Thinkpads Forum

First I must apologize for my quite poor knowledge of english, I hope You can understand me and do not ban for that.

Yesterday something strange happend with my old ThinkPad 560X, that I bought some time ago. It's happend during instalation of Puppy Linux (mini distribution perfect for old hardware and fully usable for net chats, www, mail, writting etc.) becouse 560X can't boot from USB Flash Disc I have to make WakePup floppy to initialize booting from USB. During that proces i went from room - when I return screen was black but hdd still working. First i thought it must be some kind of screensaver, but he did not respond for keyboard. When I turn it on again problem will return - screen is black, disc is turning, LED's (batery charging and power) glowing, but there is not "beep" from bios, computer also do not boot system from hdd or fdd. External screen also do not work...
Is it broken mainboard or I can do something else? I realise that this hardware is old, I have also T23 and quite new desktop, but I want make this 560X alive. Mainboards sometimes are on internet auctions.

Did you just install Pup? Have the "Function" key's been mapped yet? Try just "FN" and see what happens. Sounds as if the video has gone to sleep but not the rest of the laptop. Has the screen saver been config'd yet? Has it worked in the past?

What settings did you use for the screen? Did you use VESA to config the LCD?

I did not finished instaling Pup, so I can't configure X server. I tried pushing few combinations with "FN" key, when I unpluged hdd problem still exist...

Your having the issue with the X-Server. Both Pup, Tiny Sofa and DSL I've had tough time with. Here's a link at ThinkWiki that might help. http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Neomagic_MagicGraph128XD

Here's another; http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:560X

Give those a try to help you sort out the video and hardware.

But what it have common with x-server? Screen is black from BEGINING, when I turn on computer I don't see memory test, i can't hear bios "beep", even computer do not boot from resque floppy. Screen is black also in external monitor (no signal) and even when I unpluged hard disc is the same problem.
I can't understand what linux have to do with that...

Your english is perfect my friend. Thanks for hanging in there.

I think it's a coincidence that it happened during the Pup install.

I'm assuming that you cannot enter the BIOS using F1.

Remove the RAM, keep the Hard Drive disconnected, no external devices attached. Let's see if the system will beep. Sometimes a bad part will cause the video to not post. If you have another Hard Drive try that in the system too.

One other part, the sleep switch, might have given up but it's doubtful.

The system board is one of the possibilities according to the Hardware Maintanance Manual but it also says that the DC/DC card can cause the same issue.

"No beep, power-on indicator on, and a blank LCD during POST."

I tried already to disconnect all needless devices (it means PCMCIA LAN card, hard drive, external floppy drive, additional 64 MB RAM) and it doesn't make any difference. I can't use F1 to go to the BIOS - screen is black all the time, external monitor also do not get any signal like i said.
I must say that earlier I had some problems with battery - it means it can't be charged - charging LED blinking all the time and level of charging do not rising over 0%, but computer worked property on power supply adaptor, that giving good voltage.

Is the DC/DC card a part responsible for battery charging? It will explain problems with charging (I thousgh that is battery corruption fault). It is possible to disconnect that part?

About my egnlish: is so far from perfection.

We are both are of the same mind. You've done everything I would have to figure out the problem. The added information about the charge circuit - that is a very important clue.

The prongs that you see in the battery compartment are mounted to the DC/DC card. Here's a link to a pic of the DC/DC card; http://www.impactcomputers.com/05k3112.html

I think you have a bad DC/DC card. *But*

There is one more item to check, the CMOS battery. A dead CMOS battery can also prevent the laptop from posting as well. No screen, but on the power brick it will show a power light, hd activity, etc.

Since the CMOS is the easiest to replace try that first.

I didn't have earlier any problems with CMOS battery like disapearing settings or resets of clock. Of course it is also possible, but in fact earlier problems witch battery charging suggest DC/DC card malfunction.

But how to check it definitively? This part is responsible only for battery charging or also give voltage to other parts like screen? Can I use replacement from another 560 (Z, E, without letter) series ThinkPad laptop?

Check this link out, someone else had the same exact issue as you and they bought a brand new main battery and it fixed their problem? Maybe it resets the DC/DC card's IC? http://groups.google.com/group/ibm.ibmp ... 93977d91c3

Do you know of anyone with a 560 and a good main battery? Cheapest method yet to troubleshoot your laptop with.

Here's the FRU's for the 560's DC/DC cards. If you have access to another DC/DC card I'd say give it a try. I wouldn't spend money though unless you buy one for the 560X.

DC/DC Card, 560- 05K4300

DC/DC Card, 560E- 05K4301

DC/DC Card, 560X- 05K3112

I do appologize for going all over the map with this problem but the HMM is a good place to start but isn't always the defacto answer.

Unfortunetly I do not know anyone with thins type of laptop or even single battery.
But probably soon I will get DC/DC card (this should help?) or even entire main board.

Or you could buy another 560X........from Ebay.de for 1.9 EUR. I saw a new battery for 1.00 US....wow.

I'm not sure anymore. I wish there was someone with a battery......I'd try a battery first then the DC/DC card.

I know you love your 560X, probably has a name...Jadwiga!

I replaced mainboard but now I discoverd something else...
When I turn one of the screws on the this section of laptop situated near by the memmory slot and backup battery plug there comes simmilar problem like in the begining. What it means?

Other question.
Can I use kaybord frame from 560 (this one with metal screening around battery) to replace original from 560X (without this screening)?

I had a similar problem. If I tightened the screw on the left side behind the floppy connector I would loose power. What I found is that the metal shield around the floppy connector was cutting into the motherboard and grounding it out. To fix it I removed the shield and put electrical tape on the motherboard to insulate the shield from the motherboard.