Thinkpad 755C - perma I9990305 error code *PIC*

[StevieD]

I recently acquired a 755C. I suspect it has a faulty motherboard but I wanted to try all possibilities before giving up on it.

Specs: not sure, 2x16MB RAM modules, 1.2GB hard drive.

It has two quirks: One that it only seems to like having one of the two 16MB RAM modules installed. Either one alone is fine. If both are in I get a 201 RAM error during POST.

The second is that having got past POST it brings up a I9990305 'no bootable device' error. All the time, whatever I try to do to fix it.

The test module in the BIOS only detects the RAM error if both modules are installed but everything else, including the hard drive, passes muster.

I have tried reseating the hard drive and checked the cable which seems ok. Altered the order of booting in the BIOS in various configs. I have repartitioned, reinstalled DOS (various versions) and even tried a bare sys c: just to see if that would work but nothing seems to get past that error code. All installation discs see the hard drive, the BIOS sees the hard drive but nothing seems to get the hard drive bootable. Pressing Ctrl+A/Ctrl+F in the Test menu in the BIOS only brings up Loopback and Tool for floppies and PCMCIA but no Low Level Format utility, which would have been my last resort.

Anything else I could try? I suspect the problem with the RAM means the motherboard is getting tired.

[BillMorrow]

well, first, welcome to the forum..

i assume the CMOS battery is also dead.. which might throw up some errors on booting..

the error code you get says no bootable sector or something like that..
which would mean a flaky hard drive.. if it persists..

the memory problem having come up as well, does seem to point to the system board going bad..

if my memory is still good, that machine has PCMCIS looking memory cards..
i guess the first thing i would try is some contact cleaner on the memory card connectors..
maybe the same for the HDD connector on the end of the caddy to the MOBO connector and if that does not work then disassemble the caddy and clean the DIP plug and pins on the HDD to that flat flex PWB cable..

all this is assuming the thinkpad might not have been working for some years and might have been stored in a less-than-ideal place..
the UK is not noted for its dry climate..

otherwise one of the guys here might have a more experienced solution to try..

that issue with two memory cards has not been unheard of in other thinkpads over the years..

[StevieD]

I disassembled the hard drive caddy. It is a genuine IBM drive from 1996 but otherwise seems to work well. Both the cable and contacts seem ok and not particularly oxidised for their age.

I did try a 512MB CF card in an adapter but the Thinkpad was having none of it. I suppose i have one of those odious later BIOSes with vendor lock-in so am on the hunt for a more egalitarian earlier revision, if those are hosted anywhere.

The sodimms are EDO and fairly regular looking with a notch on one corner to prevent incorrect insertion as they lack a notch among the contacts.

As for the CMOS, I replaced the CR2032 but not the 3 cell backup battery. After a day I still get the 161/163 error but after going into Easy Setup the settings stick thereafter. in fact, only the date and time go. All other settings remain saved even after the 161/163 message recurs. I don't think these are part of the solution but would be happy to be proved wrong.

[Kasm279]

Right, and you have a carrier that adapts the DIMMs to the weird PCMCIA-like connector. Are you able to boot off of a floppy diskette? The hard drive may have been wiped at some point. Also, which BIOS version are you using? I'd like to know what to avoid on mine.

[fultontech]

Doesn't I9990305 mean there is no OS installed?

[fultontech]

As for the CMOS, I replaced the CR2032 but not the 3 cell backup battery. After a day I still get the 161/163 error but after going into Easy Setup the settings stick thereafter. in fact, only the date and time go. All other settings remain saved even after the 161/163 message recurs. I don't think these are part of the solution but would be happy to be proved wrong.

If there is low voltage from the battery you'll still get the error. You may need to leave it turned on to charge for a while.

[StevieD]

Right, and you have a carrier that adapts the DIMMs to the weird PCMCIA-like connector. Are you able to boot off of a floppy diskette? The hard drive may have been wiped at some point. Also, which BIOS version are you using? I'd like to know what to avoid on mine.

Yes, I can boot from floppy and, as I wrote earlier, each version of DOS I have used to get past the error sees the hard drive correctly. I can partition, format, install and fix/mbr to my heart's content but when I reboot the same error code comes up.

I checked the internal power battery and that was switched off (the switch on the battery itself turned to 0) but I can't see how that makes a difference. The CMOS battery is non-rechargeable and does not need to be kept topped up.

My BIOS version is either 1.06 or 1.22 depending upon how you read the info in Easy Setup. I don't want to update it to 1.43 for obvious reasons as that one will definitely lock out any non-IBM drives from what I have read online, although this one also seems to.

Does anyone with a slightly later BIOS version have the LLF function (Ctrl+F) in Easy Setup? That is the only thing I have not tried as I can only invoke Cntrl+A and Ctrl+K for extra functionality.

[StevieD]

Checking the specs of the 755C shows that it shipped with up to an
810MB HDD. Mine was 1.2GB which came with later models so might be an intruder. I suspected an inability to boot past 504MB (dunno if true) and limited the partition to 500MB plus flipped the internal battery on. A quick install of DOS 5.0 and it finally booted!

So: Either the main battery needs to run or it doesn't boot or you need to limit the boot partition to 504MB as per 386 based notebooks. Or both.

This is a picture of the internals showing the RAM caddy in the DRAM slot for those interested. On the lower left you can see the CMOS battery (CR2032) with the rechargeable backup battery just above.



Admin note: Thanks!

[Kasm279]

Checking the specs of the 755C shows that it shipped with up to an
810MB HDD. Mine was 1.2GB which came with later models so might be an intruder. I suspected an inability to boot past 504MB (dunno if true) and limited the partition to 500MB plus flipped the internal battery on. A quick install of DOS 5.0 and it finally booted!

Odd, mine has a 540MB drive partitioned as one volume, and it boots just fine. I'll try with the larger drive out of one of the other 700 series machines I have. Sorry about missing what you said earlier about being able to boot. That SIMM carrier is neat, I'm surprised there's enough space under the floppy drive for it.

[Kasm279]

Sorry for the double post so soon, but I pulled the 1.2GB drive out of my 760ED and popped it into the 755C. It booted up Windows 98 just fine, albeit with the colors on the splash screen slightly off.

[StevieD]

Odd, mine has a 540MB drive partitioned as one volume, and it boots just fine. I'll try with the larger drive out of one of the other 700 series machines I have. Sorry about missing what you said earlier about being able to boot. That SIMM carrier is neat, I'm surprised there's enough space under the floppy drive for it.

I tried installing OS/2 2.1 on the remaining 700MB or so with the OS/2 Boot Manager at the end of the drive. This also booted, so the HD controller limit is probably 8GB after all. Quick conclusion is that switching on the main battery kicked the machine into life. Very strange. I have a couple more 755s coming my way soon including a docking station and am now prepared for any kinky behaviour on their part.

Thanks for all those who tried to help. Now to see if I can get that second DIMM to behave.

[Kasm279]

That's also odd as my 755C's battery is dead, and I didn't have it installed during boot. The CMOS battery is also dead, and I imagine the standby battery doesn't fare much better.

[StevieD]

And I still cannot get both dimms to cooperate. The caddy seems clean as are both RAM modules, which work individually. No sound except through the headphone port, either. It is just being wilful now.