Thinkpads Forum

I replaced the motherboard, cpu board, etc on my Thinkpad 600 with a 600E motherboard that I bought on eBay. Essentially only the keyboard assembly and the LCD assembly is from the 600.

It seems to have gone well, but now every time the laptop boots, I have to hit Fn+F7 to get the display to be active. It seems to be defaulting to external display. How do I fix this?

Is there a resource about changing motherboards?

It isn't a upgrade per se.

Try setting the internal LCD as the first active display in BIOS.

I did.

I went into BIOS by hitting F1 key.
Then I set the Display for Single.

I'm not clear on whether or not you reinstalled your operating system and/or various display drivers to match your new motherboard. Are you trying to use your old install with your new motherboard?

Have you tried "initializing" your CMOS/BIOS from within EasySetup?

Phil.

I did a new install of Windows 98 and downloaded and installed the video and audio drivers for 600E from IBM's website along with the Thinkpad Configuration utility. I set that to LCD only.

I even updated the BIOS to the latest version.
I have the display set to multiple in the BIOS.

Not sure what influences what.

update: Set the BIOS to single display. The screen is completely dark until Windows desktop appears. If I hit the F1 key to configure the BIOS, I have to Fn+F7 to see the display to be able to do anything. Anyone have a clue???

Not sure if I can help or not. I haven't worked with the 600 and 600E models, only the 600X, and so I am not too familiar with minor differences between them.

ieee488 wrote:I even updated the BIOS to the latest version.
I have the display set to multiple in the BIOS.
Not sure what influences what.

In almost all my machines, I have that set to single display. Certainly, while troubleshooting, I would leave it set at single.

Have you tried plugging in a monitor to see if it is in fact sending something out to the VGA port during that time that the screen is blank?

Is it possible that your backlight is failing? Can you shine a light on the screen when it appears to be black and check to see if there is actually some text there, but it is just not showing up because the backlight has not yet turned on for some reason?

And just to doublecheck: Have you tried "initializing" your CMOS/BIOS from within EasySetup?

That's about all my ideas.

Phil.

It is definitely outputing to the external monitor during boot up.
After Windows boots up, then the display witches to the LCD.
Verified this with an external monitor.

I'm going to try re-updating the BIOS again.

If the backlighting is going bad then why does the display switchover to the LCD from the external monitor occur at the specific point when Windows fully loads? Wouldn't it be random?

This is a stuck lid switch.

Above the keyboard, just to the left of the IBM logo, there is a hole and on the corresponding place on the top assembly
there is a tap. There is supposed to be a micro switch sitting in the hole.
When the lid is closed the switch will be engaged otherwise the switch will be open.

When the switch is engaged, bios will assume that the lid is closed and therefore it will not send video to the LCD screen.

If you have not been aware of that switch, you may have assembled things incorrectly.

I took a quick look and the microswitch must have completely broken off before I received the motherboard/bottom shell assembly. Not unexpected since that switch was unprotected as the keyboard assembly was not included in my purchase.

Thanks for posting about this!

Edit: Unfortunately the Sub Card from my 600 which has this microswitch intact will not fit on this 600E motherboard. The bottom connector is keyed oppositely.

SMA wrote:This is a stuck lid switch.

Nice catch SMA.

Phil.

ieee488 wrote: Edit: Unfortunately the Sub Card from my 600 which has this microswitch intact will not fit on this 600E motherboard. The bottom connector is keyed oppositely.

Check out this quote from: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=60124

tom_k wrote:just for the record:
all TP 600/e/x subcards for tft's are interchangeable and will work fine
if you remove the outer notches from the plastic of the downsided sub card connector

Thanks for the link.

But give that I am "all thumbs", I've emailed the eBay seller for another Sub card. It was most definitely broken by the time I got it, and I should get one that works. Let's hope he is honorable guy.

If I don't hear back, I guess I'll just have to sell this laptop for parts.