe you are correct. A motherboard failure was my first guess when it started acting up. I tested most of the components to no avail. I took the machine to my University's computer shop without telling them a thing, and they too told me the mobo was shot. I have no warranty so I'm out of luck unless i can find a new mobo, or a barebones PC that will take my other hardware.

Urgent! R50P stopped working

Urgent! R50P stopped working

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