MY A20P Dead?

[h.finn]

Hallo everybody.
I seem to have a serious problem with my beloved A20P.
When I turn it on it just....doesn't!
Basically I get the IBM ThinkPad logo and "Press F1 for IBM BIOS Setup Utility" and "Press F12 to choose temporary boot device" and...THAT'S ALL!.
If I try to press F1 or F12 nothing happens, but if I press them just after turning on the laptop and before the logo comes up I get
for F1: "Entering IBM BIOS Setup Utility"
for 12:"Preparing Boot Device List"
but it does neither one nor the other.
I tried also F8.......nothing.
Tried the "Escape" button and I get this list:
"CPU= Intel (R)...etc.
640K System RAM Passed
63M Extended RAM Passed
System BIOS shadowed
Video BIOS shadowed
UMB upper limit segment address: E000
Mouse initialized
Fixed Disk 0: IBM-DJSA-...etc."
Does anybody know what's happening?
Can I fix it (how)?
Do I have to go get myself an Apple?

Many thanks,
H.

[ajkula66]

Pull out the hard drive and mini-PCI card and see whether that changes anything.

Also, try booting the machine without one DIMM, switching DIMMs and RAM slots in the process, obviously...

Good luck and keep us posted.

[h.finn]

Thank you for that.
Unfortunately I am not a computer geek and you have lost me a little.
Can you tell me how I can:
"try booting the machine without one DIMM, switching DIMMs and RAM slots in the process"
I have no idea.

[RealBlackStuff]

Remove all the RAM modules (Dimms), then try to boot.
It should beep 1-3-3-1. If not, then the motherboard is dead.

If it beeps 1-3-3-1, insert only one RAM module, then try to boot again.
If it still beeps 1-3-3-1, try that module in the other slot and try to boot.
If it still beeps 1-3-3-1, that RAM module is faulty OR both RAM slots are faulty.

Do the same with the other RAM module.

If at any time it boots, something is still working.
Let us know what happens.

[h.finn]

Ok,
Cool!
I'll give it a go!

[h.finn]

Hi there.
Now: I tried the procedure.
It does the 1-3-3-1 all right without the Dimms but no booting.
Not without them, nor with any single Dimm or with both, even swapped.
When the Dimms are in (even just one of them) it does this "biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip-bip-bip" but no booting.
I have to say that the Dimms don't stay "flat" anymore like they did at the beginning.
They click in place no problem but they stay at a 45° kind of angle.
of course when I screw in the plastic cover they get pushed down to a flat position but, if it wasn't for the cover, they would stay angled!

P.S.: concerning the Dimms: one is original (i.e. came with the machine), the other I bought a couple of years later.

[Vempele]

When the Dimms are in (even just one of them) it does this "biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip-bip-bip" but no booting.

[one long and two short beeps, and a blank or unreadable LCD]
1. System board.
2. LCD assembly.
3. Dimm.

[RealBlackStuff]

You need to first push them in at the 45 deg. angle, then push them down until they are parallel with the motherboard.
They should then be caught by the two metal holders on each side of the RAM module.
If those 'arms' don't catch it, bend them in just a little bit, towards the middle.

[h.finn]

Ok.
So I bent the metal holders.
The Dimms are now flat.
Development:
1) With the original Dimm: when in one slot I have the usual biiiiiiiiip-bip-bip + the IBM Logo on the screen and nothing more. Basically as previously posted.
when in the other slot I don't get neither the beeping nor the screen. Nothing. Just no noise and a black screen.
2) Same with the "new" Dimm.
So:
1)The screen is obviously working.
2)The mother board must be ok 'cause I get the 1-3-3-1 when I start the Thinkpad without any Dimms.
3)But.....it does not boot! Never.
?????
What next guys????
Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

Have you taken out yet the wifi and/or modem card, the hard drive and the CD drive?

[h.finn]

Hi there,
It has taken me a while to get back because......I've been pondering if I can really do those things, i.e. take out wifi, hard drive etc.
I'm really not that great with this stuff.
Is there some guide somewhere on how to?

Many thanks again

[RealBlackStuff]

Download the illustrated Hardware Maintenance Manual here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4PER6S
Complete instructions on how to take the whole laptop apart.

[h.finn]

Hi,
...Well, it took me a while but finally I got the determination to open up the silly thing!
Actually, it was because I cannot get to part with this laptop that has served me so well!!!
...Anyway: I just had to get the Mini Pc Adapter out of it's slot, unplugged it and plugget it back again for the laptop to....COME BACK to life!
Unbelievable.
Now, what happens is that I get this message:
"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: system32\DRIVERS\\pci.sys
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM.
Select "r" to start repair"

So I do as asked and get the :
"Press any key to boot from CD"

Once that is done I get this:
"An unespected error (385876185) occurred at line 1562 in D:\nt\private\ntos\boot\setup\arcdisk"

And the thinkpad won't go any further.
Now, what do you think that could come from?

Again.......thanks very very much for your help!
H.

[RealBlackStuff]

It seems you have faulty RAM. Running memtest would be a good idea just to isolate the problem.

You will need the use of another PC or laptop, with either a floppy drive, or a CD-writer.

Here are the directions you can use to run memtest from a Floppy:
1. Head over to www.memtest.org
2. Click on the link labeled "Download (Pre-built & ISOs)"
3. Next click on the link labeled "Download - Pre-Compiled package for Floppy (DOS - Win)"
4. Download the software and Unzip the program files
5. Make sure a floppy disk is inserted
6. Run the program, when it asks which drive letter type in "a:"
7. Program should finish writing, then boot your laptop off the floppy disk
8. Allow memtest to run 2-3 passes

Here are the directions you can use to run memtest from a CD:
1. Head over to www.memtest.org
2. Click on the link labeled "Download (Pre-built & ISOs)"
3. Next click on the link labeled "Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)"
4. Download the software and Unzip the program files
5. Start the CD-writing program and insert a fresh CD.
6. Select to create a CD from an image (or whatever similar options are there)
7. Program should finish writing, then boot your laptop off the CD
8. Allow memtest to run 2-3 passes

Do the above test with 1 RAM module, then repeat with the same module in the other slot.
Then repeat with the other module in the first slot, then repeat with the same module in the other slot.
Then repeat with both modules, then repeat with the modules swapped around.

[h.finn]

Hi!
I'll certainly save you suggestions on a safe file for future use because.........it's actually working now!!
Yahoo!
Can't tell you how good it feels for a computer dummie like me!!
It just started.
That's all.
I inserted and re-inserted my Win xp setup disk.
And eventually......it just came back to life.
I have to say that I also had to uninstall the (non-original) extra DIMM.
But I tried this before without any result. Yesterday evening, instead, it worked!
....
Well now: first of all I must thank you for your great support.
And then I would like to ask you where to buy a good quality replacement battery for the laptop and also a good quality DIMM to replace the (obviuosly) faulty one (They would have to ship to Europe)

Many many thanks,
H.

[RealBlackStuff]

Try eBay (Germany or UK).
You will need low density PC100 SDRAM.

[h.finn]

Thanks.
I will.
H.

[h.finn]

Hi,
about the battery:
should it be 4400 or 6600 mah?
Thanks.

[RealBlackStuff]

There are 2 batteries available, the standard 6-cell, which fits inside the chassis, and the 9-cell which sticks out ~1" at the back.
Don't know the mAh of those models, 6-cell probably 4400 and 9-cell probably 6600.

[h.finn]

Sticks out at the back?

Better stick to the other one then.
Cool!