Thinkpads Forum

So I picked up a cheap 600X with a supposed MB problem. The obvious errors came up for the CMOS Battery (161 & 163). I thought woo hoo....was that all it was? So I threw in a HD from another 600X I have that I know works and got a 174 error. Oh well, I was excited for a few seconds anyway

So I just ran PC Doctor on it and everything checks out except the RAM. I did not have any sticks in the machine, just the OB 64mb. Does that mean that the built in RAM is NFG?

I remember reading somewhere here how to disable the OB RAM, so I will search for that now. I just want to make sure its the cause of the error before disabling it.

Thanks for looking.

I think error 174 is a harddrive error..Not RAM...

That said if you're sure the HDD is good then you may have a bad motherboard...

But there is a BIOS hack to disable the onboard RAM..Search this site.

I did the RAM hack already. It disabled the OB RAM and I ran PC Doctor and it read the extra stick I put in. So then I went to try the HD again, but now I have a different problem.

It won't boot at all now. After putting in a new CMOS battery, I turn it on, get the usual 161 & 163 error codes. Then I input the date & time, but it won't let me click on OK. It just hangs.

So then I power off & back on again and it gives errors 173 & 163. Takes me to the date/time screen and hangs again. the date/time is still there from the time before when I set it, it just won't take it. I can click on the OK button and it beeps twice, but won't go any further. So now I can't even get into the easy set-up because it won't accept the date/time I put in.

This is with ALL the extra stuff out of the machine (RAM, HD, floppy & modem). Sometimes, it simply won't boot at all. I power on and get one long, loud, deep beep, then one shorter, higher pitched and slightly quieter beep. No logos, no flashing cursor, no screen activity at all. Nothing I can do will get me past this issue unless I let the thing sit with no power or battery for a little bit, then it starts all over again with the 161 & 163 error codes.

I did check the HMM for the 600X and there was no mention of one long, one short beep. Lots of other combos, but not that one. But I'm guessing the MB is no good anyway.

Yeah...Sounds like the MB isn't recognizing the HDD, and even with the HDD removed you're getting other MB hiccups..